She can tell 3-2 is 1. Maybe she knows not why, for she wonders what 2-3 could be. Yet, she’s told to complete a whole exercise on the simplification of polynomials. That is said to be expected of her as a sixth grader. Little does anyone bother if she can, she must. Nobody knows or tries to understand her capabilities. None are expected of her.
As pre-defined expectations guide her, the girl grows with confusion and resentment of both, society and the education itself.
The education here does not recognise the essence of a learner but simply sets threats against their failures. When in the class, a teacher has two responsibilities. Teach. Learn. The latter is constantly obliterated.
I happen to live in the same society as her. However, I happen to share a different story. Receiving esteemed scholarships for my education has given me the platform to discover what I can do and furthermore, a passion for what I have to do. Nonetheless, I find our non-parallel lives coming to an intersection as she surges, in me, a purpose— to catalyse educational reforms with education. Putting myself in this girl’s shoes, I yearn for an education that enables a true learning, one where learning is not a mere task or instruction but a catalyst to practical developments through queries, reasons, and purpose.
