BRIGHT FUTURE THROUGH EDUCATION FOR ALL

BRIGHT FUTURE THROUGH EDUCATION FOR ALL

Fifth Graduation Day Address at the

Aalim Muhammed Salegh College of Engineering

 

- by Y.S. Rajan

Alhaj. Dr. S.M. Shaik Nurddin Saheb, Alhajiyani. M.S. Habibunnisa Sahiba, Janab Sheikh Athaullah, Janab Ansari, Prof. Dr. M. Murali Krishna, Alhaj. S. Segu Jamaludeen, Prof. Indra Mohan, the members of faculty and staff of the College, distinguished guest gracing the function, members of media, parents and guardians of the students, dear students,

It is indeed a great pleasure for me to be with you all on this important day. This may look like any other function with their own set rituals, speeches etc. But if one looks at the matter deeply, for the graduating students it is a great milestone in the great marathon of Life. Dear Students, take it from me as more and more years pass by you will vividly recall the fact this day is a recognition of an important step you took in higher education.

Of course learning does not stop here. Some of you may pursue higher studies. Some get into jobs. Some may get into business or on other professions. Every time you will find there is something which comes from your existing learning that helps. It may not be the precise formula or an equation or a text. The integrative effect of formal education has some effect on you. If you have understood the fundamentals of the subjects you learned, they stay much longer, they grow in you and as you experience in life, they give you deeper and clearer insights. Don’t worry, if you have not mastered the basic fundamentals because of the pressures of tests, exams, and preparations for the competitive tests etc. you can learn them throughout your life.

But more importantly the transition from a College/University life and education, in the actual field of work is very crucial. Your text books represented a beautiful structured, linear world. Some of you, sometimes might have hated them ! All the same, they are simple compared to how actual work life is and what it demands of you. I would not call it tough. But the knowledge and skill bases required for it are very different from writing exams or doing practical in the class. If you have done industrial projects sincerely, as a part of one of the semesters, you would have had a glimpse of it.

But the work life is beautiful and challenging. There is so much you can learn and more importantly so much you can contribute in terms of practical application of your knowledge, not mere text book knowledge, but something which comes from inside you; yes it comes from inside you due to foundations laid by higher education, your own listening and observational capabilities. You listen to your bosses, customers, colleagues etc. You observe others doing. Then you integrate them in your mind. You plunge into the real work of the company, institution, or business or whatever else. You find results over a period. Learn from good results and failures. Yes sometimes there will be tensions of group work and so called “politics” inherent in human interactions.

If you are a learner, if you are confident of yourselves, if you have deep inner faith in success – you will find life will unfold many of beautiful happy spots to you.

 

STAGES OF LEARNING

When I was reflecting about these issues in order to share with you some important ideas and experience in simple terms, I recalled what I saw in the information brochure of your institution. It is quotation from Prophet Muhammed (PBUH)

 

“Be learned or

Be a learner or

Be a listener or else

Be of help to the above”

 

If you reflect on it, meditate upon it, not just one day, but throughout your life, this saying will unfold several new meanings to you. I passed my M.Sc. Physics with Electronics in 1964 when I was just 20. I used to read many things beyond physics, maths etc. It was a devouring passion to read economics, philosophy, religion, politics, history etc.

Since 1964 for now about 45 years, I am learning, reading, thinking, sometimes getting confused, get clarifications from myself or others, it goes on.

I still do not dare to call myself learned sufficiently. Yes there has been some learning – good amount, still going on, God’s Grace.

At this point I would like to quote a few parts of my Tamil poem in my book, Azhiyatha Uyirkal, a poem in reply to Jancy who had just joined TIFAC then. She is a senior technologist now. Being impressed by my knowledge on several topics, she wrote a poem. In response I wrote :

• Jancyin Kavithai
• Jancykku Padhilkavithai

These words are still true in my life.

Being learned (to some extent) is the foundation stone.

Then you have to be a learner. Yes it is a lifelong process of learning – not just tests and / or writing exams and getting degrees alone. You will read a lot of materials.

