Gift Education – With Love

 

A gift is pure when it is given from the heart to the right person at the right time and at the right place, and when we expect nothing in return”― The Bhagvadgita Chap.17 Shloka 20

 

Education is one of the purest gifts we can give anyone. We all remember some of our teachers who put their heart and soul into teaching, connected with us, and ensured that we learnt. That was their greatest satisfaction.

 

Children are, naturally, born learners—curious, creative, social, and persistent. Yet many children are deprived of education. They are woefully left behind, missing crucial skills they need to thrive in life. There could be many reasons for this. Some drop out of school voluntarily, while others are forced to do so. Poverty sometimes forces them to abandon their education to support their families. In some cultures educating females beyond a certain age is frowned upon. In rural areas, transport facilities may not be available for schools which are far off.

 

Unfortunately, sometimes schools, “the temples of learning”, themselves shut the doors to curious, bright minds, especially if they come from disadvantaged sections of society. This could be for minor reasons such as “talking back” with one of their teachers.

 

Some students cannot bear the fear of bullying by fellow students and of being laughed at. This fear haunts them. This has such an impact on the young impressionable mind that the child abandons all thoughts of ever going back to school. Some students fail repeatedly, be it in class tests or semester examinations. They lose confidence in themselves and fall into the traps of the big bad world out there.

 

Our industry complains of a lack of skilled workers despite the stark reality of the availability of a vast section of unemployed youth. What a paradox! Automation is increasing their numbers. Young minds, who could have been an asset to the nation, with their fresh innovative ideas, fail to contribute in any way.

 

Could such stories have a happy ending? Yes, definitely – with the gift of education. We must gift them a course which can give them a livelihood, maybe a vocational course. There are so many organizations that are offering online courses, many of which are free. We must help them explore such courses, counsel them, and mentor them to enroll.

Alternatively, guide them and teach them.

 

What could be a better gift than the gift of education? Don’t we always look back on life and remember those who believed in us and suggested new avenues to explore the wealth of knowledge, or learn a new skill? It was like being handed a golden key to unlock the potential in us. And education is a gift that multiplies. The more you spread or give it, the richer and deeper it becomes. It is not like those useless brightly wrapped trinkets and showpieces, that will gather dust with time, or even things of utility that you can easily get by spending. Rather if you gift them education, maybe, one day you will be thrilled to read their names in the newspaper – how they have transformed the lives of so many people.

 

This gift of education has created ripples, far and wide. Just explore. There are so many opportunities today to give this gift of love and bring smiles to their faces. Empower them for life with the full breadth of skills they need to move into the 21st century workforce. Transform their future from one of uncertainty to one of promise.