issue 51

gyh1001UID: 2776564

TOPIC: ISSUE51 - "Education will be truly effective only when it is specifically designed to meet the individual needs and interests of each student."
WORDS: 562          TIME: 00:45:00          DATE: 2010/8/9 11:39:48

It is for the self-improvement and satisfaction of the need of society that education is desired for. Admittedly, if their needs and interests are met, the students will be glad to learn, thus learn more effectively and efficiently. However, a comprehensive consideration covering the fundamental destination of education, the limit resource and the requirement of society undermines the assertion of education should merely meet the individual needs and interests of each student. More limitations should be attached on the process in order to avoid some consequences that people don't expect to see.
Via education the older generation fulfill the mission to teach the younger generation the ideology of recognizing the world and the methods of criticizing and analysing the phenomena around us, by acquiring which they will be able to master the future by avoiding the errors their predecessors have made. Through the process, the students accomplish the accumulation of fundamental knowledge and basic skills, such as mathematic, history, computer and communication. However, not all of the subjects suit their interests, a few of which may be dull to some students. For example, the complex numbers and symbols confuse the art students, just as the mountainous persons and eras in history trouble those who want to concentrate on physics. However, all of the necessary disciplines in universities grant us abilities to survive in society and fulfill self-improvement, which cannot be denied just to suit our interests.
Otherwise,If we desire to satisfy the need of each student, there should be infinite resource such as building, equipments, teachers, and financial support, which is conspicuously unpractical. Take for example an extreme case, if a student is interested in cosmos, will the university supply a rocket for him? In the ancient era, when there was little equipment, the teachers tutor students just via talking, such as Plato or Confucius, without convenient facilities such as computers or Internet at present, at which time, the interests of students can scarcely satisfied, but consequently plenty of great achievements and minds have been created and passed by till now.
Moreover, interests of the students who need to be educated are not stable, more important than which is the requirement of the society, such as the basic quality to hunt for a job. Basically,
the interests of them are formed based on their previous experience, and can be changed by the same process. The proper choice to the issue is to consciously influence their interests to suit the need of society, which is relatively steady. And the achievement to society will last for a long time, better than the individual interest. Besides, we are not isolate, but connected with each other tightly and all influenced by society. Therefore, as part of the process of society, education should consider the need of the whole society, not just the mere interest of each student.
Nonetheless, the analysis above doesn't mean we should neglect the individual needs and interests of each student.Because after all, interest is the best teacher. Once their interests and needs being satisfied, the students will spend more energy and time on their study, and learn more effectively. We all have the experience that we work more efficiently with enthusiasm and interest, so does education.What's more, if their interests and needs are always denied, the relationship between students and teacher, university and even society will be damaged, which will do harm to both the individuals and society.
In sum, students are the flowers asking for fertilization and irrigation, while whose instinct should be taken into account and payed attention to, and limitation and modification is inevitable to entitle them necessity to ensure its beauty and usage.  That is to say, while the fundamental qualities should be put in the first place such as basic knowledge and skills to survive in the future society, the students' interests shouldn't be neglected meanwhile. Just as the present measures taken by most universities that the courses consist of necessary discipline and others they can choose at will.