Education, what?

Who needs education? We all do, apparently, because ever since we can consciously remember of our time on earth, it has been drilled into our heads that in order to make something of our lives, we need strong grades, multiple scholarly medals and honours of the highest order in the scholastic department. Devoid of these, we can make nothing of our lives, or so would people have us believe.
Don't take me wrong, I believe that education is extremely important for the development and progress of our society. What I stand against is the rampant prejudice that exists against what people think that you ought to study.

Being a student who chose to take up the stream of Humanities or Arts today, I've come across a bevy of  people who still hold on to the archaic (in my opinion it is definitely archaic) system of belief that: unless you take up any of the sciences or medicine or engineering you are considered absolutely worthless. Pass out with these absolutely safe and convenient degrees and get a job, because after all, life is all about convenience, innit? What frustrates me further is that your intelligence is measured by your choice of higher education. If you did manage to pay any attention when you were in school, dear  people, you would know that intelligence cannot be measured by what grades you score or what degree you manage to hold. Besides in a country like ours, degrees can be ordained by merely flashing those green notes around.

Oh and god help you if you're into something as beautiful as making music or creating masterpieces on canvas or turning simple food into creations of genius, you will be forced to give up on these because everyone knows there's really no money to be had in any of these things. They're only as good as a hobby, but your career needs a solid foundation. You like sports, or media, or drumming even, well, too bad, get a damn career, then maybe when you're 60 you can get back to your hobby. "Don't waste your youth in pursuit of things that might not give you returns when you're older."

The irony is that the same parents who encourage their kids to develop these skills are also the same ones to clip their kids' wings when the skill takes on a professional character. No matter how many movies are made on this topic, I'm not sure if the general public is even getting the point here.

I know for a fact that there are parents who encourage and support their kids' talents, no matter what they choose, though they form a minuscule part of the population population. The larger part of the population would still rather have their kids run after money than run after their dreams. I'm not saying that everyone needs to rebel against the common trend. You might actually have a thinking mind and might love the sciences, then you ought to take that up. However, if you're good at anything else, could be scuba diving even, you ought to be able to make the conscientious choice of pursuing your talent without falling into the pressure brought about by your family or the society to stick to the safer courses.

It may or may not make you a billionaire, but it will definitely guarantee you happiness.

I'm going to end this rant by saying that education needs to pervade the darkest corners of our population for total progress, but with education we need opportunities to make use of that education. We need a sort of revolution in order to over-throw the existing prejudices in the field and bring in more opportunities for everyone. These are all writings on the wall that we simply cannot and should not ignore. I don't claim to be all-knowing, but I do know this: that nobody, not even a Gandhi, or an Einstein became a Gandhi or an Einstein by doing something that they got pushed into doing or were loathe to do. Let that bud grow. If it is a rose, let it become a rose and don't try and make it a sunflower, because then you'll just land up with a very confused flower, which won't know whether to grow thorns or to follow the progress of the sun, or both. That, dear reader, shall make it one very ridiculous flower.