Me, My computer and My Excel

Its been quite a while, since i had a computer in my home ... and frankly i didn't feel any need to repair my old computer, which i bought in the year 2000 ... and after a long time, i am using the Microsoft Excel ... i am glad that i am using the "spreadsheet" ... its because the possibilities with a spreadsheet are unlimited !

There was a time when i was eating, drinking and sleeping the Microsoft Spreadsheet, literally ... well that does not mean that i claim that i am a "Super Microsoft Excel User" ... but my job required me to use certain functions in Excel Sheet ... and doing the complicated Accounting Functions using formula on the Excel Sheet made my work very easy and fun to do ... otherwise, the accounting profession is a "boring darling", with the same and monotonous ... Journal Entries, Book Keeping, Book Manipulating (oops, did i confess that ?) and the bulky ledger books are liked by pests and dust, than their users ! ... but even in those days when, opening my Excel Sheet was a "must" for me ... i found the "Macros" in excel very confusing and intimidating ... and i used to confine myself with some basic functions that the Microsoft Excel offered.

Now, i am using the Excel after a long time ... and trust me, as i brush my memories of working on the spreadsheet, i feel glad to be back to using my favorite Software.

But, i guess i have forgot some of the functions i used quite meticulously and mastered them in making my job much simpler ... and suddenly i find myself an "illiterate in excel" ... which really pains me, as i confess.

Being Literate ...

So, the fact that i have forgot some of the areas in the Microsoft Excel ... which i knew sometime back ... converts me from being "literate" to "illiterate" ! ... well, i guess i am exaggerating a bit, as i can still do my job the way i used to do the "old fashioned way" on an Excel Spreadsheet !

The word "Literate" means the ability of a person to successfully comprehend any topic that one confronts with ... and normally in today's world, "being educated" means being "Literate", which is a farce !

I think the words "being educated" and "being literate" are two different things all together !

The word "literate" is understood by many people in many ways ... and i would certainly want to understand what this word means for the people of the country ... as Majority Indians are "Illiterate" !

What "being literate" means for Me

Even though i am yet to brush up some of the "Skills on the Excel" that i knew previously, i still don't consider myself as an Illiterate in Excel.

For me ... having the required skills and ability ... to comprehend, Analise and Complete a job in hand ... is "being literate" !

So, the fact that i am successfully completing the tasks that i have set myself with ... while working on an Excel Spreadsheet ... makes me a "Literate in Excel" !

What being literate means for people in general

For the government ... i guess literacy should mean ... the ability of people ... to read, write and speak at least their mother language ... as its bare minimum essential for any person to know his/her mother language.

being literate means ... the ability of people to sign their names on the Government Registers, for doing the Government Sponsored Schemes like the NREGA ... and count the number of Currency notes that they receive in return for the work they do as per the scheme !

being literate means ... the ability of people to open a bank account and successfully operate it, irt bare essential banking services like Deposit and Withdrawal of money.

being literate means ... the ability of people to read and understand what a newspaper says ... at least a newspaper in their mother language.

being literate means ... understand what the "Election Voting Slip or the Voting Machine" means ... and ability to vote for their favorite political party.

I guess, when all people are able to "read and write" ... at least one language (which in most cases would be his/her mother language) ... they can be considered as "literate".

The ability to Read and Write more than one language, gives the concerned many advantages.

So, i would construe that the Government should direct the efforts to make sure that "All the people of the country" are able to Read or Write at least one language. And its natural to presume that the person has the natural inclination to learn the Mother Language first !

So, all the State Governments should try to educate the illiterate with their "Regional Language" first. This doesn't mean that the State Governments should "impose" a "Regional Language" on the masses ... as the language which a person wants to learn is his/her "choice" ! ... but generally, we see Mother Language gets the first priority in almost all Families !

And since all the Indian Languages are very rich in content and history ... people would be amazed to learn "how great their mother language is" !

Purpose of Education

There is a difference between being literate and being educated.

Being literate means the ability to read and write at least one language.

Being educated means the realization that ... "it is important to read and write" ... "making the masses literate is the job of the government which it has to do" ... "realizing that basic human etiquettes are the bare essentials of any civilized society" ... "realizing that a society can be judged if it is civilized or not, by seeing if its women are honored" ... "realizing that respect for different cultures is the essential for a multicultural society" ... "realizing that a government should ensure the bare essential services are within the reach of its people" ... and there may be many other things one can think of, which makes a "Society being Educated".

Can we have an Educated Indian Society ... with 100 % Literate People ... please.

Vamsi.

04 November 2009