School- The refuge from the annihilation of prison walls

Posted on November 4, 2018 by the Editor

By Rafi Ahmed. Rafi, 26, is a freelance writer from Kolkota, India. Please read his entry and leave your thoughts and comments below.

“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.” – Victor Hugo.

Ignorance and illiteracy are the biggest nemesis to mankind, that pave the way for many social evils. The statement by Victor Hugo is a thought provoking one and arrests the mind into critically evaluating it. The statement is open to many interpretations, which are all laced with rationales and facts that address a social issue.

The absence of education not only makes one chained by feathers of oblivion and feeble cognitive abilities, but also leads them to a downward spiral, a trough, that sucks them into the world of anti-social activities, where the final destination is the much dreaded one- the physical prison. Consequently, one can find a direct correlation between lack of education and the prison of mind, which would ultimately lead to the physical prison.

An analogy can be drawn between literacy and illiteracy and darkness and light. Darkness is often described as the absence of light. Similarly, illiteracy can be described as absence of literacy and knowledge. The darkness of illiteracy can be detrimental, lead many astray and render them marooned on an island of self- destruction. The light of education and knowledge is a priceless weapon and gift. The more it is polished, the more it shines, illuminating the life of a person and many in society. Thus, opening a school door to a person, not only solves a social issue but also solves economic and environmental issues as well. It surely closes the prison door and acts as a leverage in the development of the personality of a person and crafts the future of person in positive way. School is the medium of such conversion and “ontogenesis” of character and mind, that could save a person from the annihilation of the prison walls. Schools serve as the breeding space for optimistic, positive and critical thinking.

“Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.”- Kofi Annan. This quote is an eye opener for society. According to the Oxford dictionary, a school is an institution designed for impacting education, learning and instructions in a specific field and branch of study and thereby guiding students to develop their own niche. School is the nascent phase for the development of formal education and learning. This is the foundation for the instillation and growth and development of person that transform a person into a productive and responsible social person. The importance of schools needs to embellishment and it certainly transcends the limits of expression in mere words.

Statistical reports highlight more than 65% of crimes committed in United States of America were a result of lack of education, since most of the prison inmates lack basic primary education and were high school dropout. What is more radically amiss, is the growing pattern of school dropouts in USA. These signs are red flags for the developing and undeveloped countries, like African countries, where citizens can be caught in their bubble, held by the prison of their uneducated minds and access to education is a Sisyphean task in such region.

The dream of an egalitarian society, is only possible through education and knowledge. School is the bridge that connects a person with knowledge and education. It is critical to realise that education does not limit itself to academics, but rather the definition is expansive and broad and also includes intricate and sensitive moral values of life. The demarcation between a human and an animal is civilisation and what puts humans as more refined and superior creatures are cognitive abilities and the ability to be morally awake. Moral values are only possible from schooling and more exposure to education. On careful examination, a fact that is brought to light is recognising and comprehending the roots of the evils of crimes and one of the fundamental reasons is the inability to decipher between morality and immorality, or rather having a dead moral sense, on a harsh tone.

Even though,Neo-Marxist school of thoughts oppose the notion of importance of schooling for an egalitarian society, the truth is, that the inequalities and the widened gulf between the rich and the poor, ‘the haves’ and the ‘haves not’, is predominantly bridged by education and the dissemination of literacy among the masses. If we critically analyse a social issue, and its detrimental impact on the society, the notion makes so much sense.

Let’s say the prevalence of unemployment, due to lack of skills and abilities in a person, is one of the biggest banes in the society. Unemployment not only creates income equality in a society but it also keeps a person deprived of basic amenities. One major repercussion is the growing incidents of thefts and robberies. Even though kleptomania is a psychological issue and lust for money is a deadly vice, thefts and robbery cases owe to monetary difficulties and the inability to meet the basic amenities of life. The consequences of this is contravening the law and ending up in prison, which is a downward plunge into the crime world. Illiteracy and ignorance trap a person in the web of crime and anti-social activities. The knowledge and educating about law acts as the moral and invisible police of the soul and assists a person to decipher between what is right and what is wrong.

The human mind is an asset and it is critical that it is sharpened and polished. Schools and universities provide knowledge and education and, in the process, develop the cognitive ability of the human mind and craft the mind to be sharper and make it more productive to the society and on an individual level. The depreciation of this asset, on the other hand, could be potentially dangerous and suck a person in the vicious cycle of crime and anti-social activities that would ultimately lead him to the prison door. Schools are the investment for the sharpening, developing and fine tuning of the human mind that would broaden the scope for intellectuals and wise. The education and curriculum in schools is specifically designed the effective development of mind and analytical subjects serves the purpose of utilising the grey matter of the brain.

The profile of an educated person and that of an uneducated person depicts a gargantuan disproportion after a comparative analysis- an analysis hinging on the contribution and mental ability of an individual to rationally analyse different intricate subjects. Past events bear testimony to the facts. The prevalence of social evils, owing to ignorance and blind beliefs that were devoid of any rationale and critical thinking, was a conspicuous illustration of the effects of illiteracy and lack of education. On the contrary, the efforts and contribution of social reformists, who were torchbearers of modern education and seekers of knowledge, shed light on the importance of education and how analytical and critical thinking could provide the bulwark to the evils of ignorance and consequently spread the light of education and knowledge to the society.

