MyViewsonEducation

　　Frombirthuntiltheageofformallearning,childrencanlearnnaturallyandinstinctively.Theyobservetherealworldaroundthem.Theyexplore;theytry;theypersevere;andtheydevelop—allthatareattractedbytheirowninterestsandattheirownindividualpaces.Theirachievementsarespectacular.Thoughtheyalwaysneedothers’help,theyaredoingtheirownlearning,pursuingwhattheyneedandwhatintereststhem.

　　Whenchildrenaregraduallygrowingup,however,theystrangelyfindtheycannotaffordtolearnwhattheywant.Theymusthaveagraspofsomeboringbutrequiredsubjects(whichareprobablysoonlost)justtopasstheexaminationortogetadegree.Sometimestheydothescientificresearchonlyfortheirfameortherealbenefitstheycanget.

　　Soitisconcerningasimplebutabstractproblem—whatisthepurposeofeducation?

　　Ideally,education,moreexactly,learningisforpleasure.Thetruelearninginmymindwillhelponeneithertogetadegreenortoearnone’sliving,itwillnotteachonetooperateacomputerorsailaboat,butitwillhelponetolivemorefully.However,itcannotbedoneunlessoneenjoyslearning.Andinfact,ifoneisabletoseeorfeelaneedforsomething;ifonehasapersonalinterestinsomething;orifonejustwantsthechallenge,ifoneiswillingtolearnactively,hewilllearnperfectly.Fromthesepointsofview,childrenspendfarmoreoftheirlivesoutsidethe'realworld',sotheirmotivationisintrinsicandthelearningitself,actuallymeanssomethingabsorbing.

　　Butunfortunately,thepreviousargumentistooidealtoexist.Becausetheworldhasreallyturnedverymaterialisticovertheyears,peopleareafraidtogobacktothebasics,tothesimplicity.Thegrown-upsintherealworldhavemuchtoconsidersothateducation,whichpartlydecidestheirfuturepositionorfate,isbecomingcomplicated.Underthesecircumstancesforthemtheaimofeducationshouldbevaluabletothewholesociety.Everyonemustbeeducatedtofithimforlife.Butwiththematerialcivilizationplayingamoreandmoreimportantrole,therehasbeensomepopularphenomenon.Forexample,justinourcity,wefindafarlargernumberofpeoplewithuniversitydegreesthantherearejobsforthemtofill.Becauseoftheirdegree,theyrefusedtodowhattheythink“low”jobs.Infact,workwithhandsisthoughttobedirtyandshameful.Andhowabsurditis!Ifnoonewantstobeaservantbecausenobodyiswillingtodosuchwork,theprofessorshavetowastemuchoftheirtimedoinghousework.Sotherealmeaningofvaluableeducationshouldbethat,firstly,eachonecandowhateverjobissuitedtohisbrainandability.Noteveryoneisdesignedtobecomeascientistoranengineer.Secondly,thatalljobsarenecessarytosociety,andthatitisverybadtobeunwillingtodoone’swork,ortolaughatsomeoneelse’s.

　　Finally,IwanttoquotetheremarksofNewtontoendmyarticle.“Iseemtohavebeenonlylikeaboyplayingontheseashore.Ihaveamusedmyselfbynowandthenfindingasmoothpebbleoraprettyshell,butthegreatoceanoftruthstillliesbeforemeunknownandunexplored.”