Few days back I had a meeting with Principal of a prestigious public school of Delhi. She pointed out a very peculiar thing about parents of the many students. They are reluctant to pay for any new learning program but would not show same resistance for paying the charges for an excursion or fun trip organised by school. The parents who project financial problems often give fancy smart phones to their children. The same parents even organise their birthday parties at happening places.
I find it very strange. Perhaps the parents do this under peer pressure or they surrender to the demands of the kids.
Then I recollected my experiences. There have been some cases where parents didn’t come for career guidance for their children because they didn’t want to shell out money. Or even people in difficult life situation didn’t want to pay for Life Coaching knowing fully well that it might transform their lives. They wanted it free of cost. I personally don’t charge everyone. My belief is that one must pay according to one’s paying capacity. I do free workshops also. If we look at a larger picture, money is a flow. We should contribute and take out according to our individual strengths and needs.
In India we look forward to free benefits even if its quality is abysmal. People do not understand the importance of right guidance at the right time for themselves as well as for their children. It is important to learn but before that it is even more important to learn when and how to learn. This brings efficiency and happiness in the process of learning.
In this age of information bombardment and rapid changes/expansion in education/opportunities, the role of experts assumes a new significance. Most of the parents can’t guide their children very effectively. Often, teenagers don’t always listen to their parents; that’s natural though. Hence, role of an external counsellor or coach becomes all the more important.
We don’t understand importance of right knowledge in terms of its monetary value probably because of our ancient Indian tradition of imparting gyan (knowledge) free of cost. But times have changed and money has become quite important. Now knowledge won’t come for free. It boils down to the simple logic of choosing where the money needs to be spent.
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