What does it mean to be civilized? Civilization, as the
etymological dictionary puts it, is an advanced and organized state of human
social development. To put it in simple words, civilization is an up gradation
from barbarism, where an individual is expected to abide by a set standard of
rules and regulations and display socially accepted behavior. The term
civilization, however, doesn’t carry the same meaning in all societies and
cultures. Things and acts considered civilized in one part of the country may
be viewed terribly offensive in some other part. Nevertheless, there are some
universal norms and values of life, which are widely accepted as the marks of
civilization in all the communities and across the cultures.
‘Education is the source of civilization’ as the saying goes.
Education is believed to have been the sole factor for transforming the early
barbaric societies into the civilized ones. However, whether or not modern
education has civilized us today is an issue that can be fairly debated.
The unparallel contribution of modern education can not
be negated. Today, the world has achieved a tremendous progress in the field of
science and technology, and human civilization has reached at the peak of
advancement. The development of mass
communication has cut across the geographical and cultural boundaries, and has
turned the world into a global village. Modernization
has been a popular craze among all, no matter whether they are aristocrats or
slum dwellers. All the advancement of this kind can solely be credited to the
wonders of education. Despite this, the failure of modern education to give us
the desired outcome has saddened us.
Education wasn’t within the reach of everyone in the past.
Only a handful of the socially privileged class could afford to educate their
children in the limitedly available urban schools or abroad. Villages grossly
lacked schools and educational facilities. Societies were agricultural.
Children in these typically agricultural societies grew up in joint families
assisting their parents in their traditional family occupations, later
inheriting the same as theirs. They were totally deprived of the light of
education. Yet the societies were organized and smooth. Families were
integrated and happy. Irrespective of
the differences in caste, creed and culture, people were bound by the feeling
of humanity and brotherhood. They lived in peace and harmony, and resolved the
occasional dispute and differences in a cordial manner. There was an atmosphere
of trust since they had faith upon one another. They shared a common interest,
which was the welfare of all the mankind. There was cooperation among people in
societies. ‘Live and let live’ was the
guiding principle of life, and benevolence was given the utmost priority.
Selfishness, treachery and deception were almost unheard of.
With the passage of time, there have been many changes in
the education scenario. Unlike in the past, education has been recognized as a
basic need, as essential as food, shelter and clothes, and has been established
as a fundamental right of an individual. There has been an extensive awareness
among people regarding its importance. Today, people, irrespective of what
economic condition and circumstances they live in, don’t make any compromise
with the education of their children. Even a rickshaw puller or a stone crusher
sends his children to a private school. As a result, societies have undergone a
huge transformation. They have been modern and advanced. There has been an
upliftment in people’s standard of living, and quality of life has improved.
Despite these positive changes, modern education has
massively failed in bringing about the holistic development in an individual.
Societies have materially advanced, but the humanitarian aspect has suffered a
huge setback. The philosophy of ‘live and let live’ has vanquished deep down
into the dungeons of cold materialism. The ideology of benevolence has been
replaced by the ‘me-first’ philosophy of life. We have been selfish and
individualistic in nature. We have lost
the power of tolerance and developed an unrestricted aggression, which can be triggered
even by the smallest of the acts of resentment.
Honesty, righteousness and good conduct have been left
far behind, and we have mastered the art of deception. As a result, modern
educated societies have disintegrated and families torn apart. We witness the
acts of violence, murder, rape, and treachery rampant everywhere. We have lost
our faith upon one another, even on our close associates. The persistently
growing family violence has left our children in the lurch, and has questioned
their inheritance. Modern man has forgotten his duty even to his parents. He
has left them in the old age homes and has run after material prosperity. Many
elderly citizens, abandoned by their families, have been living a painful life
in such welfare homes run by different people and organizations. We have been
totally barbaric, but still call ourselves civilized. The term civilization has
been widely misunderstood and misinterpreted. It is associated more with the
flashy appearance of people. Dressing up with the latest fashion trends, going
to disco, and partying together, among many others, have begun to be viewed as
the signs of civilization. Modern human has forgotten the value of morality and
character.
The desired outcome of education may vary according to
time, place and context. However, some universal human values that education is
expected to instill in humans are same everywhere and can’t be undermined. But sadly,
this holy mission of education has been obliterated due to its
commercialization. Modern educational institutions have turned out to be
corporate houses trading certificates. They prepare students to achieve the
best academic grades that qualify them to sell themselves in the job market,
but pay very little or no attention to teaching human values or life skills. Value
based education has been a far cry. As a result, today, we have enough of
educational morons, morally sterile and spiritually barren but very few human
beings.
Durga Gautam
Published in The Rising Nepal dated January 25th, 2014
