The crucial role of education in building an enlightened society with democratic and secular ide also cannot be over-emphasized. The transformation of the educational system is closely related to the value system under which we train our teachers. It is only through committed and professionally efficient teachers that we can deal with ever new and complex situations in the realm of education. During my 40 years of teaching research and educational administration at various Levels I have often been disillusioned by the steady slide in educational values the downward trend in obvious that people even talk of proxy teaching in our schools Education in terms of virtues and values is becoming a story of the past. In our school days the emphasis was on correct and brief writing with an element of constructive morality in it. The teachers who taught us thought that we were destined to play a significant vote in life. It was truly felt that something which did neoprene’s plinth of ignorance and a life was anything but education.

 The concept of education beyond the three Rs a certain felicity in thinking and expression was deemed to be essential the teacher left a Lasting imprint on the students mind. Recently i happened to be closely connected with the planning and organization of an international conference on school education which as many as 18countries from all over the world was represented i found that the concerns expressed were not only global but also common. These included import in the quality of teaching shedding of violence   values and sanctity of examination.

Everyone felt that education had ceased to be a mission and who could not find lucrative alter natives found their way to teaching. Their predicament percolated to the students and when they their Alma Mater after a long convocation address they were   wiser than they were at the time of their admission.

The grassroots in education  it believe mean elevation of the into crate to the level of enlightenment Kabir was almost Illiterate Ravi Dass had no formal education and Bulleh Shah probably learnt his similes and metaphors by word of mouth. But all these are our path finders.

Education is not mercly enhanced literacy. It is the enrichment of man’s mind through preceding ideas. Rabindranath Tagore for example did not have formal education like Ishwarchandravidy asagar Vivekananda went early into priestly life and had not formal education Ramakrishna had no school education. However all these luminaries have shown the world what real education is.

It is high time we restructured the school education system. Conferences and seminars should focus attention on the degenerating social mind. For this we have to make sustained efforts to improve the quality and relevance of school education this nation docs not Produce great teachers like Bhai Jodh Singh Prof Bansi Lal. Dr A.C Joshi and Sardar Kehar Singh anymore Why? The decrepit system holds the right answer the obvious way to improve it is to improve the quality of School education

I am reminded of an Urdu couplet in this Context Har zamane ke mallah kamen yad Karenge Sahil pe kuchh ayse nishan chhorh diye hain

The sands of life will not allow themselves to be deprived of their imprint for sands are atoms which are indestructible Prof Arnold Toynbee puts the crux of the issue beautifully: Education must be Es search for an understanding of life and for discovering the night way to life. Let us pause and ponder The author Is an eminent educationist. He is the Vice-Chairman of the Punjab School Education Board.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 10, 1994