Knowledge or Grades? What's more important?

I don’t like to complain, but the current teaching scenario doesn’t earn any appreciation either. I hate it when my teachers break into the same old monotonous speech on marks, marks and marks. How can something as valuable as knowledge be measured in marks or grades? Is it even possible to catalogue a man based on the marks or grades he earns?

Ever so often, my teachers tend to assign an arbitrary number of marks to each and every concept. They've developed a habit of it. Most of them, at most times, tell, "This concept is important for 2 marks"; "That definition is a definite question for 1 mark"; "One numerical is guaranteed from this concept"; "This derivation will be asked for 5 marks." I don't understand why teachers are so compelled to categorize topics based on marks assigned to them in the examinations. But, the worst bit is when they skip fundamental concepts citing the reason that no questions pertaining to such concepts are asked in examinations. They say that certain concepts are 'not important from the exam point of view' and that not studying such concepts wouldn't amount to any loss. Some ignorant students follow such teachers blindly and study only for the sake of exams. These lethargic students find the easiest ways to score the most marks with the least efforts, discovering shortcuts, finding frequently asked questions, and skipping unimportant topics. Many students are inclined to mug up the answers to the most anticipated questions in the examinations. They get ready to face the exams, but not to apply their knowledge.

According to me, the cause for such marks-driven pedagogy is a fundamental flaw in people's ideology- people tend to judge individuals, their character, their capabilities, and everything in between, on the basis of marks. If 'A' gets 95 marks out of 100 in any arbitrary subject, then people begin to praise A to the sky; "Oh! A's so intelligent! A's so smart!'; people never take A's character, aim, interests or personality into consideration. Similarly, if 'B' gets 40 marks on the same test, then the same people begin to treat B irreverently. Most fail to consider B's circumstances; whether B was unwell or uninterested or just had other priorities and commitments. It is true that if an individual can't score good marks, then he is a bit weak in prioritizing and decision-making, but that shouldn't mar his image for a lifetime. We mustn't judge anyone by virtue of his marks. Take the example of Albert Einstein, or Thomas Edison, or even Mark Zuckerberg. Both Einstein and Edison were considered dim and foolish by pedagogues, because they rebelled against rote learning. Now, tell me, can we imagine Einstein and Edison fools, just because they didn't do well in school; or Zuckerberg as bogus because he dropped out of college?

Knowledgeable students will garner good marks, but good marks do not imply knowledge. One shouldn't sow rotten seeds in small pots, add kilos of fertilizers and expect beautiful flowers. The time has come for education to stop centering on marks and start centering on character-building. Education should be an inspiration, not a burden. Knowledge and character must be supreme, not marks.

Contentment

Self contentment brings happiness,
But does the happiness need self?

For if I loved books, I'd be a librarian;
If I loved food, I'd be a cook;
If I loved money, I'd be a banker;
But does this contentment have an end?

I am content,
When my house is my home,
When there is conversation in silence,
When my thoughts aren't solitary,
Even when I'm asleep.

But one mustn't stop with complacency;
For I'd rather be incomplete,
Than stay in the dark,
And assume I'm complete. 

Procrastination

The bitter reality of every hard working, yet low achieving person is procrastination. It is a tendency that is very hard to avoid. Take this article for example. I put the heading up last week and planned to write it. Time and again, I postponed, pushing the day further for one reason or the other. I guess, the time is right only now, for I will not procrastinate any longer.

For the past few weeks, I've been thinking of discussing, with the principal, about a few reforms in the functioning of our college, but could never find the right thread to pull. Firstly, our college neither has a student counselor, nor does it have a suggestion box. Whom do I speak to? This is one of the matters I wanted to discuss about. Autumn is creeping in faster than I imagined. In two months, I'll have to start writing my college applications, and with no counselor, completing it won't be easy. I have yet to find out who in our college has the authority and the ability to complete the official parts of my college application as a school representative.

Secondly, our college library's modus operandi is one the most peculiar and worst kind I have ever seen. All the books are kept behind glass walls and to read any of them, one has to affix one's identity card. So, obviously, the librarians have trust issues. But, that isn't the end of it. One is allowed to borrow only one book among limited options, that too only on a specified date once in two weeks. I feel as if the librarian decides what I read and when I read it. The other day, one of the librarians told me that many old books had been stacked, bundled and kept in a storeroom on the top floor of the library building, inaccessible to potential readers. They could have been leased to students or, even donated to economically or academically poor students. But, no; they had to take the stupid decision and pack the books off for rodents to bite at. I don't know what one needs to know to become a librarian, but I'm sure librarians in our college library are unqualified for the post. In nearly all libraries, the situation is so pathetic that I've never seen a librarian as a book lover. Librarians at the counter often sit playing games on the computer, never caring to read a book from among the thousands around them.

Thirdly, the cultural and co-curricular activities in our college are nearly equal to nil, qualitatively and quantitatively. Our principal doesn't even permit us to participate in fests organised by other colleges; Fests in our college are out of the question. When some of my friends and I had opted for a French language course, the principal dashed our aspirations and asked us to concentrate on the core science subjects. The very soul of our college has become resistive to cultural expression and extra-curricular activities. The only active group in our college is the eco-club comprising of lecturers only. I don't know why; I'm going to find that out soon.

