The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows

As I entered my institute my sight caught hold of a paper printed in blue on the notice-board. I went close to the notice-board and read it. After reading I went to my classroom sat in my place and got ready for class. During the break I found myself standing near the window of my classroom and that set the ball rolling. It reminded me of the paper on the notice-board where anyone could participate in writing as article on the topic: ‘The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.’

This sentence by Sydney J. Harris is quite profound. The opinion that I can give on this sentence is that, he prefers to see a change; he does not want students to move on blindly; and just wait for the destiny to play for oneself. He in fact wants us to write our own destiny. The mirror is like an inward seeing whereas the window is like an outward seeing.

The first thing that struck me about the mirror and window was its similarity i.e. they have a glass in common and they are attached to something and from which we get a view for example the glass of the mirror attached to the wall and the glass of the window attached to the window pane. What I want to convey through this is both require a support system. Linking this support system to our topic, we see that education has given knowledge to people and which has been expanded over a period of decades after decades. No doubt education has evolved from slates to books and now from books to computers, tabs and laptops. Whereas some are still lagging behind or which are yet to evolve. The mirror view and window view can be seen as two kinds of perspective that a human can have in ones role of education. Into the mirror one can only see one’s reflection whereas from the windows one can see things beyond oneself. Looking into the mirror is oneself and his limited surroundings whereas looking from a window is an expanded view of ones unlimited surrounding. Now what do I mean by unlimited surrounding? Unlimited surrounding for example from a window you see the outside nature which is spread far beyond and wide which even your eyesight fails to see because at a certain point your sight can reach but later on it stops due to some blockage. Connecting this to the topic, some parents who are doctors, engineers, etc, would like their children to follow them. Not only this but some parents who are not engineers and doctors, etc, already have pre-planned careers for their children. This is what I will call a mirror view where parents fail to see the possibilities in their children. Heidegaar says “Humans are not a set of fixed properties but a set of possibilities” so finally the child can choose whether to pursue his/her parents dream or not. Some might see through the window perspective and see across many possibilities they have and they might grab one which suits them most.

Thinking outside of the box was a phrase that I had heard a long time back in my school and has been repeated quite often. This phrase has a lot to teach us. According to me the three things that stand out in this phrase are creativity, initiatives and innovation. Creativity is something we all humans can come up with. It’s like when we do some work and then suddenly comes a bright idea and we try to do things differently this is also same about innovation where someone takes a step and goes on. Initiative is a step with responsibility which one takes up having in mind to fulfill the given or taken up tasks. These things are quite vivid in education as it has changed over the years. Earlier times in schools the teacher would teach on a black board and children would write on a slate whereas now there are e-classes, online classes and now even in schools teachers don’t use the board much but most of the lessons are taught with the help of a projector and in this way lessons are taught to the children. Now schools are introduced to e-boards which is something new for me as I’ve not experience it. It seems complicated but people get used to it. These new innovations which are seen in schools and institutes are like mind grabbers. They attract children towards such things. As our world is moving at a very rapid pace with the advancement of science and technology that we see so many new innovations and today’s generation are very much close to these technologies whereas the older generations are not. In some places where the education is evolving with new advancements the children automatically get attracted towards these new advancements and this also can be seen in their progress. The advancement talks about the initiatives of some people have tried to make things simple. May be it was just an experiment started by someone to teach with a projector and see the change that has taken place; many schools have got an audio/visual hall but now this also has changed as now a few schools have projectors in the classroom itself which makes things even more simpler. This is another example of the window perspective. A mirror perspective would be people saying we learnt on a black board with books, pen and pencil. Why do we have to waste money on projectors? Our children can still study.

This education that we talk about, for whom is it? Is it only for the rich and for people of the higher class? In my opinion many places in India this mirror perspective is still prevalent. The people of high class who have educated themselves want only their children to come up and the lower class children are not allowed to educate themselves. And even if they are allowed they are treated badly in school. It’s the fear of the upper class people that they may fall out of power. Here the upper class people have a very small mirror perspective. They don’t see the wider window perspective. Education should not only make the minds of children wider but also inculcate some perspectives in them to make this world a better place. Many people in the past have fought for the lower class, for their right to education. These people might have probably seen the wider picture that India will not grow until and unless all people educate themselves.

For this change from mirrors to windows to happen, firstly people especially teachers must change and shape themselves and be abreast with the times. So I would like to write a few points where our education in India can shape its education to change mirrors into windows.

