The Disastrous Race

   Every child around me; be it from primary / secondary / graduate school is full of anxiety. The anxiety to be first in everything he / she does. The anxiety to leave all behind and be ahead of all. All the children are running a race; thanks to our education system. The system and its functioning is the reason why the parents and teachers have created a competition in the classroom. Based on this competition every child feels that if she / he is first in everything he / she will be respected and rewarded by parents and teachers. If anyone fails he / she will be humiliated and belittled by all. Many of the children succumb to this pressure and anxiety and we find them lifeless going around in the journey of life.
   From a very tender age this race begins in the education system. The children are brainwashed to stop living a life and be first. The result is that the child forgets everything and is on the run to put others aside to be first. I witness children crying, begging and working hard to score good marks and be first. They do this to sustain themselves in the competition to come first. They are in the clutches of the fever of competition. Once they are done with their education, we witness that they are still in the grip of the fever. Now they do not want to be first but they want a good job with a huge package, a big house and everything that is bigger. They lose all the energy, peace and capability in this mad race.
   The education system is built on the pillars of jealousy and  envy. The teacher in the classroom gives an example of a child who is first and tells the other children to be like him / her. But the teacher forgets that everyone is unique and complete as God made him / her. This is the beginning of the vicious journey of envy and jealousy where most of the children lose themselves, lose their friends and many of the things and joys that life provides. Do the parents educate the children to pour this poison of envy in their hearts and minds? This is what runs in the veins and through the mind of every child who is studying. It makes them ambitious in a negative way. I don't say being ambitious is wrong. But of what use is the fulfillment of ambitions when you have no one beside you, when you don't enjoy your childhood - the BEST PHASE OF LIFE and where you don't have beautiful golden memories.
   How wonderful it would be if our education system would be built on the pillars of love, compassion and humility rather than on envy and ambition!!! A child who wants to learn a subject - say for example - Music, he / she must be taught to create love for Music rather than being in competition with those who are learning Music and doing well in Music. To learn something we must love it - be it anything / any subject. Alas!!! but our education system never teaches us to love our subjects but instead instills competition, envy and ambition among classmates rather than love, sincerity and delight in the subject we have to learn.
   The children have been taught to compete and fight with one another for marks / rank / percentage right from their tender age. Even if they grow up they will fight with one another, fight with the society, fight as a caste, fight as a nation because all they have learnt is fight and work towards being ahead of all. Everywhere in the universe we witness chaos, distress and fights....why ??? Because that is what all children have been taught. They were not taught love, peace, humanity & support; all they were taught is to compete and be first no matter what.