| Being Best At What You Do |
What is common in Sachin Tendulkar, A.R Rahman and Shah Rukh Khan? They are all individuals who have known from the start what their true destiny is. Very few people are fortunate enough to be able to understand their true capabilities and aptitude for certain professions. Today, youngsters are either unable or inseparable at deciding their destined careers, probably due to peer pressure, family and social stigma or maybe due to lack of awareness regarding the plethora of careers and their respective opportunities. Indian education system has long been heralded as providing holistic education for students in various fields, however its major drawback comes from the simple fact... the education system makes many jack of all trades, but very few kings. The reason can be attributed to students not being given in depth knowledge in any one field early on unlike in the United States or in Japan where students get to choose their stream in high school. Another major drawback with the education system is the very little encouragement it provides for the extracurricular talents of students. While there are tournaments for students, the rewards for them and the social importance attached to being a cricketer or a footballer is far below academic achievements. Where does this leave the average Indian teenager?
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In our society academic success is rated much higher than extracurricular achievements. Even when it comes to deciding a career, it is often seen that students are first weighed on their academic proficiency and only when their academic record seems lack lustre do the teachers and parents look at extracurricular achievements. Teachers do not advise students to pursue non academic careers. They do not normally encourage a budding Sachin or A R Rahman to pursue these professions. Also, using marks as an indicator of knowledge is unfortunately the biggest faux pas of the Indian educational system; clearly exams are much more about testing retention and reproduction than understanding and appreciation which are much more important in being successful in a profession. Lawyers, doctors or even scientists don’t have to remember every formula there is or every law, they can always refer to the same later.
Also to blame is the government in not providing equal status and opportunities to these non academic professions. While countries like china have succeeded in producing world class athletes simply by providing them immense career and social opportunities, Indian athletes are often shunned or ignored.
The modern world has myriad opportunities for everyone. New technologies and new economical, social, environmental challenges bring with them new opportunities and newer Career paths. And it's time, with the modern world we get modern too and follow our heart and not blindly pursue any career. Only then can you be the king of your Career. |