Education has been a part of human life. Civilisation itself is intellectual property of the human mind. Thinking and observation were the first tools of the education of humans. Then, came sign language, vocal speech, written words, books, printing and other modern modes of learning. It was indeed a long educational journey which in other words is human history. Today we have well set education systems.
One has to acquire education to make one’s life complete whole. The education has many aims. Firstly, the primary aim is to systematically awaken the learning processes of mind, introduction to alphabet and digits. Secondly, education imparts basic knowledge to enable a student to deal with the world, earn livelihood and develop his personality. Thirdly, education moulds a student into a good and useful citizen of a sovereign state. Fourthly, the aim of the education is to hone the talents of a student and inspire him to arouse dormant potentials. And finally, the overall education exercise tries to build the character of a student in all positive aspects.
Education sets all the potentials of a student alight to help him grow to his full stature. His latent powers and natural faculties are aroused. Education develops his creative, cerebral and spiritual powers. In character building, nothing is more instrumental than education. It trains one is social behaviour, teaches manners and seeds the spirit to respect norms, rules and regulations. The schooling and the class room processes indirectly create teaching effect through dealing with students in groups. Education moulds raw human material into qualified persons and turns over polished characters.
Today employment is the biggest need of human life. So, education must make a student qualified for a professional job. The students of medical or engineering courses have already set their employment goals. They have little to worry. During British rule the aim of the rulers was to have the education system produce people fit for white collar jobs to staff their secretariats or colonial offices. A few medical and engineering colleges were there only to serve their own needs. All that changed with India gaining independence in 1947.
The aim before the independent country was to spread the lay of education as it would need armies of professionals in various fields. Then, there was the challenge of providing job opportunities and employment to ever growing population of educated youth.
The schools and colleges were coming up thick and fast to impart general education. Medical, engineering and other technical and technological institutions were being set up at fast pace. But there were not enough job scopes to accommodate all the general education graduates.
It was felt that technical and vocational training was the foremost need of modern Indian society. Purely literary education created dislike for manual labour. An arts graduate is not fit for any other task than clerical desk job. No one wants such graduates in a work place. So, the government decided that besides literary education, the graduates needed to be given technical and vocational training for better job opportunities. The need of the hour is to make the education purposefully helpful in finding employment.
Vocational training prepare children for scientific and technical mode of social life. It teaches the dignity of labour. Technical education provides a training of hand and brain. In this regard advent of computer in India proved a great boon. The computer educates and provides vocational training at the same time. The computer has spread in all fields in India and it is becoming basic tool of education as well. It opens up a vast array of opportunities and employment for the young Indian graduate especially for ones who are computer savvy. Computer combines education, means of education, vocational and technical training, entertainment, job search, life partner selection, games, creative art, shopping, e-mailing etc. What a marvel!
