bhaskar saikia

Do we truly make choices for ourselves, or are we simply following the path laid out by those we admire? Sometimes it feels like our choices aren’t really our own but borrowed from society’s collective script. We often do what is socially acceptable and avoid what society frowns upon.

Take a simple example: school children trudging to school with bags heavier than their own bodies. Their days are packed with multiple subjects and endless exams—all aimed at convincing parents and society that these children will grow up to be “successful.” But does this process really translate into success in life?

Consider India, with its enormous population and its obsession with conventional education. Over 1.5 million engineering graduates each year. Many struggle to find work, some settle for underpaid jobs, and others land in completely unrelated fields. An engineering degree is supposed to be highly technical and specialized, requiring years of rigorous effort from childhood. Yet, when graduates fail to secure proper jobs, it exposes the flaws of an education system that prioritizes heavy school bags and memorization over practical learning.

Despite knowing all this, we continue to push our children into the same cycle—pressuring them for higher grades and degrees—only to watch history repeat itself. Maybe that’s how acceptance works in society: by following its norms, however irrational or outdated they may be.

What if we dared to deviate from this system? What if we added an essential subject to school curricula—financial education? Money is the common denominator in everyone’s life, yet schools rarely teach children how to manage it.

Interestingly, more than a century ago, schools in Europe focused on three kinds of education: academic, professional, and financial. But somewhere along the way, financial education was quietly removed from the curriculum. The result? A generation of highly qualified individuals who see jobs as their only path, unaware of how to build financial independence or explore entrepreneurship.

The absence of financial literacy has stifled entrepreneurship and created waves of unemployment. Ironically, governments and organizations today talk passionately about promoting startups and innovation while overlooking the root cause: a schooling system that fails to equip students with financial awareness and practical life skills.

Until we reform our education system, we are simply chasing an outdated dream, wasting both talent and time. Are we really choosing this path for ourselves—or are we just following a crowd too afraid to question the obvious?