EDUCATION, ANCIENT AND MODERN
A Paradigm Shift
IN ancient times, it was a norm to acquire knowledge for the sake of knowledge. In ancient times, the relationship between knowledge and education was less about earning livelihood, and more about life. In ancient agrarian society, earning livelihood was more through physical labour, and less through mental labour. This situation linked knowledge to knowledge itself rather than to livelihood. However, in modern times the situation has changed.
In ancient times, education was not about preparing oneself, but the main purpose of education in modern times is to prepare oneself for the demands of the times, so that man can continue his journey in the race of progress. In ancient times, education was practically a static discipline. Nowadays, education is a creative activity. In ancient times, education was confined to a limited number of people. In ancient times, the scope of education was limited to society and tribe, that is, to maintain the tradition of one’s own society or tribe. In modern times, education has become relevant to all walks of life. In ancient times, education did not aim at discovering new things, so that they could be used in the evolution of civilization. Education is a revolutionary process today.
In modern times, the impact of education has spread all over the world. The purpose of modern education is to develop the capacity of science and technology in man, to make him creatively active, so that he can impart something to the world. In ancient times, education was based on speculation, in which social values and manners were passed on to children through fictional stories. The modern age is the age of education based on scientific experiments. Instead of these fictional stories and examples, the emphasis is on education based on real events and experiences.
The importance of knowledge and education has become fundamental for the development of any field in the present age. The reason for this importance of education is the advancement of science and technology in the present times. The development of technology has completely changed the old traditional era. In ancient times, for example, mules, horses and camels were naturally present in large numbers in the forest. Man would catch them and use them for riding and carrying loads. But today rides means machine rides, and machine rides cannot be made without knowledge, nor can they be used without it.
In modern times, as a result of scientific research all branches of knowledge have been rewritten. For example, in ancient times it was thought that the stars in the sky were as big as they appeared with the naked eye. But in recent times, far-reaching studies have shown that the stars in the sky are much larger, and they are more numerous than they appear. In this way, a lot of information has been obtained in present times. Knowledge is required to know the world in the light of this new information. Today, the ignorant man is not just an illiterate man, but he is also ignorant of the real world.
The purpose of education should be to equip man with the need of the hour; to enable man to build life according to today's conditions. Being aware of the changing times is also important to understand religion in terms of changing times.
Education needs to be updated in the present times, namely to adapt the knowledge according to the demands of the times. The purpose of education should be to equip man with the need of the hour; to enable man to build life according to today’s conditions. Being aware of the changing times is also important not only for the ordinary affairs of life but also to understand religion in terms of changing times. This fact has been narrated in a Hadith. It was narrated by the Companion of the Prophet Abu Dhar al-Ghafari in the following words: It is necessary for the believer to be aware of his time.