‘The Idea of Education is not Just Academic Grades’ – Dr Vijayakumar
Mangaluru: “Education is the determining factor which influences one’s future. Environment and Experience come very far when compared with Education to create a future for anyone. It is not the Intelligent Quotient (IQ) that differentiates between successful people and others. Emotional Intelligence has a great role to play.
How one behaves with others matters a lot said Dr Vijayakumar, Vice Chancellor of Yenepoya University after inaugurating the symposium and Book Release “Legacy of The Legend – Dr Olinda Pereira at the School Of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya on May 31.
Addressing the gathering Dr Vijayakumar said, “The idea of education is not just about obtaining higher academic grades than others. When we are able to congratulate the winner after losing the game, we have gained the meaning of life”.
Further stressing on Education and development Dr Vijayakumar said, “Just having bookish knowledge will never help a person to succeed in his/her life. Total Education is the solution to all problems in the world. But education today is not able to do what it is supposed to do. Academic learning and self-learning together lead to development he opined. Employability is an issue with education in hand. We have to prepare ourselves beyond education to reach out to the industry requirements”.
Releasing the book ‘Legacy of a Legend – Dr Olinda Pereira’, Dr Vijay Kumar said that she was not only an educationalist but also a woman of empowerment. She built a bridge between education and development.
While delivering the Keynote Address Human rights activist and the nephew of Dr Pereira Dr Cedric Prakash spoke on the life and mission of Dr Pereira, comparing her with historic social reformers in India. “Dr Pereira was a social reformer with a multifaceted personality, who always followed a developmental approach with an inclusive ideology”, said Dr Prakash, a recipient of several national and international awards.
“She always stood for equality, fraternity and liberty in her mission, and followed the right attitude, articulation and action”, he said. Further, Fr Prakash asserted that social work should be a liberating mission from oppressive structures, inequality, caste system and social exclusiveness.
Philomina D’Sa, Provincial, Daughters of the Heart of Mary in her Presidential Address stated that Education, Development, Transformation and Inclusiveness were combined in the life of Dr Olinda Pereira. She made time to spend her life with the less privileged through her unique ways. Her thought about the senior citizens was on the divine light that she had within her. Dr Olinda was not merely a teacher. She could touch, inspire and motivate her students to live for others.
We should continue our work in our own unique ways following the footsteps of Dr Olinda Pereira. She was always looking at everyone with equality and respect. Let us forget our individual differences and come out together to make a difference in the life of those who are finding to make a life for them. Let us work for the less privileged, she added.
Prof Vida Sequeira, President of the Institute of Social Service welcomed the gathering.
Dr Sophia N Fernandes, Principal, School of Social Work, Mangalore; S N Gopinath, Bhima Rao, Ravichandra Bekal Founder Trustees of Centre for Leadership and Social Development, Bengaluru; Dr Malini Hebbar, President Roshni Alumni Association Mangaluru were present during the occasion.
Vinitha Maria Pereira compered the programme. The students of Roshni Nilaya performed a thematic dance depicting the life and mission of Dr Olinda Pereira after the formal Program.
