Education serves to restrict the human mind rather than to free it.

Education serves to restrict the human mind rather than to free it.

11:35 – 12:05

Education is an imperative chapter of a human’s life and it has been modified over the centuries to meet the demands of the ever changing world. In ancient times, education was restricted to the wealthy and very covert but as time went by, this ideology changed and education  became more accessible to the common man. Education has taken many forms, and it can be either a formal education that passes down knowledge in a specific subject or promotes acquisition of a skill. Regardless of they type of education one is receiving, the primary purpose of education is to inform the student and make them more aware of their chosen field as well as their surroundings. There are times when education is used to free the human mind and also to restrict it.

First consider when education is utilized to restrict the human mind. In many authoritarian governments such as China and North Korea, it is forbidden to be influenced or engaged by outside sources. In both cases the access to the modern information highway, the internet has been severely limited and often banned to basic functionalities such as communication. For instance, in China the government spends a fortune in regulating the media and messages being posted on the internet because as a Communist government they want their philosophy of hard work and excelling in all disciplines to be achieved. The popular web search engine, Google, has been adapted in China but is severely restricted in the type of information available. Therefore under authoritarian governments, education can restrict the human mind because no one is allowed to think outside the box, and if anyone does, severe punishments are definite. Another example in which education is restricting the human mind is in today’s frenzy of strict rules and standardized tests. Standardized tests such as the SAT, MCAT, GRE or LSAT have often been viewed as major obstacles in entering a career path. The amount of information needed to master for the exam can be intimidating to some and restrict the human mind in this fashion. So a student, who wants to be a doctor can’t take the LSAT and apply to medical school, rather they have to go through a set of steps and rules.

On the other hand, education does not restrict the human mind, rather expands it. From the time of independence to start of the new millennium, India had been viewed as a third world country suffering from famine and poverty. However, after the year 2000 ushered in, many changes occurred. With many Indians, placing education as first priority, reaped them many rewards. After this major upheaval more students were going to engineering and medical colleges to improve the job market in India. As more students focused on their education, many new doors opened for opportunity to pursue higher education in India and overseas. Another example, of education freeing the mind is in the United States. In the US, many cities such as Long Beach have adopted many rules to promote education and place it first on the list. The most notable rule has been a zero tolerance truancy law that aims to prevent students from dropping out and hope to significantly reduce crimes. Also, it has been shown in government statistics that a college grad earns 100 time fold than a  high school dropout. After so much enforcement by the US Department of Education on college, enrollments skyrocketed and in some cases societal problems such as crime and poverty significantly declined. So it is evident that education can free the human and give a key to a better future in letting people accomplish their dreams.

All in all, education’s role in restricting or freeing the mind is circumstantial. Education can restrict the mind if the education is severely limited and regulated by the government, as in the case of Communist or totalitarian government. On the other hand, if education is openly shared and encouraged by everyone it can be open the mind, allow people to explore their areas of interest, and open new doors to jobs for economic growth.