“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education” – Mark Twain

While the authenticity of the above quote can be challenged, Mark Twain is a figure who is very likely to have said something along the above lines. Lets take into account the terms “schooling”, “education” and “literacy”.

I’m going to break these terms down first because people freely interchange them which in my opinion is harmful.

Education – This is the passing down of knowledge to make someone productive, employable or entrepreneurial.

Literacy – The ability to read, write and comprehend the written word.

Schooling – An institution where they use the term “education” too loosely because it’s only designed to provide mere literacy.

Is literacy important? It can be, but not for everyone. It’s subjective.

Is schooling important? Not at all. There is no real need for such an institution (at least in its current format), because every alternative has historically been better than it.

Is education important? Yes. But, it has nothing or very little to do with literacy and it is not provided in schools (which are mere literacy organizations).

People who went to school are literate, but if they do not have life skills, they’re still “uneducated”. You should use the term “literate” or “schooled” to describe them instead.

Now, lets contrast this with real education by considering these illiterate people:

1. Illiterate Indian rice farmers had developed and were maintaining over 3,00,000 varieties of rice including sterile varieties (not yet achieved by scientists). You can contrast that with Indian Rice Research Institute (IRRI) that developed 2 varieties in 40 years. This was narrated by the director of IRRI and acclaimed scientist Dr Richharia himself and he was smart enough to respect the knowledge of these farmers. What these farmers had was a real education.
2. There is a tribe in Chhattisgarh called the baiga tribe. They are legendary healers. Their children were able to name over 70 types of plants at the age when we tend to send our children to school. Not just that, they could tell you the utility of these plants. They do speak their language, but it doesn’t have a script so the transfer of knowledge has been verbal and experiential. This is certainly real education. It doesn’t fit into the domain of literacy which I think for such a group can easily be termed as overrated.
3. Did you know India as a country has over 4000 weaving patterns which have been maintained by handloom artisans. The transfer of knowledge needs to happen at a young age when the hands are nimble. It is a life skill that has potential livelihood. This is real education. India as a country is likely to lose these skills forever because they have confused literacy with education.

If you’ve been to school, earned a school leaving certificate, or even topped in your board examinations, you are still merely literate. You should not be calling yourself “educated” because what you learnt does not fit the definition of an education above.

“What you learnt in school classrooms has very little, if any value in the real world.”

Forcing schools on children who are already receiving real education is not just cruel, it is detrimental to society as a whole.

First, you’re depriving a child of a skill and potential future livelihood.

Second, you’re painting an unrealistic picture of an alternative livelihood while not actually providing any skills but mere literacy which is useless when you need to feed yourself.

Third, you’re becoming instrumental in reducing the skill base of a cottage industry which has thousands of years of history.

Fourth, you’re creating a child who doesn’t know where they stand and will eventually feel marginalized and ask for help. This can become a driver for a demand for unnecessary reservations and potentially create rifts in society.

Fifth, you’re downgrading a valuable skill while upgrading something that pales in comparison.

Therefore, the RTE act is evil and has no purpose for its existence. It is pushing literacy above education which in any reasonable society is … rather … there’s no better way to put it …

Stupid!

The RTE act is not only stupid, it’s also oppressive and it’s harmful to indigenous knowledge bases and history. It’s also potentially harmful to society.

The “compulsory schooling” part of it is based on the same fundamentals that led to the formation of the National Socialist (NaZi) party in Germany.

Such an act can only be designed by people who think themselves superior and have this urge to “civilize” people and bring them into the “mainstream” even when they don’t wish or require it.

It has parallels to the “Civilizing Mission” document of 1835 which I think every Indian citizen should read and comprehend, and understand how they were controlled by the British. How their indigenous systems were devalued in their own minds, while at the same time stealing their knowledge bases and re-purposing them using nefarious designs.

If this is not taught in history, which it isn’t, then what is taught is essentially useless anyway.

“Those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”

The RTE must absolutely be scrapped and then re-written to simply be a vehicle to provide potential schooling ONLY to those who desire it and wish to leave their traditional livelihoods.

This number is usually very small as observed in most cases such as with the forced institutionalization of the baiga tribes because they keep wanting to run away from school and do.

The children who want to be a part of their traditional livelihoods should be left free to pursue it because that is real education and not mere literacy.

In conclusion:

1. Schooling is NOT education. It is mere literacy.
2. Real education is NOT given in schools.
3. RTE is evil in its current form and should be opposed tooth and nail. It not only deserves to be scrapped, but people who designed and authored it should be exposed for their nefarious designs and intents.

Just because you have gone to school and college, doesn’t mean you’re educated. You are merely literate. I need to stress on the merely because that is the value of being literate.

Your education actually starts only after you leave these institutions.

Nevertheless, there is one education you did get. That was at home. That was outside the classroom. That was outside the school.

All the subjects you learnt and scored well, using the prescribed curricula, has very little … if any value.

Can we design a system that actually provides value in schools?

Yes, it can be done.

The first thing to do is to scrap the current model in its entirety. It’s a large topic and requires more detailed input.

For today, in it’s current form, schooling is NOT education. Far from it.

If you are a parent, educator, teacher, instructor or even an official in-charge of education of children, then remember that education has nothing to do with schooling in its current form.