Page:SELECTED ESSAYS of Dr. S. S. KALBAG.pdf/41

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worse, those who are responsible for the distribution of this knowledge, the educated in general, and the educationists in particular, do not appreciate the quantitative significance of this handicap. They are therefore, equating the rise in educational standards and increase of the syllabus content with increasing literacy. These effects are likely to be self-defeating, as the enlarged syllabus makes it even more difficult for the educationally handicapped to cope with the changes. Similarly, every disillusioned literate can be a disincentive for the neo-literate. What are these handicaps and what can we do to remove the hindrances in the flow of knowledge? Before we go into the solution of this problem, we should clarify our objectives. What are the characteristics of good education? What kind of development do we want? Education should be an enjoyable experience. After learning something new, one should be eager to use that learning in real life and get the satisfaction of having learnt it. We see this in children. A child is eager to learn to walk and to talk. It is a pleasure and it keeps trying and practicing. A child learning to ride a bicycle enjoys the learning process and will find every excuse to take the bicycle out and use it in everyday life and gather experience. If we can achieve this, even to a limited extent, everybody will have true knowledge born out of practical experience and therefore usable. Moreover, they would be able to use it. All development springs from human knowledge, and the endeavor to learn more and more. In such a society, development will be a direct consequence of an effective education system. Such true development will be a constant effort to improve one's own life. A development that is the result of proper education will be a true sustainable development. Rural Development Through Education System 36