Once when I went to Patna for treatment, I went to see the zoo there. There was a board hanging near the ticket counter, which read, “Free entry for children below five years.” While I was buying tickets at the ticket counter, a man came to visit the zoo with his two brothers and sons. He was teaching his son that if the ticket collector asks your age, tell him that he is four months away from turning five. I was surprised to hear that we teach our children to lie to save ten rupees. At the same time, another man also reached the ticket counter and asked for two tickets. The ticket counter asks her son’s age, how old are you? His father answers 6 years. The cashier is surprised to hear this and says if you said less than five years I would have believed it. The man replied, “You used to believe me, but my son knew that I was lying.” Can you imagine which one of those two people will grow up to be a good person?
The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow. Future leaders, doctors, businessmen, judges, teachers are being prepared in today’s schools and campuses. The future of any country depends on the knowledge, character, qualities and skills of these young people. A nation becomes respectable only if the character of its youth is high. It is said that the first lesson of character building starts from the nursery class. What research has shown is that this knowledge is included in them before birth, because the approach and theory is genetic, meaning it is passed from one generation to another. Once an old man was planting a mango tree. A person passing by that way asked him – “Can you eat the fruit of a mango planted at this age?” The old man replied, “Did I plant the tree that gave me shade and fruit?” It is for the generations that come after me, I am felling this tree.” Aren’t we the protectors of future generations? Isn’t it the responsibility of a nation to protect its heritage from being lost?
The habit of sitting at an early age is often permanent. The lack of confidence in today’s youth is the result of this. The widespread despair among the youth is an indication of the corruption, moral decay and lack of decency pervaded in the society. If we cannot build the future of the youth, we can at least prepare them for the future. For this, it is necessary for parents, teachers and community leaders to unite. Good education is necessary for children but more important than that is the education of moral values given by parents which is very important for the success of practical life.
All parents love their children. They give them freedom but it is not proper to accept their every desire and consider their responsibilities fulfilled. Parents who do not say ‘no’ to their children’s unreasonable desires, their children later eat their heads. Parents themselves can provide good protection for their children by becoming role models. Family moral decay pushes children to destruction. Discipline does not break the child’s soul, but if the child lacks discipline, it definitely breaks the parents’ heart. For this reason, the first duty of parents is to teach their children the lessons of discipline and make them members of the society in which they live.
Education is of two types. The first type of education is that which helps us to live and the second is that which builds our life. Any kind of education ends with character building and it prepares future conscious citizens. What should be read is not so important as what should be read. Education is the soul of society. Education provides us with knowledge about rules and exceptions which modifies our thinking. Education makes the difference between people clear. Education develops people’s sense of their rights and responsibilities. It is easy to lead because of education. You cannot make an educated person stupid, it is more difficult to make a slave.
The first purpose of education is to build character, but it is also to teach how to lead a happy and comfortable life. These goals can be achieved only when we are committed and committed to education. The building of any nation is possible only with ideas. If ‘education’ is expensive for someone, then do not try to acquire ignorance as to what is appropriate for it.
Professor Arthur Ward of Texas Wesleyan University says – A well-educated person presents his opinion with an open mind after thinking about everything. Lives with honor and courage, forgives someone’s mistakes with love and affection. He gives more importance to his responsibility than his convenience. He constantly strives to learn more. He values ideas more than money. He knows that the essence of beauty is honesty and character. He has a storehouse of gratitude. He welcomes and respects new challenges, different cultures, unusual customs and opposing views. A well-educated person is one whose heart desires to gain more knowledge. He focuses all his attention on the prospects and hopes of the progress of himself, the society and the nation.
Most of the parents and teachers today do not inspire the young generation much because they themselves are walking and thinking in the wrong way. They call the culture of selfishness ‘this is my life’. The impact of the education given by a teacher also affects the next generation. In ancient times, students used to live with their guru as a family member. The Guru also took the entire responsibility of the students on his shoulders. As a teacher-mother, it can be as a teacher or principal in a school. But today this relationship has become secondary.
Today, it is very important for parents to learn the art of saying ‘no’ to teach their children the right value because today’s youth wants to hear ‘yes’. Today the children say, I want this. Parents say – Yes. Tomorrow the child says, I am going to eat at the restaurant. Parents say – Go. The question here is, do young children have the brain to think and understand like a forty year old parent? If not, who is responsible for teaching? What is to be remembered here is that we get a name from our clan but it takes our character to maintain it forever. And to brighten character, there is a need to redefine morality in today’s society. This is the education of respect and guidance for future generations.
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