Education

Being only a high school student, who then dropped out off regular college and am continuing my degree in open university / correspondence / distance education , I often get asked “Why?” or “How can you make such a decision?” Or “Don’t you think education is important?”. Sometimes I get told it was a silly move, a bad decision, something I will repent later on in life. Often I just shrug it off, but sometimes I sit and ponder on the reality.
Will I really repent? Has it helped me or hurt me? What will I miss? Have I got enough? Isn’t Life what you make it? Or does education really count?

I have had fourteen years off education in a small school called Union Christian. Those were the best days off my life, the values that were brought into my system, a good physical, mental, social and economic education. I learnt a lot during those fourteen years, things I don’t think I could forget or get out off me easily. And off all those things, I can’t spot one negative!

I did my first year off college in Chennai’s ‘most prestigious’ autonomous college. It’s rated in the top ten colleges in India as well. But according to me, it’s highly overrated. I couldn’t find one positive in that place, only negatives. One off the worst experiences I had, that was the step that put me off from traditional education so to say.

But by then I had other things running in my head, ideas, and concepts. It was a major decision, either have a full time education, or to step ahead off the rest in the rat race and start making money. Isn’t that why most people get educated? So they can get a ‘good job’. I suppose I was just a different thinker, creating job’s for people is a harder task and that was something I wanted to do, help my country’s desperate Job Market in whatever little way that I can. As off date, I directly employ over 250 man years off experience and planning to extend that at least three fold. I have not calculated the indirect employment that’s generated as it will get too complex.

Then again, it makes me think, what is it that I looked at when I employed people? Education and Certificates? Defiantly Not! I couldn’t tell you what any off my staff have studied or their qualification. I mainly look at communication skills, the zeal for life and probably experience. It doesn’t matter to me if someone is an MBA or not, or is an engineer or just someone with no education but years off experience and the thrill to experiment. It’s eventually all left to the ‘personality’.

Two years spent on your masters doesn’t do as much good to your Curricula Vitae as two years off actual Job Experience. It’s only when people will understand this that there will be pace in our economy. We need more young entrepreneurs out there, people capable off creating Jobs. Yes, the government promises jobs, but are they capable off putting the right person in the right place and taking advantage off every skill that an employee possesses? I don’t think so; there are exceptions to this though. Last week I met a class mate off my father’s, she works for “Town Planning’ at HUDCO. Now that is a government employee with dedication, Yes she has a PhD, but she asks herself, SO WHAT?

So yes, I have made the right decision by not continuing traditional education, but I still find it hard to answer when a traditional and conservative person asks me those questions. They fail to understand that working with a difference helps most times rather than following the norm.

The entire thing reminds me off the conclusion off the film The Wizard of Oz where the Wizard is preparing his trip back to Kansas, he looks out and waves to the crowd gathered around him and makes an announcement:

And I hereby decree that until what time … If any… That I return, the Scarecrow, by virtue off his highly superior brains, shall rule in my stead… Assisted by the Tin Man, by virtue off his magnificent heart…and the Lion….by virtue off his courage! Obey them as you would do me!

Smartness, a heart and courage. This perfectly sums up what a person needs to make it anywhere. Perfectly summed up by a film that’s meant for kids, now that’s what I call Education!