Politics and education

It will be reasoning based on infatuation if there is an attempt to divorce politics from education. No doubt the education system of Nepal is below par and needs massive structuring and restructuring from the very ground level. Recent trend of the rise in the foreign migration is an example of its failure, where people are opting for better employment and economic status over wisdom and knowledge. Education and knowledge is the state of mind which enables one to secure their socio-economic needs, giving them a better way of looking at life, the society and the country.  Knowledge is power and wisdom is the reverence and sustenance of such power. Evidently, schools and universities are not the only place where one gains knowledge and wisdom. However, their role in sowing and nurturing of ideas, and sparking the fire of curiosity is undeniable. Thus the question arises: has the education system of Nepal been able to give enough spark for that fire of curiosity? Why are more people losing their faith in education? 

Perhaps our education system has not matured enough to give general definition of intelligence in its teachings, and it is not actually generating capacity in the individuals to apply the knowledge and skills. Present public opinion in education portrays the economic and class consciousness, which shall further evolve and push back the education status further away. Yet I firmly believe if the individual has to excel in personal growth and the state has to develop, then one needs to be educated and such education should not be based on an illusory state of mind. 

The problem of brain drain might not be the bigger problem than the problem of dissatisfaction that lies within the public who remains within the state. The advertising the media and politicians are making of the problem of foreign migration has created further dissatisfaction among the people and development of the trend to fly abroad, and such advertisements are based without genuine concern or seeking out possible solutions. The blame for the state’s failure has become an easy way out for the individuals to seek out better opportunities and status abroad. Nepal is yet to make the proper foundation for the development of its infrastructure, socio-economic status and strong political democracy. We do not have the option to give up at the first touch of the pressure and run away for easy prosperity.   

No doubt there is a political plague in the education of the state, undermining the real purpose of education both in the private and public sector. Increasing corruption and power play of the politics in the institutions including the active role of the administration, teachers and the students in the politicization has undermined the quality of education. But the solution cannot be achieved from the total separation of politics and education which will be merely capricious for the temporal period of time. In this relation, the intellectual minds should be capable enough to check the power hunger philistines, and keep the educational institutions and educational culture politically sound. It requires higher wisdom, dignity and ideological values in the educational institutions.

Ideas matter, what one speaks and listens to matters, and the environment developed by those ideas determines culture. Now the major concern is whether the intellectuals are in ‘a position to expose the lies of political parties and governments’ along with their motives and hidden intentions. Noam Chomsky in his ‘The Responsibility of Intellectuals’ boldly refers that ‘it is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and to expose lies’ along with their ‘role in the creation and analysis of ideology’. The concern of the higher political interference in the political institutions is especially because of the higher attraction to the power and posts, and the unsubstantial impacts education is able to make on those. Ideas can be defeated by power and wealth only when those ideas are precarious and weak, and we are letting the politics of power and wealth defeat the ideas. That’s how most of the political wings of students and teachers in the universities are being led, captivating them within the narrow mindedness of power and validation. Those similar faces once can be freed in a wider realm of political truth, beyond power and authority can bring the essential political changes in education. It is really more about the change in the political and intellectual attitude that needs to be reformed rather than the essence of the separation of politics and education. Education needs to be made more dignified and powerful than the political presence, that’s the reformation required.  

The reformation and success of education is of utmost requisite to distinguish the increasing ‘propaganda system’ based on ‘inequality of wealth and power’, especially its massive effects on mass media interests and choices. There are insurmountable problems ahead of us with very few resources and limited knowledge of the solutions. We can stride when more value is given to the building of the foundation of better education rather than the picayune squabbling over the power and posts. More burden of responsibilities lies on the intellectuals to advocate for the changes and growth that gives the hope for tomorrow, and detach the empty vessels of the propaganda system and illusions from rationality and the truth.