The True Meaning of Education and Life through ‘The History Boys’
Is your education experience just another credit to your CV (’cheat visa’ as interpreted) or should education be everything we were asked to be when we were small - have everything by heart and finding a way to utilize them whenever we have the chance? The argument for the true meaning of education, and subsequently a larger picture, life, had been on even before Ministries of Educations were set up globally - competition is getting stiffer and tougher around the world by the second - losing out by a fragment of a mark or lacking an important skill will perhaps bury you for a longed-for shining opportunity. However, what is the true essence of education?
‘The History Boys’ by Alan Bennett is one groundbreaking, and impact-leaving play that truly probes deep into the true meaning of education and examinations. A bunch of boys, majoring in history, did very well for their ‘A’ Levels (in the 80’s even 3As is considered outstanding). They proposed to strive for the Oxbridge examinations (entrance examination for Oxford and Cambridge), and the school willingly set up plans and curriculum to assist them - Hector, for English, emphasizes that literature is something to be experienced and appreciated and that examinations are the biggest killer of education. Stressing to learn language by heart, the boys were always able to do impromptu plays or poem reciting, and the lines were really beautiful and touching. Irwin, their young history teacher, was a complete opposite from Hector. Having the notion ‘being different is the key in getting into Oxbridge’, he stimulates his students to think in ways what other people do not - Stalin is not-so-bad after all, the Jews were rightful to be exterminated during WW2 (of course this must be backed up with solid evidences) etc. The contrast of these two teachers forced the boys to re-think the real value of education and re-evaluate what education is supposed to be.
In the play (it’s a play as well as a movie) we are given several flash-fronts - bad things generally, that really led us to think what really happened to these boys after that (they all got in Oxford finally, a happy ending so to say). Finally we realize that because so much effort was put into entering the university, so much motivation and energy powered to break through the gates, they were left with nothing upon entrance. It’s like competing in Thomas’ Cup - you fight as though there’s no tomorrow, and you won, but when it’s time for you to really parade the trophy (being in Oxford), you pass out. They drool in Oxford, and ended up being people they’re not expected to be in high school - a journalist in a low-class paper, a tax lawyer whose interest is only on money, a teacher with a hidden identity on the Internet, and a dry-cleaner who takes drugs in the weekends.
This led us to think about the theme ‘life’ too - a brief moment of glamour or glitter does not always guarantee eternal brightness - Sim Jun Yi might perhaps suddenly lose interest in studies and become a slug, and eventually end up selling newspapers and chewing gum in a stall in Puduraya (though the idea to include some romance seems more dramatic), China will one day exhaust its resources and vastness of land and their younger generation will have to clean up the mess they left behind during their now so-called ‘Second Great Leap Forward’. This is life - a roller coaster. Being Oxbridge candidates these boys though not arrogant were in the prime of their life. They were the creme de la creme of Great Britain, ready to enter one of the most prestigious universities in the world, and they did it, but when they finally did, they lost momentum and took a great dive that never recovered.
However, Hector’s education left the boys enough substance and material to still work things out and manage their own chipping lives - once in a while they will suddenly remember a verse so well memorised for the suitable occassion, a song so apt to their feelings, or a poem so beautiful their life briefly sparkled. Hector taught them everything about life, and that’s what I really think education should be - less academically and more on morality. A phrase I find a killer is "Pass the parcel. That’s sometimes all you can do. Take it, feel it and pass it on. Not for me, not for you, but for someone, somewhere, one day. Pass it on, boys. That’s the game I wanted you to learn. Pass it on." We do believe that life is destined and we are in no power to change it when God really wants it that way. That’s why whether our life totally sucked or is in ninth heaven now, we should just ‘take it, feel it, and pass it on’. Things will eventually take a turn for the better or the worse, and we can sometimes only face it and endure it. Pass it on.
I do realize very often things are much easily said than done - it’s so simple to type the paragraph above, it only took 3 minutes, but when I’m really in my life’s low, I might brood over it as long as 3 weeks and yet not recover. That’s when friends come in important. Nevertheless, what Hector said was again really true - if we really believe in Almighty above, we should just leave everything to fate and pass it on.
