July 10, 2001   *   vol. 1 (2)

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vol. 1 (2)   *   July 10, 2001

Jose Rizal once advocated that education is the avenue to our national salvation. That was more than a century ago. We are now a free nation but our country is still in the kangkungans  - poor and underdeveloped.
The greatest treasure of any country is an educated citizenry. In our system, education is popularly equated to getting oneself through formal schooling, and completing the requirements for courses and the paper chase for a diploma. This idea, though, misses to realize that effective and genuine education builds from within a person. It is not just permeating the bits and pieces of math, science, language and history into the cerebrum inside a classroom and passing the formal examinations. Education must develop the intellect and critical thinking. It must nurture man's natural love for knowledge, sense of logic, and truth. It must cultivate a yearning to discover history and culture, and an incessant hammering for values. 
Education in the former does not create any self-worth. People are unable to make independent decisions and are easily swayed by popular sentiments. We fail to be analytical and

discerning. This has been evident on how we have regarded certain religion with much singing, dancing and emotions while the doctrine, which goes direct to the mind, are relegated to the backseat. The much praised and lip-serviced politics, the unquestionable prejudices and unwavering political loyalties we have ascribed to powerful politicians, and even our failure to intellectualize crime and punishment speak of how dysfunctional we have become for any enduring cause. Hence, a real education intends to give men better orientation in his world, and trains beyond a college diploma to become good members of society.
There's much to be reviewed, and be done in our present "learning" system. The overwhelming task of elevating the intellectual tone of our society is the responsibility of Secretary Raul Roco. However, every single individual, any conscientious organization must be involved. Let us start with the most uncomplicated and undemanding task of truth telling, which is badly needed in our country this time. Incidentally, honesty is the first of Rotary's Four Way Test.