The best education

I've a hunch that the best education is not the one we acquire from formal schools. Otherwise those who always came on top of their classes and went on to graduate cum laude would be running the show and calling the shots in society. But that is rarely the case.

Consider President Museveni who is often vilified as having been an 'average' student all through school. Yet that didn't matter for he always knew who he was and what he wanted, thanks to the training and mentorship he received as a child from his guardian, Mzeei Boniface Byanyima. That gave him the confidence and charm that have held him in good stead for 30 years in which he has outsmarted his opponents and reigned over an army that a much more 'intelligent' president, Milton Obote, twice failed to control thereby losing his grip on power. That early mentorship gave Museveni an unshakable foundation from which he built. Mzeei Byanyima was one of the smartest political players so what he injected in the young lad was unforgettable and set Museveni in motion for greatness.

Thus for me the best education is the one that starts with children with our parents and guardians; when they talk to us with words and actions that are so distinguished that they affirm us and inspire us to aspire from that tender age to do well and make them proud. This is the kind of education King Solomon was hinting on when he said that train a child in a way he should go and when he grows up he will not stray from it. 

Alas! most parents and guardians today have shirked that privilege of educating their children holistically and let the plasma tv take over while they are busy climbing the career ladder and traveling the world. At school teachers chip in the best they can and some students perform pretty well. But at the end of the day they comb the streets looking for jobs till holes appear in the soles of their shoes. Meanwhile those who acquired real education from their parents and guardians are busy innovating and making things happen.