Why did we study all this?

“Do you recall Permutations and Combinations?” “Yes, I recall those topics in Mathematics vaguely. It was the stuff of nightmares! That part is green in my memory. Thankfully, never needed them! I have forgotten the difference between the two! Was there one?”

 “How about ‘tan-theta’?” “That was Trigonometry. I have wiped clean all the details from Loni’s textbook. And those tricky problems to prove LHS equal to RHS? Like sublimation, they now exist as vapor somewhere!"

“What about those problems centered on a pulley with weights hanging at both ends?” “Oh! Those ones? Spent man-hours, teary eyed, solving the Physics problems! It is ironical. Even in my childhood, we never saw a pulley. Why did we rack our brains on that equipment belonging to the Industrial Age?

“How about the Periodic Table in Chemistry?” “Yes! It was an enormous chart populated with various elements! I had memorized the entire table. And crammed all those chemical equations! I recall none. I think NaCl meant salt, correct?”

“How about Biology?” “Nothing was needed after class 12. It is a relief! I remember the flower and its constituents- Calyx, Corolla, Gymnasium-something, and something-something-else!”

“How about Chandragupta? Surely you will remember him.” “Chandragupta? Yes, he was a king. But I forget if he was in the Gupta or the Maurya dynasty. Was he in BC or AD?”

“Do you remember where Jowar and Bajra are grown?” “Yes, I remember! Only the weeks, months and years spent hitting the head against the wall, studying Geography. I don’t have the faintest recollection now. By the way, what is Bajra?”

“How about Gerund?” “Gerund? Is it a fruit? Even the name has vanished! English Grammar was such a bugbear. Wren and Martin’s tome safely rests on the same shelf I left it, some 35 years ago!

“Zilla Parishad? I liked Civics as much as I did Castor Oil! I remember nothing.”

“If such is the case, what do you remember about school at all?”

“Apart from academics, I recall every other detail! Academics was like carrying an enormous block of ice on your head- starting in the early hours of the morning. You huffed and puffed your way, doubled over by its weight! By mid-day, in the scorching heat of the sun, it started melting. By the time you hit the evening of life, there was no load. You felt light and relieved. It left you wondering- why did I carry that ice-block in the first place?"

If you thought the above was an interview, it was not. It was a frank introspection- a soliloquy of sorts. It is ironical- 10-15 years were spent learning subjects in school and college, that were never used thereafter. It seems such a colossal waste. It begs asking those tough questions, “How much of education is relevant? What role does it play in shaping our future?”

A readymade answer is this, “Basic education builds the foundation. It must be broad, to give a well-rounded personality. It prepares you for specialization later. That’s when you create depth. So, you need both- breadth first and depth later!”

Funnily, when you ask a working professional for the skills needed to succeed in his job, he admits, “All you need is some analytical ability, some communication skill, and some diligence. You pick up the rest on the job. After all, the job is not rocket-science!”

Who is using these subjects in later life? Perhaps, only the coaching institutes who are milking a career, teaching them!

“That is the whole point, My Lord! Saare bayaan ko madd-e-nazar rakhte huey, Your Honor, hum is nateejey par pahunchte hain, we reach this conclusion, that basic education necessarily needs trimming. In trying to provide a wide base, we are spread far too thin. We stuff a child’s brain with too much information, most of which is arguably useless, in the long run.  We need a new mantra- Lessen the load, kindle the creativity, and mould the child so that it sees “learning as fun”! The future will then be in safe hands. I rest my case, Your Honor!”