Now, surely, I will no longer wait for someone to take the lead, neither till someone asks me for my opinion. I will take the lead. I will ask the questions and I will get the answers I need. I will open the forum for discussion. I will try and I will succeed.

LIVE AND LET LIVE

Should we interrupt in Nature's Deeds?

In our last biology class, our teacher was telling us about human activities' "ill-effects" on ecosystems and that protecting the ecosystems is our responsibility. Many people believe that construction of wildlife sanctuaries and bio-reserves, adoption and care of animals, and collection, storage and preservation of plant specimens (seeds) are methods to do so. But, I strongly oppose most of it. We shouldn't interrupt in nature's deeds, either for the bad or what we assume is good!!

We have a long-standing habit of poking our nose into everything and doing things without giving much regards to  its consequences. Firstly, we managed to change (others prefer destroy) our environment with our habitation, agriculture, and industrialization. Frankly speaking, I don't find any flaw in it. We are as much a part of the environment as it is of us. As inhabitants of the Earth, we have every right to make our stay here comfortable; but we also have the duty to accept the ramifications of ours' as well as our cohabitants', animals, plants and microbes, activities. Secondly, claiming ourselves to be the smartest species in the generations to come, we indulge in activities to protect nature. Why do we want to conserve nature in its current state? Are we afraid of the future? Afraid that species smarter than us may evolve, and dominate us? Treat us as we now treat chimps?

We are either incorrigible hypocrites or ingenuous ignorants. One should either be selfless or accept that we are selfish. Why be a hypocrite? We speak so much of conservation of nature; protecting nature for nature's sake, for animals' and plants' sake. Did they ask us for protection? Aren't we obligated to all such things? But, I believe we actually do all of it for our own sake. We have feasts during holy festivals, don't we? Why? Because, we want to, but we take the name of God as if he demanded us to have such a sumptuous meal. Why do we treat others respectfully and courteously? Because, we often expect the same attitude in return. If it was ensured that no matter how you behaved, others would treat you respectfully, I bet, most people's true character would come out.

If we are not hypocrites, then we are ignorants for failing to consider the aftermath of our actions. We often hear that the number of species on Earth are decreasing, and that species loss is our loss. I believe it is just nature's way of filtering out the incompatible. When we change, the nature around us changes. If some species are dying, some more better suited species are being generated. Saving a mere two or three species will not sustain the future. Nature has its own ways of solving problems and speciation is one of the best it has come up with. Origin of man was a result of speciation. If we stop obstructing nature at every path, it will redeem itself; it will speciate. Nature will balance itself; not restore, but balance!!

Studying substantial parts of history, evolution and pre-historic life, the one thing that we can deduce is that change is inevitable. Yet, we resist it. Whenever something new happens, whether gradually or suddenly, we become hysterical. We hear that only a thousand tigers are left in India, and we begin worrying- What to do? What to do?? Let's try this! Let's try that!! I say, stop all this bullshit and reassess the scenario. For a change, let's not do anything, and wait for nature to complete its move. Remember, humans evolved from nature ans not the other way round. Let's stop interfering and allow nature to get its act back together. Let's live and let live!!

Can Man Be Unselfish? Of Course Not!!

Selfishness is a character that compels one to keep the whole or at least a part of anything and everything for oneself. Although used in a very derogatory sense, selfishness is an inherent trait in every organism, be it - unicellular or multi-cellular, mobile or immobile, domesticated or wild. It is the driving force behind the development of man and one of the most influential motivations.

Charles Darwin was right when he spoke of, 'The survival of the Fittest,' (Although he referred fitness, ultimately and only, to reproductive fitness, I believe fitness refers to the combination of all the favourable traits.) Selfishness is in our genes, and its one of the fundamental characters passed on to us by our ancestors. Only selfish people incited by a tinge of selflessness went a long way and they still do!! Plain selflessness neither inspires one, nor does it motivate one to beat the odds and do something new. Selfishness renders one fit and the fittest always survive.

'Man loves himself most.' I've read at least two stories having this as their moral and I wish to cite the two. In one story by Mannu Bhandari, a cemetery comes upon a widower who is extremely sad and is weeping over the death of his wife. The cemetery expects the man to die in despair, but in the span of a couple of years, it again comes upon the same individual mourning the death of his second wife. The cemetery condones the man, thinking of his acts as an aberration, but when it again finds the man lamenting, this time due to the death of his third wife, it realizes that man loves oneself most and that he is always ready to scale immense heights to find peace and happiness for oneself.

In another Akbar and Birbal story, Birbal arranges for an experiment to prove that one loves one's own life most. He puts a monkey and its baby in a deep tank and asks the servants to start pouring water into it. As the water level rose to the mother's knee, it picks up the baby and places it against its bosom. When the water reaches its hips, it places the baby on its shoulder. When the water level reaches its shoulders, it places the baby on top of its head. But, when the water level seems to rise above its nose, it puts the baby down and stands on top of it to save its own life. Thus, the experiment showed that one loves one's own life most.

Although I speak so much for selfishness, I don't intend to support it under its current definition. I believe that we shouldn't let selfishness limit only up to I; it should cover the expanse of I, my family, my people, my nation, my Earth and even my galaxy (not ruling out inter-galactic communication in the near future.) I believe selfishness under the right control can be a very positive inspiration and motivation.