Above all, you have to learn to observe nature, others, and importantly listen. Most of us don’t even hear what others are speaking to us or to others. Listening is much higher level of cognition than hearing. It will also teach how to UNLEARN something. UNLEARNING is a part of life long learning.

We should therefore graduate from

Learner to

ALSO Listener

(I broadly interpret it as listening and also observing). If you can reach that stage, you really acquire all the so-called SOFT SKILLS which are being talked about nowadays.

Fundamentals of soft skills lay in understanding others and being able to empathise with their needs. Team work, customer satisfaction, leadership etc – all these have their roots in understanding what others feel, need, what they express, etc. Then you can deliver to them as per their needs, feelings, etc.

 

All that comes from LISTENING, observing.

 

After all these self mastery, and mastery in doing your jobs from the three steps :

 

Learned

Learner

Listener

 

you transcend to another stage that

BE OF HELP TO THE ABOVE

That is true leadership. That is one of the greatest service one can render to other human beings.

These four steps or stages are not exclusive. They are not one after another being left behind after fulfilling the first, second etc. It is a continuous process of one’s own upliftment in life.

Alhaj Saheb and Alhajiyani Sahiba in addition to fulfilling the greatest religious duty of Hajj pilgrimage have helped and are helping the highest step of learning process. This is very commendable.

Before ending this section, it will be appropriate to learn about and understand the great importance attached to education by Prophet Muhammed (PBUH). I have extracted a few quotes from a book “Islam and Peace” by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan.

“When the Qur’an began to be revealed, the first word of its first verse was “Iqra” that is “Read”. Education is thus the starting point of every successful human activity.”

“The very great importance attached to learning in Islam is illustrated by an event in the life of the Prophet. At the battle of Badr, in which the Prophet was victorious, seventy of his enemies were taken prisoner. Now these captives were all literate people. In order to benefit from their erudition, the Prophet declared that if each prisoner taught ten Medinian children how to read and write, that would serve as his ransom and he would be set free. This was the first school in the history of Islam, established by the Prophet himself. It was of no matter to him that all its teachers were non-Muslims, all were prisoners of war, and all were likely to create problems again for Islam and Muslims once they were released. This Sunnah of the Prophet showed that whatever the risk involved, education was paramount.”

I need not add any further comment to these quotes.

IMPORTANCE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Human beings are in a continuous process of learning and also sharing the knowledge and skills. That is why we have now reached a high stage of knowledge intensity, in every phase of our ordinary tasks in life: operating a cellphone or driving a car or in agricultural operations involving many chemicals, machines, markets etc. It is found all over the world that those who get about 4 – 5 years of higher education beyond 12 years of schooling invariably have much higher incomes. Today in India only about 11% of the eligible youth get higher education. You are very fortunate because you get it also in a much better institution.

We all have to work to increase this percentage called Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) to about 40% - 50% which is an average in the developed world. The rest 60% to 50% should be able to get a good school education, not necessarily the current type of ‘uniformized’ syllabus but with a great diversity and above all many economically oriented skills – be it in construction, agriculture, manufacturing, carpentry, maintenance and repair, hospitality, paramedic, para legal, para accountant etc.

Universal education and skilling is crucial for Indians to get out of poverty and its resultant problems.

Our educational systems should be such that persons who are in such skilled jobs are able to get higher education of their choice. It may be to change a profession or just for fun of learning as their high skilled job may give them good income.

I am mentioning these thoughts to you, dear graduating students because in addition to making your careers, for which I wish you “all the best”, you need to shape Indian economy and society, as well.

You need to break out of old paradigms of over-centralisation, cliched thoughts on “excellence”, awe about icons, getting mesmerised by hypes. Think differently. Think of creating diversity. Creativity can only come out of diversity and boldness of approach.

I don’t want to dwell on the details of the above, and I would suggest you look at my website www.ysrajan.com especially the articles section. I would value your feedback too.

You are blessed with higher education. You excel in your life and add prosperity to yourself and your family. Also enjoy many things in life. Along with those achievements, please remember the four stages described above. And at some point of life, do also what is given in the fourth stage of learning process. That is BE OF HELP TO ALL THE OTHER STAGES OF LEARNING. In that process, you will help all other Indians and eventually many other people in this beautiful planet.

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