Artless #1
speak i have little vent regardinPeople who choose science are the higher strata of society.
Commerce is just below that.
Art is... well... not even in the pyramid.
Whenever a student has to choose between a stream for higher education, it’s always either commerce or science. Mostly science. Become an engineer or a doctor. Engineer or a doctor. The only time the "art" stream is looked at is when someone wants to become a lawyer.
I'm not saying people don’t consciously choose art, but the majority of people stay away from it. For one reason or another, students mostly choose science—maybe their parents forced them to, maybe other students influenced them, or maybe the stigma against other streams made them make that decision. They are literally funneled into it. Or, as I myself have seen, most of the students in my JEE tuitions had no clear goals, and they just ended up here.
Choosing science equals being smart, having superior grades, and being ambitious. Choosing science means a good career, good opportunities, and a good life. A STABLE FUTURE! SUCCESS! These are all the things that are told to students in India. And this is mostly true—the entire ecosystem around career building is primarily focused on STEM-related fields. I don’t blame students for following this path; the system itself is at fault for being biased towards STEM.
And clearly, the system is faulty. The science stream has utterly failed in creating scientific temper inside the minds of those who have gone through "science" education. If that were not the case, we would see less pseudoscientific bullshit in this country. It is a failure of our education. And I know this is a cliché thing to say at this point, but clearly, it is a failure.
What this all does is devalue the art stream. Arts is for those who could not achieve much in life, those who are not "smart," those with lower grades. In general, arts is looked down upon by a huge part of society—shunned, even.
People who have gone through STEM degrees are considered intellectuals in every other human thing.
Arts students are useless, though. They can be bossed around by anyone. They can be lectured about things they spent their time on, their degrees, by someone who is of a "higher" stream.
I am not of the opinion that science is not important. I love science. I LOVE IT. But clearly, India has failed us. This mad, mad rush towards STEM has clearly failed to create scientific or even basic rational thinking. This is why I always say being educated is different from being rational or even a thinker.
I am just frustrated at the fact that arts is so devalued.
But I have been losing my interest in this. In STEM.
I will never completely lose my interest, but as soon as I found out about other things that were never brought up, I have changed. I do still love science.
Astrophysics, neurology, neuro-ophthalmology, aerospace engineering—these are subjects that are dear to me. But recently, I have begun to realize that my "calling" is somewhere else entirely.
I want to write. I want to craft stories. I want to study sociology, political science, and history. I have been considering being a professor. I want to do journalism. Journalism. I see beauty in that. I would gladly give my life for journalism.
I want to do some activism, get involved on the ground instead of being a keyboard warrior. Hell, I have been dreaming about having my own NGO.
I am FRUSTRATED at India's failure to cultivate these fields. But the reality is that most of these things have been devalued so much. There is a lack of freedom and opportunities.
this will u read it on my blog
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