Our Educational System, source of our failure
In The Name Of Allah, the Beneficent and Merciful
In The Name Of Allah, the Beneficent and Merciful
We Muslim have belief that ‘Quran’ is word of God and best source of guidance. We also believe that we (majorly in past) have produced the humans who made great contributions to mankind through their work literary or practically, we possess a glorious Islamic civilization and we hold substantial part of world’s resources of every kind from mineral resources to human resources. According to our claim which is if not absolutely true but is favorably true, why we as an Ummah a failure. What is the source we should highlight to address our failure. Many of us have many views some say that we turned our backs to Quran some say Sunnah of our prophet is neglected some say we divided into sects and other ruled. All the views have a real value but to me the reason behind our failure today is “Our Educational System”.
Firstly, we have divided our education system parallel to our status (it includes religious, social, poltical and other elements) which is negating the basics of education. We get education to be knowledgeable, awareness and a sense to choose between right and wrong. This attitude of society has damaged our thinking on collective level, we as a nation don’t have consensus even on a single legitimate issue because we disagree and this disagreement is not based upon our rationale or analysis rather on our interest at first and secondly upon our mind set which is predisposed to that education system whose roots are linked with status which represents the fact that we have to get knowledge between limits and those limits are determined by that status in which we grow.
Secondly, we have separated religion and other fields due to which we are now lesser concerned about our ethics and moralities. We are producing brilliant doctors, engineers, scientists etc but we are not producing good citizens for the society. Our people know how to do a job while not bothering about its ethical and moral implications on society. This behavior has contributed to establish a culture of immoralities, considering it to be most practical and legitimate.
Thirdly, the way we teach is just like imposing your ideas and developing the minds which accepts easily without questioning or testing, and it is present in all schools, universities and madrassas, that’s why the constructive disagreement and source of growth of society is missing. We know only two things either completely agree or completely disagree, due to which we became intolerant.
To me the solution as many others say that we should have same educational system irrespective of classes. There should be single comprehensive policy for education of our children until our children became able to decide on their own what they have to study. Madrassas and schools should be merged so there should be a balance between liberalism and religious thinking and, children while doing any activity consider both factors ethics and morality and its apparent benefits, and as a side benefit the monopoly of so called “ULEMAS” (specifically for imams of masjids and uncertified madrassas ) on religion become lesser, by making compulsion to learn Arabic to get understanding of Quran. Education to children say upto matriculation should of general type and same for all, after that there should as many disciplines as they are required by the society. Training of teachers is also very vital, there should be a formal policy evidencing the pre qualification criteria to become a teacher. It should not be like as that one who don’t get job anywhere should become a teacher. The prestige of this sacred profession should revived by screening the people not deserving are becoming teachers. General awareness programs should be conducted by well reputed educationists to communicate the teachers their responsibility in its true sense and their role and importance in society well being.
To conclude I would quote a saying of Imam Shafai
“I am convinced about the veracity of my opinions, but I do consider it likely that they may turn out to be incorrect. Likewise, I am convinced about the incorrectness of the views different from mine, but I do concede the possibility that they may turn out to be correct.”
May Allah provide us all with opportunity and capability both, to contribute for betterment of mankind.
