Education and the missing why

In JK Rowling's fourth book of the Harry Potter series, she introduces us to Dolores Umbridge.

As one of the antagonists in Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, Umbridge takes over the subject of "Defense Against The Dark Arts" and changes the curriculum to simply educating on theory.

This is, to paraphrase the book, to teach students in a risk-free environment and that theories are enough to pass exams, regardless of real life application.

Because that is the generation we are cultivating in our own backyard right now.

For lack of a better comparison other than "The Big Bang Theory" television show, we have a bunch of Sheldon Coopers and no Wolowitz's, Hofstadters or even Koothrappalis.

The issue, of course, is our "world class" education system and, perchance, our lack of intellectual curiosity when it comes to how everyday items work. In fact, I'm currently using an iPad typing this yet have no clue to the internal processes that are taking place.

So yes, the above statement of course includes myself. Personally, among the five siblings in the Baharom family, only one took apart a remote control car in his teen years to figure out what was happening; even if it just so happens to have been my remote control car.

But no, no grudge. I am fine. I have a lightsaber now.

Anyways, while most of us would know how an internal combustion engine works in theory, we have no clue on the mechanics of our own car engines. We know of buoyancy and the flushing toilet, but never would the two actually coincide unless you've ever lifted the lid and peeked.

We would perhaps even know what makes a vacuum suck and even how a robotic vacuum measures a room, in theory, but nobody delves deeper.

And while there are lab experiments in secondary school on inertia, hydraulics and even perhaps collision, it is only through observing daily applications that these can increase awareness in the younger generation. And this is where I believe we've dropped the proverbial ball.

While vocational schools tend to focus more om hands-on training which does handle the matter at hand, national secondary schools which initially introduce kids to science are, for lack of a better word, dull. Honestly, you would probably have more fun watching YouTube or even the Discovery Channel when it comes to teaching kids about physics.

We never truly explained the daily applications of science in everyday living and as such, are perhaps not very well at raising interest in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

There needs to be some way to cultivate an interest in these sectors among the youth and we need to do it fast because the demand is far too high if we are looking to actually establish a universally comparative "world class" tertiary education system.

That's the conundrum of today's generation, not mine. Gone is the generation where science fiction was literally spewing the pro-STEM message on television. After all, my generation had Bill Nye, Star Trek, Star Wars, Transformers, even M.A.S.K cartoons to cultivate interest in the STEM sector. We even had Dexter's Laboratory.

That being said, I do believe that if a 31-year-old guy of average intelligence such as myself has noticed this, others may have too.

As such, surely someone is in a forum in some hotel or convention centre somewhere, littered with karipaps and teh tarik, discussing what needs to be done.

And here's the thing: what needs to be done at all stages is to encourage curiosity. Yes, it killed the cat, but that shouldn't stop you from introducing your kids to building blocks or, for the more affluent of us, Lego's, or even to go out ourselves and get a book on theology, for example.

And the first step is simple; start with the question "why" or as yet another science fiction character puts it, causality.

To quote The Merovingian from The Matrix trilogy:

"It is of course the way of all things. You see, there is only one constant, one universal, it is the only real truth: causality. Action, reaction. Cause, effect,"

Curiosity is lacking in Malaysia. The need to question why all things happen and seek answers. This not only applies to STEM education, but economics, politics, religion, cultural psychology and yes - even propaganda and media warfare.

Yet, most of us don't even bother with this three-lettered question in the first place. Many of us are content to just read a news article and agree with whichever political side we would like to be lumped with without an afterthought. And that is why we have generation after generation of sheep.

Why?

I'll quote the lovely Merovingian again for this one:

"Who has time? Who has time? But then if we do not ever take time, how can we ever have time?" – March 3, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.