Education The Soul: The Solution Or The Problem In Our Society? -By Abdullahi Hassan

Truly education is extremely important and crucial to our lives, but it is also clear that not everyone can receive the level of education they have a right to. We can categorize people in two groups[MAA1] , educated and uneducated people. Both categories of people have their advantages and disadvantages, which can be evaluated in terms of economic power, social status and mental.[MAA2] 

When we talk about educated and uneducated people, the first thing that comes up for discussion[MAA3]  is level of income. There is no doubt that educated people are presented with a lot of opportunities than uneducated people. Their certificate of achievement is what count most of the time and as they have more opportunities to have a good job, they have a better income, consume better food which leads to a longer life. [MAA4] But despite [MAA5] the fact, according to Dalai Lama; “Whether we are rich or poor, educated or uneducated, whatever our nationality, colour, social status or ideology may be, the purpose of our lives is to be happy”.

On the other hand, uneducated people who have not completed their[MAA6]  minimal[MAA7]  education qualification do not have much chances to having a good well-paid job unless they are very lucky. For this reasons[MAA8]  they have to engage in menial jobs or perform very hard labor in construction field, thereby  increasing the risk of illness and poor health[MAA9] . Unlike educated people [MAA10] who earn more over a lifetime which means a higher ability of life[MAA11] , uneducated people do not have enough income to make ends meet for their families pushing them deeper[MAA12]  into poverty.

Level of income leads us onto social status[MAA13] . Educated people with high level of income seem to be respectable figures for other people, whereas uneducated people are viewed in a different light. [MAA14] Uneducated people did not choose to be in that condition, but due to their nonacademic achievement, which is a basic human right, which they have not had the same chance in life[MAA15] .

The difference between educated and uneducated persons is their level of thoughts, mentality, and behavior. Education is for one’s knowledge and wisdom[MAA16] . But, it is not the only way a person gains knowledge or wisdom. The key differences are:

• [MAA17] 
• An educated person is more aware of his surroundings such as social, political, and economic situation than an uneducated person.
• An uneducated person is more open-minded, welcoming attitude towards others. An educated person is self-centered on the other hand[MAA18] .
• [MAA19] gains knowledge from experience [MAA20] as well. An [MAA21] uneducated person possesses valuable knowledge through their experience[MAA22] , due to various socio-economic reasons [MAA23] such as poverty, political instability, cast[MAA24]  constraint, some smart persons [MAA25] are deprived of receiving a sound education. They can be intellectual and smarter than many educated persons in their respective fields[MAA26] . For example, A car mechanic may have not stepped into the four walls of a class, even though he is also a master in that field like those who studied mechanical engineering in the higher institution.

There is no difference between educated and uneducated when it comes to humanity. Sometimes educated persons get inspired by the uneducated person who influences them with a great sense of humor. I believe, it is unfair to judge a person only by their educational level. After all, everybody has something unique to offer.

According to Andy Stanley, “Yes, God uses the uneducated to confound the wise. But that doesn’t make ignorance a virtue”.

In other way, educated people have a superior status in the eyes of the society because of the way they act and communicate in life,[MAA27]  but it would not be false to say that sometimes uneducated people beat the educated ones in terms of being social, respectable and even economic power.

The mind set [MAA28] of both categories can be delve into further, where it is generally assumed that educated people are open minded, meanwhile uneducated people are close minded. When a person has gained high and qualitative education, they most certainly have an advantage of greater knowledge about the world and other people. Uneducated people tend to follow the same paths and practice of their lives and going forward the same mind set is passed onto their children who do not realize the importance of education though no fault of their own. As Epictetus maintained: “The foolish and the uneducated have little use for freedom. Only the educated are free.

Today people view or attribute lack of education in our society to absence of awareness or not knowing the importance of education at all. The uneducated prefer to engage themselves in menial or minor  business that will bring them easy source of living  or what they refer to as “side hustle” rather than academically engaging themselves through education.

Some of the uneducated see those who go and those going through education as those who are just wasting their time, energy and resources. They often say; even if we go through education, we would end up unemployed, and with what we have achieved without going through education, we are fulfilled.

