Find the answer to the question "Why do we study?"

(Baonghean) - Last week, the article "What is the purpose of learning?" by author But Son, published in the Events - Forum section of Nghe An Weekend on September 6th, received the second highest number of votes for best article. The article is timely and features sharp, well-structured arguments that help readers understand: What is the purpose of learning?

First, the author asserts: “There is a question related to learning that has existed for a very long time, is very old, very simple, and seems to have been thoroughly and fully answered. That is, what is the purpose of learning?” This question has become a recurring refrain: “I know the answer. It’s so frustrating. We’ve talked about it endlessly,” because “many people go to school, especially at the university level, carrying their books to the lecture hall without knowing why they are learning. Many go to school simply to get a university degree to ‘keep up with the Joneses,’ to show off to their relatives and neighbors. Some simply think that having a university degree will get them a good job with a high salary. There are also those who go to school to please their parents…” Therefore, very few people define for themselves the purpose of learning. This leads to the reality that everyone rushes to university, and afterwards, tens of thousands of engineers, bachelors, and masters graduates are unemployed. This wastes a significant amount of societal resources and is a root cause of social instability.

According to a sociological survey, approximately 80% of middle and high school students, and about 50% of university students, answered that they study to earn money or to get a job later. About 40-50% of university students and about 20-25% of high school students said they study to be able to support themselves, find a suitable job, avoid hardship later in life, and help their families. About 80-90% of parents in the recent university entrance exam answered that they study to broaden their knowledge or to gain social status. The common answer across different groups, accounting for about 5-10%, was to improve themselves. For some older people or teachers, there was an additional answer: to become a better person. Thus, it can be seen that the majority of parents set the goal for their children's education to secure good jobs and earn money to support themselves and their families.

A smaller number believe that learning is for expanding knowledge and gaining social status. For students, the goal of learning to earn money and get a job accounts for about half, while the rest learn without any specific goal. Surprisingly, among those surveyed, over 95% said they had never asked themselves this question. Logically, this is illogical. Sadly, it's not only students who face the awkward situation of going to school without knowing why they are learning; "even those in the teaching profession haven't clearly defined the purpose of learning. Teachers just teach, students just learn. People like to learn whatever they want, as long as there are students and people paying. They don't care whether the product they create is relevant or meets the demands of life." Therefore, universities spring up like mushrooms after the rain, enrolling students en masse; while graduates face unemployment. Society is suffering from the paradox of "too many teachers, too few skilled workers".

Finally, the author offers a solution: To fundamentally address the aforementioned pressing issues, it is necessary to focus on accurately and clearly answering the question: "Why do we learn?"... For those who want to learn not only to earn a living but also to satisfy other higher-level needs, they should simply "learn, learn more, and keep learning," as Lenin taught. For an education system to successfully reform, it must also answer this question thoroughly. Because learning involves three crucial questions: "What to learn?", "How to learn?", and "Why learn?".

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