It was great to see the focus on education in the recent budget allocated to the concerned education ministries. Setting aside SR 217 billion in 2015 for the development of education, new schools and universities, etc. shows the strong commitment of the government to the education sector. This has been a regular trend over previous years. The government is taking the right steps to ensure that the best facilities, faculties, books, libraries, etc. are available for students. Modern education is a must to develop the leaders of tomorrow. All of us have a very important role to play, and this includes not only the ministries, faculty members, parents and friends, but most importantly the students themselves. They must take advantage of all the opportunities provided to them. There are many poor countries which cannot spend an adequate amount of money on education even if they wanted to. Remember the world is a very competitive place and the most successful persons are always the most educated. A strong desire to read from an early age will invariably increase the level of knowledge of children and make them successful students later on. “Ikra” or “Read” was the first word of the Holy Qur'an. There are also many hadiths (reports of the teaching and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)) which stress the importance of education. “Not equal are the educated and the uneducated”.
Two sayings, which I like, are as follows: “The wind and the waves always favor the ablest navigators.” “Do not walk in the footprints made by others, but instead create your own footprints in the sands of time.”
Developing the habit of watching the world news in English everyday will increase a student's general knowledge of what is going on around the world. Visiting the school/university/local libraries in order to borrow books is also a very good habit for students and for all of us to have. Purchasing the best books from a good bookstore is always beneficial. Parents must spend money on books for their children if they can. Older children must keep the books carefully and share them with their younger brothers/sisters or friends. Fluency in two or more languages is the need of the hour. All of us must become teachers at home for the benefit of the younger generation.
In my opinion, parents can be the best guide, home tutor and friend that a child can ever have. Many schools and universities have a very good library with good books that students can made use of. Online libraries also offer everyone a free opportunity to read and increase their knowledge. Many good books are available for free on numerous websites. Developing a good home library is something that parents and older children in a family can contribute to. A collection of good books at home will encourage all the children in the family to start reading whenever possible. Storytelling by the older members of the family is also a good way to teach children. This is a duty that parents owe to their children. The best investment that parents can make is an investment in education.
Proper time management is also required by everyone especially students. Time wasted does not come back. All of us have limited time in this world so we must utilize it wisely. Students should try to complete all of their work before time so that they can be relaxed during exams. Summer is a time for reading and learning and perhaps for taking some useful summer courses. Of course, it is also a time to play, but at least 25 percent of a child's time should be kept for reading. Once children have the reading bug, they should share with their friends and family what they have read so that they also can be encouraged to read.
Development of our knowledge is a duty that we all owe to ourselves. Sharing of the knowledge that we have gained with everyone is also a good habit. Keeping a diary of past events and future appointments also provides a good focus. Learning eyes and the curious ears will take you places. Make good friends and learn from them as well as teach them.
Irfan Ahmed
The writer is a member of the Faculty of Engineering, King AbdulAziz University, Jeddah. He can be reached at: [email protected]
