Noteworthy Trivialities #5

What should be the aim of Education, job security or character building?

What ought to be the aim of Education- the popular perception is job security. But it’s interesting to note that, when Thomas L.Friedman, a Pulitzer awardee compared Infosys and Al-Qaeda, the answer became quite clear. For both the organizations have, global network, highly talented youth, resources, etc. However, Infosys has constructive thinking, while Al-Qaeda has destructive thinking. Only the character of the organization has changed its impact. 

It is evident that character plays an undeniably important role in our life. However, it is fact that we cannot earn our livelihood only on the basis of our character. Unemployment and lack employability is one of the biggest vice for any society. So, education which doesn’t make us employable has no meaning even if it strengthens our character. Job security and charater building goes hand-in-hand.   

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason but no morals. … We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” —Martin Luther King Jr., speech at Morehouse College, 1948