In many schools in India there is this great limitation of spoon feeding children and after all this feeding all that these children have to do is come for exam and vomit to the teacher what the teacher had taught them in the class. As this business of spoon feeding goes on, the students can only be book worms and by hearting parrots. What is given by the teacher is given in varying quantity and quality. When such kind of study takes place, the children fail to see and think outside the box. There is no creativity and initiatives by the students. What is the use, if children only by heart lessons for the sake of studying and not apply it practically? Education has to help us grow and make this place a better place to live in. For me education must help us and make us more practical to apply our knowledge and get things done in the best way. I am not totally against spoon feeding because a teacher must do it for a period of time and when necessary. A student must also be trained in a practical way. As to how education can be applied in our day to day living. The teacher in the class also need to have a window perspective that she / he is not the only person who has knowledge but that even the children have knowledge  of something that the teachers do not have. The teacher must be open to children and also be able with the entry of the internet; the children seem to know much more of today’s world. The teacher needs to be humble and open to understand the student’s development. They too in the bargain will learn things from their students. Our teachers must help students in reflective thinking so that the students come up with their own views and opinion’s which helps the student to grow well.

My entry into philosophy has made a great change in me. Even though I consider philosophy is simple things made difficult and difficult things made simple, have a lot to teach us. I remember my first class the professor told us to be open and to ask questions. From then on the journey through education has not been the same any more. From then on I tried to ask as many questions as I can (sometimes my question seemed silly but it always had a purpose behind it). Being open has always been the difficult task for me because here comes the mirror and window perspective, it’s not easy to take someone else’s view on some issue when you have totally a different view about that particular issue. Asking questions goes back to the Socratic age where it was Socrates who would gather around him his students and would ask them questions. This was called the mautic or circular method. Socrates’ view was that of a window perspective. He was not a teacher who would ingrain in them the knowledge that he had. But he held that we all have knowledge which is forgotten and it’s only by questioning that we can gain bock our knowledge. Getting into this circle of asking questions has made me even more sharp and attentive to gain more and more knowledge.

In my journey of education I have encountered teachers who teach just for the sake of teaching and most importantly only to finish their portion. It does not matter to them whether the student studies or understands what they are teaching them. The only thing that matters to them is that their portion is over and their tension is over. Many a times a student makes efforts to ask questions but they are not considered. In fact I feel that when someone asks a question or a difficulty it is a great help to the whole class, but if the teacher is in a hurry to finish her/his portion all these questions and difficulties are pushed aside. When a student asks questions it shows that a student is interested in the following topic but if his questions are not considered than it is like telling the student, sit down and keep your mouth shut. You need to listen to me don’t try to act too smart. Well, this is really a sorry state in India but it does happen.

It is time we make our study more practical while not belittling theory which is also required. Theory itself does not suffice but practical example with theory helps. Personally for me education should help us to grow in our everyday life. Educators should not only be happy by finishing their part of the portion. In fact they should take a step forward and find out the difficulty that the students face. Educators should also help students in making their study easy and simple for example, they can make students write different points in different colors pens, or draw some small art in the side that will make their answers easy to understand etc. This will not only show that the educator is concerned of her/his students but the student will feel loved by their educator and in turn the students also will reciprocate. This is what I feel that one moves from his mirror perspective to the window perspective which is towards others.

If today’s educators do not fulfill their obligation towards their students there’s no future because tomorrow the same students will turn to educators and will teach the next generation. Education is not only what is taught to us in schools and colleges but also what is taught to us in our homes. Educators do not only include teachers but also our parents, friends and people around, because it is also from the people around that we educate ourselves. On the part of the student it is also his/her duty to pick up the essentials that she/he will pass on to the next generation. Education is not only in schools but everywhere. All are meant to be educators. It all depends on how much one can give to the others.

As mentioned earlier that one should pick up the essentials for her/his life  and it also means that she/he should not pick up things blindly as sometimes we might do. Our Indian culture is a very parent respecting culture. For us it is whatever the parents say that is important because we consider it as God’s word and we try to fulfill whatever they say. Until one day they realize that whatever they are doing in accordance with their parents’ wishes is is not their cup of tea. And once they realize it’s too late. And if it results into failure they blame their parents. Whereas some parents are open to their children as to whatever they want to pursue. Here the person chooses whatever is best for him/her. Here he/she is responsible for his/her faults; he/she can’t blame it to anyone.

As I conclude, the education system is not purely bad but it falters because of the people who function in it, as all are not perfect. But our education system looks through the all-round development of the students. For example the sports quota that is put forth helps students participating in sports and it also helps students in their physical development. The test conducted by teachers is a concern for the students as to where they stand in their studies. The assignment and projects prepared by students always have brought out the creativity in them.

It is only when the educator sees himself/herself in the mirror and has an inward look which consists of what all she/he has learnt and he/she looks outside the window and passes on his/her knowledge to the others which is not in the old knowledge that he/she had but also the updated knowledge which he has studied. Updating ones knowledge is very important in this advancing world. Educators need to be in sync with the times and take steps to convey through education the essential and important values of life. There are so many other points which are needed to be taken care off in education system but these are the few where we need to grow to change the mirrors into windows.