Category: Education

Ask anyone about wealth and they will mostly talk about a nice house, gold ,money, shares and other such things. They can all be different forms of wealth but the first according to me would be health. Without health you can have all the money but cannot enjoy it. You can aspire to drive a Lamborghini but cannot enjoy it.bI would add learning as a form of wealth. Most people think of education as degrees but I see the knowledge behind it and experience is the highest form of Learning. This is why learning is something I see as more complete than education. Therefore for me, health and learning are the first and best forms of wealth . Learning is something you never lose and can grow more as you share more.

One cannot learn everything from their own experience since nobody gets the complete experience. While experience is the best teacher, it is also wise to learn from others’ experience and it can come from reading, listening to knowledgeable people  that includes experienced people , Teachers or Mentors That is why an experienced person scores over fresh graduates.  The value of studying in a good institution is also because of this as the Teachers will tend to have greater knowledge/experience, relate anecdotes and inspire learning.  A lot of learning can come from reading as one gets to know from others experience, knowledge and perspectives. My view is reading helps ones imagination too

Empathy – enhanced

Empathy is mentioned as an important point in my earlier blog post about school subjects. 

Empathy is related to respect and is often driven by it. My view is that respect and empathy must be taught together. Compassion is very similar to empathy and is just a bit different from it. 

Empathy is the ability to understand, share, and respond to the feelings, emotions, and perspectives of others, allowing people to emotionally connect and imagine themselves in another person’s situation.​ I feel that empathy is lacking in many and creates misunderstanding and affects both personal and professional life.

Definitions and Origins

Empathy comes from the Greek word “empatheia,” meaning “physical affection or passion,” and was introduced into English in the early 20th century. It is broadly defined as recognizing, being aware of, and vicariously experiencing another’s feelings, thoughts, or experiences. At its core, empathy is “putting yourself in another’s shoes” and bridging the gap between someone’s experiences and your understanding of them.​

Types of Empathy

Empathy can be categorized into several types:

• Affective (Emotional) Empathy: Feeling what others are feeling, often by emotionally mirroring or sharing their emotions.​
• Cognitive Empathy: Understanding another person’s mental state or perspective, recognizing their thoughts and intentions.​
• Somatic Empathy: Experiencing a physical reaction in response to someone else’s emotions, such as blushing or feeling tense when another person is embarrassed.​
  Some researchers also mention “spiritual empathy” for deeper, existential connections.​

Empathy vs. Related Concepts

Empathy differs from sympathy, compassion, and pity:

• Compassion motivates helping others, while empathy focuses on understanding and sharing emotions.​
• Sympathy is caring and wishing well but involves less deep understanding compared to empathy.​
• Pity simply means feeling sorry for someone, without necessarily understanding their emotional state.​

Impact and Benefits

Empathy is crucial for healthy relationships, effective communication, and building social connections. It helps foster trust, decreases conflict, and supports both psychological and physical well-being. Empathy can be taught and improved, and it plays a vital role in compassionate action, such as helping those in need.​

Scientific and Social Perspectives

Empathy has roots in our brains and evolutionary history, involving specific neural pathways and even mirror neurons. It exists on a spectrum — individuals may be more or less empathetic, and interventions can strengthen empathy. Studies show some differences in emotional empathy across gender, while cognitive empathy remains similar.​

Empathy is essential for “walking a mile in someone else’s shoes,” making it a key factor in understanding and relating to other people and improving interpersonal bonds.

This is further to my earlier post about school topics and specifically about respect. 

I used to have a different mindset when I was in middle school and it worsened by the time I was in 8th. Had a big transformation when I was in 12th in another school a boys only one.. A speech by my then English teacher Mr KV Thomas about being respectful towards one’s body changed everything. He was worried about boys being unclean and smoking. He spoke about his struggle to quit smoking. I realised that respect to one’s parents , culture and country transforms oneself  and it did to me. I think every child should be raised to be respectful and its mindset and attitude will change

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A lot of people think education is just institutional learning which includes attending a school or college/university and getting qualified.

