Author: bmuniz (Page 8 of 11)

“I would try to make him know that just as American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it, so is the world larger, more daring, more beautiful and more terrible, but principally larger – and that it belongs to him. I would teach him that he doesn’t have to be bound by the expediencies of any given administration, any given policy, any given morality; that he has the right and the necessity to examine everything.”

I believe James Baldwin is talking about having a wider perspective about everything in our lives. He wants us to have an unbiased vision than being narrow or either black or white. He says that what is true for someone might not to be true for others, “the world is larger”. The world is larger than the world we live in, the world we see and the world that we are taught. He wants us to look for the answers that are never talked about. He wants us grow to look at the beautiful truths and also not denying terrible truths. I think he mean that we should not blindly accept everything and we have every right and power to examine the facts and establish our general sense and ability.

“The paradox of education is precisely this – that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated. The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions, to say to himself this is black or this is white, to decide for himself whether there is a God in heaven or not. To ask questions of the universe, and then learn to live with those questions, is the way he achieves his own identity. What societies really, ideally, want is a citizenry which will simply obey the rules of society.”

James Baldwin highlights the necessity of quality and practical education. And points out that “little knowledge is a dangerous thing”. What he means is that we learn only the things that the society wants to teach us, their side of story is what we see and learn. Whereas the whole purpose of education is not force other’s opinions but to make a person who thinks in all dimensions. Where one has freedom to experiment with different things and ideas. Where education can guide him to take his own decisions and achieve his very own identify and not of anyone’s else.

“The Bible says somewhere that where there is no vision the people perish. I don’t think anyone can doubt that in this country today we are menaced – intolerably menaced – by a lack of vision.”

“But children are very different. Children, not yet aware that it is dangerous to look too deeply at anything, look at everything, look at each other, and draw their own conclusions. They don’t have the vocabulary to express what they see, and we, their elders, know how to intimidate them very easily and very soon.”

I strongly agree with Baldwin. As we children know nothing of the world outside. We constantly learn from our family and teachers (practically can be anyone). It is them who shape us and more or less our future too. A strong foundation makes a strong-willed person otherwise a person struggles with his identity. We are programmed to think in a particular way, designed to act in such a manner that we lack a vision, lack a sense of judgement. It is like what we do is what they (the society) want us to do, not want we actually want. We consciously or unconsciously follow the same standards in our society. Trying to run after success rather than knowledge. He says that we have obligation to learn more about everything. I won’t be wrong to say that we are never really taught about finance, how to invest or taxes or about law and governance in our school. Not even when we are young also when we are mature. We all struggle to understand these topics which are so really important then finding resultant force or torque about a point or those big integration or differentiation problem. Topics like these are also the momentum in our society just like Maths and Science. What I believe education gives us knowledge and vision, an ability to look at the world and question every phenomenon or reasons.

My earliest impression of schooling and education is quite unpleasant. I always had to struggle throughout my school because I was less attentive and more distracted. I attended a summer school in my 3rd grade. Sometimes I felt I wasn’t getting anything what was being taught daily. Sometimes I felt alone and overwhelmed with my low grades. I wasn’t good in studies and never really was able to focus. I never want to miss my summer again. I already disliked the school and to do it in the summer had me more stressed. Soon I left that school partially because I disliked the teaching methods and partially because I wasn’t too keen.

I felt disappointed and started to look low at myself. I acted like I’m strong, can handle the changing situations even though I know I was terrible. So, I kept myself tangled with irresponsible nature and let my mind wander to meaningless things and habits. It wasn’t that I wouldn’t get the concepts taught, I was not so willing or say determined.

And then it happened. I made progress slowly and steadily. At 7:57am I entered my school building on one sunny cold day in my 8th grade. I said good morning to the secretary whom I met on my way to the school auditorium. I waited there to be called upstairs for classes. The day looked usual and I too was my usual sneaking in my phone, without getting noticed, as the classes didn’t start until 8:05am. The principal and dean were strict about using phones and especially strict on me as I was one of those kids who was always targeted for not obeying the rules. Then I made my way towards my class. I thought to myself that getting average passing marks is all I need to be promoted to the higher class. At that time, I was giving multiple tests for high school and also the most dreaded by me “SATS”. I used to be up day and night as studying was hard for me. These chains of thoughts were running in my mind while I was physically in the class. I was leaving for lunch with my friends after my first three classes of the day. The principal had put the honor roll students list on the bulletin board outside the main office. And then, I stopped. That was real. My name flashed on the honor roll list. I remember walking past to it in 6th and 7th grade as I never really cared about the honor roll. As long I was passing that was fine to me.

But that 8th grade year I hit the honor roll. It totally made me view my education differently and gave me more of a motive to strive and do better. I went home and gave the big news to my parents. My family and friends were proud of me and that really made me feel special on that day. I have heard stories of dropping out for whatever circumstances from older relative friends. That did impact my psychology and made me put less efforts on my education. But I know my situation wasn’t that bad. I thank my parents for getting me up every day. My father always quoted Abraham Lincoln – “the best way to predict your future is to create”. This still resonates in my mind. I understand that I don’t have to be good in everything. I just needed to be more mature and responsible.

I realized that it’s all a matter of choices and education just show us the right roadmap to lead a successful life. It is not something to be scared of, it simply a test of our abilities. I need not always get good grades but should also not desert myself from learning as it is a never-ending process. It is not just grades, honor rolls or endless assignments. It is way up and beyond. Education has definitely made me who I’m today, ‘my better version’. It gave me discipline and boosted my skills and awareness about our surroundings. It opens the world to me in my little head.

On a sunny cold day I enter my school building at 7:57 am, Once I get in the building I look to my right and say “ Hello good morning” to the secretary. I now walk into the auditorium which is located across from the front desk waiting to get called upstairs for class. So now I’m sneaking around on my phone waiting to be called up because class doesn’t start until 8:05. The principal & dean is really strict on phones and especially strict on me because I was one of those kids that was always targeted because the foolery ways I was stuck in growing up, But that had changed.

       The impact that made me view education/ school differently was on that day, The principal had put the honer roll students list on the bulletin board outside the main office, So I’m done with my first 3 classes of the day I’m now heading to lunch I stopped and see my Name on the board and I remember 6th and 7th grade walking past those never caring about honer roll, as long as I was passing that was fine to me but that 8th grade year I hit honer roll, It totally made me view my education differently & gave me more of a motive to strive and do better from there on out and the amount of my friends that were proud of me made me feel really special on that day.