Should We Even Study?

Think to Progress

Thesis Statement: The Philippines will only progress if and when we, the Filipino youth, realize that we must use our education to benefit more than just ourselves.

In the eighth paragraph of his essay entitled "What's education for?" Conrado de Quiros declared that the reason why the Philippines is not progressing, unlike other Asian countries, is because we, the youth, do not know how to think and aim for the best. He explained that this unfortunate situation is a result of the wrong manner local colleges and universities have been educating us, its students. He reasoned that instead of being trained on how to think and dream big, our country's educational institutions put all their effort into teaching us only the skills we need to immediately land jobs after graduation. He then said that the same reason is responsible for the existence of a prevalent view among Filipino students that one's education is simply a ticket to future personal success and more importantly, only benefits the person who has it.

Being part of the Filipino youth, I initially felt insulted and offended by such statement. But after much reflection on the topic, I started to realize that maybe what he was saying was actually true. Although most of us know how to think and aim for ourselves, we do not necessarily know how to think and aim when other people are put under consideration. Given this, I can now honestly say that like the author, I believe that the Philippines will only progress if and when we, the Filipino youth, realize that we should use our education to benefit not only ourselves, but our nation and its people as well.

But just how will such realization lead to national progress?

When we, the Filipino students, stop developing the very self-centered perception that education only benefits the person who receives it, we will realize that we must use our education to make better not only our lives, but the lives of our countrymen as well. As a result, there will be a clamor for change in the way we are being taught by our schools. Schools will be forced to revise their curriculums, which at present, seems to be concerned only with imparting technical skills to students.

Realizing that our education has the power to change not only the course of our own lives, but of others as well will lead us to never allow ourselves