WHAT if our parents valued their money more than our education? What if they decided that it was enough the moment they saw that we could already read and write? Basic literacy is fine, but for most of us, it is not enough to thrive. Thank God for our parents who worked so hard just to send us to school. How they sacrificed just to see to it that we are academically prepared for life.
From basic reading, writing, and counting, we moved to skills with increasing levels of difficulty. We ascended to different levels of proficiency.
The skills and knowledge we have acquired may be hard to quantify, yet still incomplete. The body of knowledge keeps growing, and a lot of things change, especially with the advent of technology – so there is always something new to learn.
Educating children nowadays is more challenging compared to the last 10 or 15 years. More and more students are losing their interest in school activities. Both adults and kids blame it on distractions like gadgets, TV, malls, love relationships, and – yes, absence or lack of parental supervision.
Many of these students will pass their subjects and eventually graduate. Are diplomas and passing grades enough? If every aspect of our lives requires critical thinking and sound decision making, what kind of knowledge and principles will guide them? They will join the workforce. The majority will get married and raise children. It’s true that they will be required to attend trainings and seminars. There are also helpful resources on the topics, but if learning has never been a habit, how can you get these young adults to read?
Encourage your children to develop a study habit while they are still young, curious, and teachable. Motivate them to continue learning even informally, after earning a college diploma. It’s not enough that we are just able to read and write. It’s not enough that we have a degree. We need to keep abreast with the times. Learning must not stop.
Life can never be perfect, but a lot of mistakes can be avoided if we are knowledgeable and prepared for different roles and tasks. As the Manila Bulletin’s hash tag says, “Be fully informed”!
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