When education first began. learning to read and write and appreciate history, music and all the beautiful subjects we study today, must have been furthest from man's mind. All that our ancestors probably wanted to do was pass on what they know to their juniors; so that the juniors need not learn from hard _ and often painful _ experience. History reveals that only in the last one or two thousand years did we begin to see education as a means of making a man a better man. Today's purposes of education are certainly centered on making us all better humans, in addition to making a good living. In fact, where education is considered a mere means of making a good living, we hesitate to give this process the label of 'education'.
Education should aim to make a person a better citizen of the country in which he has the privilege of living. By this is meant that the educated person should participate in the goings on in the country. It makes little sense if the educated among us hide their education under a bushel and use it to give themselves a good living and occasionally flaunt their great learning among friends and relatives. The mark of a true educated man is participating in the uplifting of his country. He can do this by getting into politics and aiming to be among the leaders of the country. If this is not his inclination. then perhaps he should get into a field where there is a scope for research _ as in science. The purpose of education must be to instill in the educated a need to share what they have with their fellow citizens.
In a shrinking world, it is not enough nowadays to think of only one's country. Hence the purpose of education must be also to contribute to the world. In this too there is much scope. The purpose of education must be to instill in all the educated that there is only one world; artificially divided by all sorts of elements. Through having undergone education, men and women must begin to feel that they owe something to the world and that they must do their utmost to make it a better place.
If the purposes of education do not include contribution to the country and to the world, then education becomes mostly purposeless.
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