Sunday, May 20, 2007

Of Doctors and Dilemmas - as I see it

Walk through any corridor of higher learning and you will see the damage done to the inhabitants of these places. Students today, at a higher education site are quite content with the educational system. It's somewhat sad that places of higher learning do not have a slot to teach a subject that would widen their academic horizon.

I always thought that we are churning out thousands of ill-informed graduates every year, most of whom do not know what is happening beyond the periphery of their books or the campus. Any attempt to educate them will only prove to be futile. Attempts at exposing them to look at local and global politics in a panoramic view, using periphrases, innuendos, allusions and even candidly were in vain.

The higher education students of today do not or should I say, are not capable of comprehending what was trying to be conveyed. One can try, with a flicker of hope, to ignite their intellect, to grasp even a grain of awareness of what is going on around them. This they will not perceive. Those who have tried should adopt a couldn't-care-less attitude. After all, why should one take it upon himself to educate them on a comprehensive interpretation of humanity and politics?

There are no additional monetary returns for educating them on such topics. How could one ignite a disinterested candle that is being blown by periodic gusts of wind? There was no attempt or even a thought of trying to indoctrinate them or incite racial sentiments. Neither was there an effort at trying to instigate a revolution. On the contrary, it was only an innocent endeavor, trying to make them aware of what's going on outside the borders of their cozy campus grounds.

Are these are our future leaders? Undergraduates who are either a bunch of deviant radicals or another group who are complacent 'scholars', content with what is being fed to them. They are totally oblivious as to what is happening around them.

Colleges and Universities are supposed to, in my opinion, educate them on other subjects as well and not confine them to becoming graduates who are ill-informed and ignorant to matters of the world which is an integral in the process of learning. These sages need to be aware that there is something out there, not just bars and discos. Alas, these city slickers did not in the least show any form of zeal, desire and passion in wanting to be cognizant about topics that did not relate to their subjects. They are just a bunch of 'academics' living in an ivory tower.

Their command of the English Language is, unfortunately, mediocre and in some cases, appalling.These are the 'intellectuals' who will be Malaysia's future scientists, doctors, engineers, lawyers and academics.

P/S Strangely, it's the students from a state North East of Malaysia who have any semblance of politics. Contorted version of politics, nevetheless some misty form of politics. The others, with special reference to those who hail from KL, have a vast knowledge of the various discos in the capital. All are students who live in Residential Colleges.

So what then are the Higher Institutes of Learning disseminating?

Could the answer be the same material prepared over the years in a spoon? Same material in the same spoon into fresh bowls.

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