However it is not. Education is a lifelong process and is only partly fulfilled by formal education in schools and other such institutions. 

Even in a school a lot of education happens during informal or off academic activities and by interaction with other students and staff. This is an important reason parents select a school for their children to attend . 

Attitude and skill are important aspects for a student to learn apart from academics.

Subjects I wish are taught in schools to have a strong foundation in young minds. These should be free of religion and ideology. These are not to supercede existing subjects but to enhance learning and enable students to learn more and become better in more complete manner and not just academics.

1. Respect. Students should be taught to respect oneself , their parents/family , their nation and its culture, language, etc. Having respect for oneself changes the way they look at themselves and improve the way they treat themself and lead to better cleanliness, nutrition and more. . A person who respects education will change the way they look at it and likewise their career and everything else.. Punctuality will be an aspect of this

2. Empathy is an important quality to be taught to all students. In Denmark, it is taught as a subject in schools and I feel it should be taught to all students in India and the world. It used to be something that was required of me as an IT Professional to understand customer requirements but I realised it is required of everyone to understand others better. Not only other people but also other beings and even stray dogs. This is a quality that helps one to become a better human being and is required not only for careers but also everyday life. Empathy coupled with respect makes a huge improvement .
3. Agriculture – this should include rainwater harvesting and other related aspects. Most schools have limited space and this can be a hidden benefit as children can learn about farming in limited spaces like growing indoor, balcony plants and rainwater harvesting and its importance can be taught. Children will learn more about the challenges faced by farmers, climatic issues, irrigation, hydroponics and other advanced topics. Any products grown at school(fruits,vegetables, flowers) can be sold at carnivals and will be a learning experience 
4. Business – school carnivals can be great experience for children as they can learn about marketing, advertising, accounting and more in a practical manner and teachers can give guidance also in a practical manner rather than a bookish one.

5. Basic accounting  will include taking note of expenses and income, basic savings and investment. Banking. . These are necessary for life and career and will help all 
6. Simple repairs around the house  – fixing small items like flashlights etc . The aim is to get children to form the habit of fixing things rather than buy new stuff to replace items not working properly like a faulty flashlight, some toy or radio. Children should learn the importance of maintenance of any item and recycling, cleaning,  polishing . Children could be encouraged to bring faulty items to get them fixed or unwanted toys to be given away or exchanged and more The idea is to introduce a mentality of fixing things rather than simply use and throw. They can experience the joy of sharing. Children can be encouraged to exchange or give away stuff they are no longer using or have outgrown. . Children can learn about cleaning and maintenance around the house Including painting and plumbing 
7. Basic cooking.  Children can learn basic cooking and preparation like cooking rice. Making tea, cutting and preparing vegetables etc. The idea is to inculcate the habit of helping cooking tasks and appreciate the cooking process and how taste is arrived at. 
8. Basic sewing – Children can learn basic needlework and how clothes are stitched. They can try designing clothes too. The children can take up the responsibility of maintenance of clothing and appreciate the use of clothing even old and not expect new clothing for small repairs 
9. Vocal Communication – public speaking can be encouraged by conducting debates, extempore speeches and this can help build confidence and enhance speech when in interpersonal speaking too. 
10. Writing skills – This is by way of writing articles and written competitions will be helpful to improve skills and confidence in the future and prepare for higher studies and a career . 
11. Traffic rules  – This is for preparing children from a young age to be aware of and respect traffic rules and learn about better driving while appreciate the need for following traffic rules. 
12. First Aid. Children should learn this in order to perform basic aid during emergency and handle situations before rushing to the hospital. This should kindle health consciousness and hygiene at an early age. They will learn the dos and don’ts when they encounter a person getting injured or falling sick. Children should be taught emergency procedures like CPR, Heimlich Maneuver and others 

These subjects are not only intended to guide students but also make them aware of career choices and appreciate the work of others.