Essay on Don't Limit a Child to your own learning, for he was born in another time. This is a famous quote of Rabindranath Tagore that means that the questioning nature of young mind should not be changed or suppressed, just because the knowledge of elders is limited to their specific time and so this does not mean that the question does not have an answer. Elders try answering the questions in their own limited learning, which should not be the case otherwise. So, the child should be allowed to learn, the young mind should be allowed to blossom by questioning and continuous learning. Children are exceptionally talented and they learn in different ways to the way their elders learnt at school.
Essay on Don't
Limit a Child to your own learning, for he was born in another time."
“The goal of early childhood education should be to activate
the child's own natural desire to learn."
-Maria Montessori
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Rabindranath Tagore |
This is a famous quote of Rabindranath Tagore that means
that the questioning nature of young mind should not be changed or suppressed,
just because the knowledge of elders is limited to their specific time and so
this does not mean that the question does not have an answer. Elders try
answering the questions in their own limited learning, which should not be the
case otherwise. So, the child should be allowed to learn, the young mind should
be allowed to blossom by questioning and continuous learning. Children are
exceptionally talented and they learn in different ways to the way their elders
learnt at school.
The single thing that is simple but seems complex and
differentiates the generations over time is ‘change’. It's the beauty of this
change that makes us adapt to the changing environment, habitat and time.
Change allows us to be accommodative to the new conditions, thereby adding new
attributes to our personalities. Thus, without this change we can't stand alone
as the leading survivors in the Darwin's 'Evolution of Life! With every
advancing day, new opportunities, ideas and challenges are thrown up. Unless we
constantly adapt to the changing needs of the surroundings, we can't compete,
advance and sustain. A person therefore cut off from the mainstream way of
living is considered archaic and backward.
Today's young generation is always a step ahead than the old
generation in terms of its thinking and application of knowledge and so will be
the next generation as compared to us. Time and again, the young generation
raises questions and doubts regarding certain traditional rituals and
superstitious beliefs based in their own reasoning and scientific
interpretations. At this point of time, they either get answered to in an
unconvincing manner or are asked to follow the traditional beliefs without any
arguments. This puts them in a situation where they start doubting everything
told by their elders and in lack of proper answers to their doubts, their faith
starts fading sooner or later.
Old generation, in fear of losing its supremacy tries to
stop the younger ones to question, argue or raise doubt as they are unable to
answer their questions or they do not want their misinterpretations to be
uncovered. Thereby, this leads to brutal murder of the scientific temper and
enthusiasm in the younger ones. The society grows when the inhabitants are
willing enough to put in some effort to the well being and development of the
young generation. If the society believes that it has conquered the knowledge
and the young ones should blindly follow the existing beliefs, then the
scientific temper starves and the society as a whole faces downfall.
At some point of time in the past, traditional professions
were hereditary. The livelihood activities were practiced in the family chain
through generations and this represented the character of self sustained
village economy. But, with advancement in time and with beginning of modern
era, the situation transformed. With growing level of modernization in
production, administration, spread of education, overcrowding and more; emerged
the change in conditions of a revolutionary character. Migration to the towns
and cities led to emerging of a population of a new generation of educated
youth who aspired for jobs in administration, new ideas blew far and wide. All
of this remained intact and broke the shackles of confinement.
Then the world of such people remained small, backward and
uncivilized as compared to the present way of living. They expected their kids
to carry forward their pursuits, their lineage and confine to the narrow way of
living as they and their fathers did. The knowledge and wisdom gained by them
through their seniors was limited and they failed to sense the changing needs.
The Indian society was rife with rituals, superstitions and
old beliefs around the six century BC. Then the people starved still were not
allowed to question the existing beliefs and look for other avenues of
survival. The class system became very rigid and the priestly class left no
chance to exploit the masses. Then with the arrival of Buddha, the eightfold
path of life was proposed to the people which led to the path of end of
suffering in life. This helped in breaking the chains of the past and look to
the future. But, again in medieval times, the society became weary with no
innovation. This stagnation brought in several superstitions and fear of the
unknown which were exploited by the British to subordinate the country. But,
through the efforts of social reformers and several young leaders; the existing
superfluous rituals were challenged which led to new progressive path for the
Indian society. The scientific temper and reason in the masses was brought in
and this led the wheel of growth going. Education on scientific lines was
started and India was made aware of its glorious past. It was only after the
society was mobilized this way, that the freedom struggle of the Indian
National Congress left its impact.
This teaches us a very important lesson- that change is very
important in order to grow. The society is structured out of individuals and
individual growth is equally important. This growth is attainable by
entertaining and encouraging the questions of children. Through this the proper
knowledge will be passed to the younger generation which has the responsibility
of future resting on its shoulders.
The child should be allowed to grow under watchful eyes and
the teaching should be confined to basic values rather than being imposed with
one's ideals. He should be provided a proper avenue to exhibit his
potentialities. And the society and humanity progresses only when a child grows
into a rational being; for he is the future from whom one borrows the present.
Questioning the conventional or traditional way will lead to the development of
scientific temper and the question provided with right answer develops
rationality and in quest of answer research is born which fuels the seeds for
growth of a nation. This is how a society progresses and a progressive society
needs progressive young generation. So, encourage the child to learn, question
and grow; rather than restricting him or limiting him to your own
understanding.
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