MY COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS TO ALL GRADUATES AND TEACHERS By Tato Malay Why do I teach? I don’t know. Maybe my personality code has an instinctive ability to work in harmony with students. Or maybe I love to stimulate people’s minds. Whatever the reason is, I am still confused. One thing sure though is that I love to learn. Yes. That might be it. When I learn new concepts, I have this incessant desire to share them. Learn, share, learn, share, learn and share to who ever. As what Richard Bach said in Illusions, “You teach best what you most need to learn.” But where do I find the newest or latest things to learn? Definitely not from our present educational system. Marilyn Ferguson said in The Aquarian Conspiracy, “The present educational paradigm assumes that the only questions worth asking are those for which we already have answers. Where can we learn to live with the uncertainties of the real world?” Again, definitely not from our present educational system. What am I saying here? I think the system is outdated if not obsolete. Students are taught that there is only one right answer and if it is not the right answer it is considered wrong. If they give a ‘wrong’ answer, they are considered dumb or stupid. They are made to believe that if they always give the right answers, get good grades, and don’t mess around with the authorities, they will get stable jobs and be successful in the future. Our educational system rewards only those who they believe to be intelligent or smart and neglects less intelligent, dumb students. In reality, it only educates the smartest. In a set-up where we classify, separate, and label students through tests and grades, our educational system will not progress until we let go of the notion that there is such a thing as a dumb student. Schools should remember that they should encourage students to make more mistakes so as to make their learning more meaningful. Our country is in a mess because we have people running our government, businesses, and other institutions, who graduated with flying honors by memorizing their answers but do not know how to think properly and critically. As Sharif Abdullah said in “Creating a World that Works for All”, “Remember: the problem is not The Mess: the problem is the consciousness that creates The Mess. The solution therefore, must be an alternative state of consciousness.” We need to transform students into better persons by creating new levels of consciousness. We have to be able to make them think using the whole brain and thereby attain self-mastery. We have to help students discover their true calling wherein they can attract a world of abundance, love and happiness. We have to teach them how to overcome crisis and weather the storms of life. We have created an educational system that instead of helping inspire students to develop and achieve their maximum potentials, we instead planted seeds of fear, failure, and disappointment. It is in this light where I feel that a change is needed in making our educational system relevant to the needs of students. I believe that our authorities in the academe are doing what they are supposed to do. Getting an education is definitely important but going to school is not necessarily so. I didn’t enjoy my classes then and I felt I didn’t need school. You might think that school is the only way to be educated. There’s no problem with that as long as you enjoy going to school. But if you’re not happy, I suggest you consider other options. You can still get an education outside school. Don’t think you’ll never get a good job without a diploma. There are many alternatives to formal schooling. I study a lot but I don’t attend school anymore. School is short-term. Education is forever. To be successful, happy, and wealthy in life, you have to discover what excites you and commit yourself to it. Learn everything you can about whatever fascinates you. Read the latest books you can find. Attend seminars relevant to what you’re interested in. Your enthusiasm will lead you to people who can help you learn more. Once you become so good, no one can ignore you even if you don’t have a diploma or a degree. I don’t believe in stupid, dumb, or lazy people. You just need to know what it is that you really want. You have to get out and try different things at least once to find out if you like it. To learn something of value, you have to commit time and discipline to it. And remember, it has to be fun too, or else forget it. I became successful in my career because I was enthusiastic about it and had lots of fun. My self-learning is exactly the opposite of my experience in school. In school you must accept certain conditions and policies. You must study what they tell you to study. You have no choice. You have to pass their tests because according to them, it measures your progress in what is important to them which is giving grades. And you must never be absent because it is only through attending school can you hope for a bright tomorrow. They want you to believe that going to school is the only way to get a good education. They say that without education, you will not find decent employment and have to settle for low-income jobs you won’t enjoy. If you settle for one, after a while, it would be impractical and unhealthy to stay in a job you don’t enjoy. It’s better to resign and transfer to another job. Since you have the experience already, you may even start your own business. Why don’t you hone your singing and dancing skills and audition in any talent search, or get into sports like Manny Pacquiao? Many of our graduates from prestigious schools end up in showbiz. There are countless opportunities unless you believe otherwise. I want to help you get out there and find your star. I talk this way because I’m concerned with so many out-of-school youths, unemployed graduates, underachievers, and unhappy individuals who think that their education has failed them. Many college graduates think that they have enough intelligence to equip them in their chosen career. Sad to say, the fact is, everything you learned in school will only be relevant for two years or less. After that, it’s back to zero. You will have to study again. But where will you find the new learning you need? Not from school anymore. They taught you everything they can teach you. This time you will have to educate yourself. This is the reason why I’m trying to explain the difference between self-learning and traditional education. What is education? Education is not memorizing a considerable amount of facts. It is not being physically present in classrooms, or passing exams. It’s not passively accepting what the teachers say or following rules. Education is what happens to you after learning something. Knowledge is important in your education only if it changes you or makes you a better person. Becoming more mindful, powerful, insightful, and more attuned in life is what knowledge through education should bring. Otherwise, the quality of life does not change for the better. Education is a must. But we can choose what kind of education we want. And it’s going to be a life-long learning process.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 03:34:26 +0000