Redefining Education: Nurturing Consciousness in the Next Generation

With new academic years starting all around us, the excitement of a new class and school year can be seen on the faces of all students. Why is this excitement? It is the excitement of expansion. We humans constantly crave this never-ending expansion of our subconscious world, and our children are perfect pure examples of that.

The other day while driving down the road, a car overtook a truck in front of me. It was a single road without a median. The driver coming from the other side of the road made an angry gesture to the driver who overtook. At that moment, I wondered if this gesture was seen by the person for whom it was made. Most likely, he did not even know that an action by him triggered a counter-reaction from someone else. The presence of the incident is in reality only in one person’s life, as he is aware of it, while even though the second person was involved, it never became part of his reality.

The incident is a pure example of how each one of us builds our own world of consciousness while being physically present in the same world. This world of consciousness is fed by us being aware of something. Not only do we create our world but constantly try to make our conscious world a part of others around us as well. Have you ever wondered why your child doesn’t want to become an engineer while you believe that is the best thing for him/her? The reason is that in your conscious world it is the reality but for your child something else is, and that is the struggle. You are forcing your reality onto him/her which is not possible unless that child becomes aware of similar experiences.

In our current teaching system, we are constantly trying to make our reality a part of the child’s reality. As a child never experienced it, understanding the logic behind the concepts becomes a challenge. Try to recall if you can remember 100% of what you learned in school. The reason we are not able to recall everything, even though at the time we successfully completed our exams, is that all those concepts became part of our short-term memory but never became part of our consciousness. On the other hand, concepts that triggered something in us became a part of us and without a single effort, we are able to recall them.

Starting at a young age, we start making the child aware of his/her surroundings, how to understand it, how to be a part of it. But soon that shift moves towards mere remembrance of facts and someone else’s awareness. The role of the education system is not to judge or evaluate but to ensure that enough opportunities are given to each being to expand his/her awareness. Ever thought why pedagogies like Montessori work wonders in children? The reason is exactly the same: ‘The child learns from his/her experience while being directed by the teacher,’ even if it means making mistakes.

Heartfully, Manika