But what really give them that impression to see the educated ones as those wasting their time, energy and resources? Base[MAA29]  on some of their opinions, they see unemployment as playing a key and vital role, because even those that go through education in the prevailing unemployed, uncomfortable domain, what do they achieve? That a graduate spend years without securing a job. Which reverse is the case[MAA30] , if [MAA31] both educated and uneducated individuals with vocational training (formal or informal) are more likely to find jobs. Besides promoting skills through technical and vocational education, creation of jobs through enhancing capital formation is important to reduce both educated and uneducated unemployment.

It is also undeniable to dispute what majority of them openly say; that they are successful entrepreneurs, and that they have achieved much in life without going through the ups and downs of education, and that if they were to be at school, they wouldn’t have made it, but only the burden they could have add to themselves and their families. Which is completely wrong to think that way.

As said by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322): BC “The difference between an educated and uneducated men is like a difference between the living and the dead”.

Even though the road to education is bitter, but they should also have it in mind that it’s fruit  sweet. [MAA32] According to Debasish Mridha; Getting an education might be difficult, but it makes life easy. Being uneducated might be easy, but it makes life difficult.

So lack of employment is never a reason for anybody to neglect and not to go to school and empower himself with knowledge. Being educated and intellectually sound  is better than being an ignorant individual, because in your domain or society you will earn respect for yourself for being an educated person, also you will be consulted on many issues of great concern and be regarded as one of the key player to be reckoned with when it comes to policy making proposal in your society.

Meanwhile no one will consult an uneducated brain in the society patterning[MAA33]  to[MAA34]  policy that has to do with the modern world. Because even if so, it will tantamount [MAA35] to consulting the dead one. So to be educated can be said to be equivalent to hundred years (a century) ahead of uneducated person.

If you happen to be educated, the society at large will have a great respect for you, engage you, seek for your support, advice, intervention, guidance, so as to proffer solutions to their particular and peculiar problems. Meanwhile nobody will go to an ignorant person to seek for his knowledge, guidance, advice, support, intervention on issues that has to do with intellectual prowess, because in the end, it will result to misleading.

Another point is most of the literate people were already [MAA36] politically aware. While an educated person might question what they read or hear from the media, the uneducated tend to accept it. The uneducated are more easily affected by threats and the emotional trauma that propaganda can create.

According to Plato (427-347) BC in his book The Republic: Plato believe that education was to be one of the means to deciding [MAA37] individual relationship in the republic. He further maintained that rulers had to be highly knowledgeable or intelligent men.

So to be an uneducated or ignorant is a huge impediment and it is also tantamount to lack of privacy, because in doing anything, you will not do it alone, you have to involve intellectual brain so as to guide you and to advise you on how to carry out your missions. And above all, to write some confidential things for which at real sense you suppose to do it yourself, and if you are unlucky to have come across someone who is unreasonable, he may decide to disclose and expose your confidentiality.

Education is one of the most powerful things in life. It allows us to find the meaning behind everything and helps improve lives in a massive way. It also gives us an understanding of the world around us and offers us an opportunity to use that knowledge wisely.

Irrespective of race, creed, and gender, education makes it possible for people to stand out as equal with all the other persons from different walks of life. Overall, education is the platform that makes it possible to defeat all barriers.

Conclusively, We should stop hiding under anything and educate ourselves, because lack of education is playing a vital role in promoting crime in our society, for example; the cases like rampage[MAA38]  kidnapping, stealing of peoples good’s, banditry, suppression of people, disrespecting the elders and constituted authorities in the society.

Which is to tell you that education is needed for everybody; we must try to be educated; we should not define education in small way; Nature itself Is a good teacher; people with experience get idea and learn many things. Schooling, degree etc is a process to get formal education, besides this there are many informal education also.

So, the sharp and educated brain of every community should 

engaged in consistent awareness so as to help enlightened all about the significance and quality of education.

400 Level Student, Department of Political Science and International Studies.

©December 2021