Education Or Values, The Gauge of Becoming a Human

According to William S. Burroughs, “The aim of education is the knowledge not of facts, but values.” This merely states that the true objective of education is to teach us how to develop ourselves of becoming better individuals and to act as a human in our daily lives. Inevitably, not all learning are taught. At times, these are acquired as morals and ethics.

Having good grades doesn’t mean you’re a good person, nor being a good person doesn’t mean you have good grades. On the process of learning, the words written in our books are just additional inputs to us because the main wisdom that we should acquire and ascertain are the values we uphold as a person.

You can say that you’re the most intelligent person in the world. You can brag that you have the highest rank among the class but will be useless if you have a dismaying character, unlikable values, and misconduct. Compared to a person who finished a degree in college and a person who only finished high school, the only thing that could determine their distinction is their diploma. However, diploma and the papers with it could not measure nor define his being. In the real world, we could meet people from all walks of life. But what saddens us is the reality of knowing people who finished high degree in schools yet heartless some are ruthless. There are those who never had a chance to study yet benevolent and humane as they are the ones who truly cares for others and do good for their country. In the modern world, as to politics, people of high academic excellence tend to demonstrate a disordered attitude in public as seen on national television like of the ousting of Speaker Alvarez in the recent State of the Nation Address of President Duterte. Where have all the manners and etiquette go?! A day of dismay to some but glee to those in the opposition. Have heard of an interview on a street sweeper on his observation on the said scenario in Congress. He said and I quote, “Di ko maintindihan sila kung bakit gagawin nila iyon sa mismong SONA samantalang may mga pagtitipon naman sila. Sana doon na lang nila ginawa ang botohan at pagpapatalsik kay Alvarez. Puro matatalino at magagaling kasi sila kaya ayan inagawan pa ng eksena ang importanteng araw sana para sa bansa!” Words of disappointment from an individual who is way far behind from the people in Congress. Indeed, he understands what is appropriate and modest which is expected from these educated people. Unfortunately, the degree attained from education is not a gauge of an individual’s character. Instead, it is still the humane quality and values of a person notwithstanding his educational attainment that is adequate, gratifying and acceptable in the end.

Finally, it is not a mere conviction of not to educate oneself. Nonetheless, it is a plea to those who are educated to adopt the rectitude of those who never went to school but demonstrate a more learned human, inside and out.