A Small Wish for Education

by Kailash Khandelwal

 Growing up in India, I had the privilege of attending one of the finest schools. It offered far more than academics. I was exposed to many extracurricular activities—elocution, debate, rock climbing, and even horse riding.

Now, many years later, I often look back and wonder: how much of that truly gave me joy, and how much of it made any lasting or transformative difference in my life?

This thought returned to me recently when I was drawn into the orbit of an educational initiative in India, one that seemed open to ideas beyond the stereotyped and the formula-driven.

When I look back now, I think not only of what education gave me, but also of what it left out. And so, whenever I find myself thinking about non-formulaic projects for children, one idea returns to me almost instinctively: the nurturing of a deep attachment to nature.

Looking back, I feel my school years could also have opened a deeper path toward nature, through some thoughtful initiative to know trees and plants better, to observe flora and fauna, and to understand the rhythms of cultivation and harvest.

I often wish this kind of learning had been part of my own education. And I feel it should not stop with childhood. The love of nature kindled in the school years should be renewed in college and revisited later too, so that the feeling does not fade with time.

Even now, when I drive along wooded American highways, which I enjoy very much, I am struck by how little I know. I cannot identify even two trees by name. My father, though an industrialist, had developed a real affinity for nature through his own interest. I still remember how, during long drives, he could identify a plant, a tree, or its yield from quite a distance. He also knew the medicinal qualities of many plants and shrubs.

And yet, somehow, the love for quiet, wooded, unhurried roads found its way into my heart. The cities I have lived in across the U.S. have not failed me in this regard. There is almost always some obscure, tree-lined road that I manage to discover while driving back from a store.

What gives me hope is not only the idea itself, but also the ease with which it can be formalized. In fact, when I have shared it with friends, many of them have responded with real excitement. Something about it seems to touch a chord.

Recently, I also came across something very interesting from Brian Cox on wood and trees. Do take a look at this YouTube Short video. It is well worth watching!