Do we really value education?

Galib Hoq :
It is often claimed that education is the backbone of a nation, but do the people of Bangladesh really value education or do we simply want the fame and glory of being educated? The current education system in the country is very poor and needs a complete revamp if we want our students to compete in this ever expanding world of knowledge. But education is much more than competing with other people, it is the power which gives the human mind freedom and endows it with the ability to accomplish great things. An educated mind pursues knowledge for the sake of knowledge and not for anything else. However in Bangladesh this view of education and an educated mind is not embraced and people mostly view education as a means to attain financial success. This is why we must ask ourselves whether we really value real education or not?
We see that in many of our private universities basic subjects like physics, mathematics, chemistry, sociology and other core areas are not offered. This depicts mindset of our people towards education. If we are to look abroad, we would see that most developed and industrialized nations have focused heavily on pure research (research for the sake of itself). This is because pure research not only elevates the human mind but also gives great practical benefits. The most succinct encapsulation of the value of curiosity to practical pursuits came from Michael Faraday; when asked by William Gladstone, Chancellor of the Exchequer, about the utility of electricity, Faraday is purported to have replied, “One day, sir, you may tax it” and the rest is history. We could give many examples such as Maxwell, Faraday, Gauss, Ehrlich and Einstein whose passionate tinkering with science and mathematics led to pioneering applications in industry, medicine and transportation. Thus, it is evident that education has to be treated as something that cannot be treated as a means to achieve wealth or glory only.
Firstly, we must make sure that our entire education system (all the way from primary schools to universities) train students in such a way that education becomes a lifelong passion and not something that is with them for only a short period of time. Secondly, our secondary and high schools have to be equipped with proper libraries and laboratories. Finally, our universities (both public and private) must offer courses which are standardized and rigorous and offer all the basic subjects to all of its students.
At the turn of the century in the 1900’s, the United States also had an education system which did not favor pure research, but Americans were able to realize the mistake and made sure that their universities were the best in the world in education and research. It is largely to the efforts of those involved in research that the US has succeeded in becoming a superpower.
If the people of Bangladesh also aspire toward success and industrialization then we must start valuing education that is pure and free from corruption of desire of wealth.