We may have excelled almost in every field but I still feel, rather I have experienced, that we are way behind in one of the most important fields: education.
I was strolling along the narrow, patchy road of my village when I met an elder neighbour after a long time. He was happy to see me. He greeted me with a wide smile. After a general chit-chat about family, health and a few other things, the conversation jumped to education. He asked me what I was doing these days. I replied that I was studying for an Honours in English Literature. He was suddenly distraught! The wide grin on his face turned into an ugly frown, within no time. What followed was a line I’ve been hearing time and again: “You were a bright student. Why did you choose this subject? Why did not you apply for NEET?”
Another instance I remember is a telephonic conversation with one of my cousins. She told me that I had potential but did not work hard. I told her that I am pursuing a degree in English Literature and I have plans to study further and excel in the subject. She wasn’t convinced. She said, “You did not apply for NEET!”
NEET, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, is one of the most prominent competitive examinations of the country. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and grit to qualify this examination. It produces doctors, the saviours, the heroes, who make an immense contribution to society. There is no doubt about the fact that qualifying NEET is quite an achievement, but what we forget most of the times is that there are other subjects and competitive examinations, too, which have their own value.
A family is not run by a single person. Every member of a family contributes towards its development and growth, and every member has his own significance and value in the family. Businessmen, writers, sportspersons, engineers, drivers, teachers, and every other profession has its value.
Our society has a one-dimensional approach towards education. Most people here think that if a student doesn’t opt to sit in a certain competitive examination after completing schooling, then he or she is not capable of studying at all, let alone finding a “respectable” job. I remember, as kids, when we were asked about our aim in life, most of us would say that I want to become a doctor. Little did we know that our society will take this too seriously!
Taking the advice of parents and elders is a good thing. Their intentions are always pure. But at the same time, you have to take your own advice too. You have to ask yourselves these questions: If I take up a particular subject, am I doing justice to myself? Even if I excel in this subject, will I be a happy person or a successful yet unhappy person? Thousands of young students have fallen prey to this one-dimensional approach. Many careers have ended even before taking off! So, a message that I would like to pass on to parents is: do not force your children to go for a particular course. This pressure and force often leads to depression and wrong choices. Save your children from such grief. Let them choose a subject they are good at and a subject they love by heart. Let them be their true selves! I’m sure that this approach will improve their careers and they will not only become great writers, sportspersons, doctors, and engineers, but good human beings too.

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Mohammad Rizwan