The above-mentioned discussions and facts shed critical light on the notion “”He who opens a school door, closes a prison” , advocates the importance and the role of schools in the growth and development of a person. It depicts the nurturing of the character and mental faculties of a person and concurs with the statement put forth by Victor Hugo. The discipline and training of school builds a personality and saves a person from claustrophobic imprisonment of a person in the long run.

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155 comments on “School- The refuge from the annihilation of prison walls”

  2. Pebbles Dawoodi on

    Very well written and and thought out essay. I love the way this writer does his analogy of not being educated as to those that are.

    Reply
  3. Jerri on

    Excellent analysis of education on how it opens doors to freedom from the blight of criminal activity due to the lack there of.

    Reply
  4. Belinda Paul on

    Dear Rafi… You have made your mother proud and me too in a small way.. Penning down your thoughts are not only thought provoking for the audience, but in every way conveys the message to all. Well done son. Bless you always.
    Ms. Belinda

    Reply
    • Rafi Ahmed on

      Thank you so so much ma’am.
      Those words were beautiful and so overwhelming, I’m more than happy to make you proud even if in the smallest way.
      Love, light and peace ma’am ❤

      Reply
  8. Zeeshan Adil on

    Very well portrayed the importance of those points which is the need of the hour. All the best. Looking forward for more of these pieces.

    Reply
  11. A Roy Chowdhury on

    Great piece of work showing the advantage of education (being literate). People reading ths wll definitely get inspired.. Well done Rafi.. Loved the concept of showing d outcome of being literate..Keep it up.. Looking forward to reading more of such pieces from you..

    Reply
  12. A Roy Chowdhury on

    Great piece of work showing the advantage of education.. People reading ths wll definitely get inspired.. Well done Rafi.. Loved the concept of showing d outcome of being literate..Keep it up.. Looking forward to reading more of such pieces from you..

    Reply
  18. Rahil on

    Wat to say now… Ur words are always been special and something different to learn .. once Being a Student of yours and now one of a Good Friend as well , we learned alott from you and your words Sir. All the best sir and keep up the Good work like always

    Reply
  23. Uma Dagman on

    Importance of school is very essential. At the same time you have mentioned the importance of skills which is really very much necessary. Good work my son.. Keep it up…

    Reply
  31. Rafiqur Rahman on

    Truer words were never said before……spot on brother…..no two ways about the fact that it is through education that a nation and the entire mankind moves forward……truly education is the light that shows a torch to human progress……

    Reply
  35. J A Farooqui on

    A very clear and informative narrative showing the importance of education in our society- through the temple of education which is the school. A sound and balanced education is the only tool of going forward in life. You have beautifuly anyalised this in your article.
    Keep up the good work and we look forward to more of your thoughts on other important issues from time to time.

    Reply
  44. Rajib Sanyal on

    Brilliantly written Rafi. Charmed by the erudition, economy of expression, flawless and lucid treatment of a subject otherwise thought to be a tad cliche. Very proud to remember that at some juncture we would discuss James Joyace and Tennyson. Very happy to realise that you have matuared into a creative writer. Wishing you all the best.

    Reply
  46. Michael Andre Matthews on

    VERY IMPRESSIVE. YOU ARE BOUND TO GO PLACES ALL YOU NEED IS TO STAY FOCUSED AS YOU ALREADY ARE…..AND THEN SOME. MORE POWER TO YOU.

    Reply
  48. Dr.Archit Kedia on

    Beautifully written and very thought provoking rafi…i didn’t know this facet of your’s. You definitely seem to have a way with words. Keep doing the good work. Best wishes for a bright future

    Reply
  55. Mizan on

    True literacy is the solution to so many deteriorating aspects in our society bt juz wanna point it out there z a very fine line between certificate holding literates nd enlightened literates ….we sud enculcate a sense among our coming generations to aspire to become enlightened ones rather than labouring blindly to acquire certificates…..nd for dat we sudnt b juz looking forward to schools…..perhaps a mom is d best teacher…🙂🙂

    Reply
  59. Lawrence W. Hartnett on

    An impassioned plea for making education available to all ages, especially since the benefits of an education are so many and so wide-reaching in impact. In writing of the beneficiaries of education as ‘people’ and ‘persons’ the scope is for inclusive education for all irrespective of the many prisons that society inflicts…

    Reply
  61. Smita Biswas on

    Commendable effort ! May your words enlighten many people & bring light where there is darkness. Education is a must for the all round development of an individual which will ultimately bring about a well balanced society. As your teacher I feel happy to see that you have polished your creative skills over the years. God bless you.

    Reply
  62. Roshni De on

    Hey Rafi
    Beautiful peice of writing. Really proud of you. Looking forward to some more articles like this. Keep up your good work

    Reply
  63. George Ross on

    Your essay is very well written and each paragraph is meaningful and well thought out. The facts are strong and well phased. Well done. Excellent essay. All the very best and hope you win.

    Reply
  65. Arnab Chakraborty on

    Astonishing piece of work bro..u have always impressed everyone with your short writings like this..long way to go..all d very bst.. eagerly waiting for some of ur grand upcomings..

    Reply
  67. Mrinmoy Khan on

    The article beautifully explains the need of education for a better society. I would request you to keep up the good work and keep enlightening us in the future.

    Reply
  69. Md Atharuddin on

    It was really worth spending time in reading your article which talks about the importance of Schools and Education in our society.
    Keep it up..!!!

    Reply

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