Speech on the Value of Education 3

"Respected Principal, Vice Principal, Teachers, My Dear Students and all the Parents – Warm Greetings to all of you!!

Today was the parents-teachers meeting day, I hope everything went smooth and parents received fair feedbacks of their children from their respective class teachers. Other than PTM, the managing committee decided to also host a speech delivery ceremony on the topic called ‘The Value of Education’. Since the topic is relevant for all, the day of PTM is most suited to this ceremony.

I, Sormishta Vashisht, Social Science Teacher of the Senior Secondary Classes, am being chosen to deliver the speech. Even though the occasion is right here, I haven’t come prepared because the topic is so close to our hearts that anyone can address it and put forth their valid points. So here instead of making you passively listen to me I would also like to raise questions so that you all can also participate and guide each other on this topic.

If I ask everyone present here – What exactly is education? Is it only about academics, acquiring basic skills and becoming a rational being? Or is it much more than that? And, if it is much more than that then can it be defined in clear terms? As far as my opinion is concerned, I would like to say that education is a process which is carried down for the lifetime and consists of every possible experience one gains from formal or informal set ups. Therefore, education, I believe, is something not just restricted to books or classroom teaching, but goes beyond it. It should not be about mechanically learning facts and data, but it’s about acquiring skills, becoming creative in everything that we do and realizing our inner strengths and polishing those strengths so that not only we can be benefitted out of it, but our society and humanity at large can draw a positive force.

Unfortunately, in the present times, we are leaving behind the primary aim of education, which has just been relegated to the notion of acquiring more and more marks. Besides, the fundamental aim of education has got further distorted by the governmental policies, double standards of our society and of course the poor economic growth. I am sure you all must have heard the punch line that is making rounds these days, “Padhega India, tbhi to badhega India”. But how can India progress when majority of the Indian population lives below poverty line and cannot even meet their basic needs?

Education has become a money making business for the private schools these days and the education system in government schools is still poor. How we can bridge this gap? And, how we can prevent such schools from extorting huge money at the name of education? The value of education can only be raised when no child would be deprived of education and his/her potential would be tapped to its optimum. Secondly, stress should not just be laid down on getting more and more marks, but acquiring practical skills which can later on become a good source of income for those students and aid in improving the country’s economy.

So we as an educational institute should join hands and work together in making education accessible to each and every child living around us and help our students in first becoming great human beings then a great scholar.

Thank You!
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