The Bleak Future

It is said that children are the future of our country. In fact, they are the future of the whole world. Their thoughts are the mirror of the future and unfortunately it seems really bleak. You must be wondering, why am I saying it? Let me share an incident with you.

Recently, I was talking to one of my younger cousins. She is 8 years younger than me (almost 16); we have a lot of differences in the way we think. While talking to her I get a lot of ideas about how this generation thinks and I don’t want to jump to conclusions. Rather I try to understand her actions. One thing that really caught my attention was when she said she needs education just for a degree. Education, for her is just a stepping stone to earn money. At first I was puzzled by her statement. Then I realized, over the years that is what we have taught these people.

We had grown up in a competitive atmosphere. This competition soared year by year so much that now children only think about getting ahead of one another. They notice the things around them. They listen what people are praised for, how desperately their elders are running after money, when parents compare them all the time. Everybody wants a doctor, engineer, C.A or officer. Money and respect are the most important factors in their lives. So, it is not at all surprising if my cousin thinks like that.

Nobody is being taught how to be a human being. And then we wonder why this world is becoming insensitive. Moral science lessons are confined to books and are rarely brought to real life situations. Education has lost its importance and has become a degree fetching curriculum. It is really sad that we cannot realize that education is not only confined within the walls of school. For a child, education lies in every aspect of life. The most crucial role is played by his/her family members. What they see or feel that is what is absorbed by them and that is how they behave. And if it continues to happen, the future of humanity is dark.

One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world - Malala Yousafzai