The Real Purpose of Education

The aim of education at present, it is simply to enable our children to earn a fine living, no stress on moral and religious education, this is very sad, our education should aim at worldly as well as heavenly side, to produce, good citizens good scholars, statesmen and soldiers, good men.

It seems that to-day our definition of man is “An animal that exists in order to enjoy himself while he lives”. Therefore the modern object of education is to draw out all those faculties which are suitable to that end. No doubt first of all, one must learn how to acquire a good living, and, secondly, how to enjoy it in the manner least likely to endanger its loss. We must learn how to acquire riches and also not to squander them in aimless living. That is not what we say, but that is how we act. And even the most highbrow people are acting in the same way. They say that the object of education is to draw out the very best that is in us- to teach us. However it comes to the same view- to acquire the means to earn more well and then to enjoy life lavishly.
Perhaps we may say that the one and the only cause of this limited and materialistic view of life is the decay of religious Sense.
But this common materialistic view of education leaves much to be desired- and few people are really satisfied with it. It is obviously a very limited view and takes no account of those qualities in men who we all agree to admire most: humility, unselfishness and tenderness. Some people may think that this amounts to advocating an almost total neglect of practical side of life. But that is not so. What we mean is simply that as parents and teachers we must keep an eye on our foal. If, we think that there is no goal, then of course, there is nothing to be said against that kind of education which has for its sole object the training of children to win prizes and get good jobs.
But if we take a different view of education, we shall have to see all things as in some way heavenly or leading heavenward. For, education will not, then , mean drawing out only those faculties which make us successful in worldly ways, but drawing out those faculties which make us better people, fitted for an eternal rather than a merely temporary existence. We shall see that it is not what we do that matters most, but what we are. But if, we think like the materialists and their followers, we would say that there is no being behind doing. In this way we shall not only lose the kingdom of God in heaven but also the Kingdom of God on earth.
So we think that no doubt children should be given a good sound, practical education, which will enable them to make money but they should also have ‘culture’. We all know that some buildings have classic fronts. But when we go into the backyard we see only white glazed bricks and drain pipes. So if we cannot make our Children fine and noble and beautiful, through our education, we have failed. This means that if we cannot give our children a truly religious and moral education. Then it would be a waste of energy to confine ourselves to the plain bread-and-butter earning policy of education.