To be a nerd is prestigious
To be a nerd is prestigious
Every country, every society has its own stereotypes and they can be neutral, positive or negative.
Unfortunately, in our country, in the public consciousness, since Soviet times, the concept of “nerd” has been formed, which, as a rule, is used in describe diligent students of schools, colleges and universities.
In educational institutions, starting from school, this word is generally used to describe intellectually developed students who study well and strive for knowledge. Even the cinema depicts “nerds” as weak and frail, who wear big and thick glasses. For many decades, this disparaging view of the pursuit of knowledge has had a negative impact on student learning and behavior.
In many educational institutions, there is a persistent hostility towards children who are distinguished by good behavior and show diligence in their studies. And from year to year, older and stronger guys impose on the younger and weaker guys a stereotype about the inadmissibility of being a “nerd.” As a result, some capable children are embarrassed and even afraid to study well and, in order to please social pressure, abandon their studies and try to be equal to more hooligan-like children and display unjustifiably irresponsible behavior that is unusual for themselves. To prove that they are not “nerds,” children can sometimes show rudeness and cruelty towards weaker ones and disrespect for teachers and excellent students.
Imagine that at the scale of a provincial city, hundreds of potential excellent students are relegated to the category of C students, then at the scale of the entire country, in a few years there might be no photographs of hundreds of thousands and even millions of capable and developed young people and girls on the honor board. This is a very big intellectual loss for the country. We now understand how dangerous negative stereotypes can be and what their impact on social life is.
How to raise the prestige of nerds
To overcome stereotype-based bias towards learning and those who study well, it is important to popularise knowledge and the prestige of education.
Religion can make a very large contribution to the formation of the desire for knowledge in the younger generation. The Holy Scriptures and the sayings of the prophets explain the value and significance of education and call for emergence from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge. Knowledge is the soul and support of religion.
This issue, of course, requires an integrated approach, where parents, teachers, authorities and civil society institutions generally are interested in improving the level of education and culture of young people.
In religious educational institutions, students are first explained the importance of knowledge, its value and the need for a sincere and serious approach to the learning process. The first books on religious subjects - usually in the first paragraph and preface - speak of what should be the intention of those striving for knowledge and of the high position before Allah of those who sincerely approach their studies.
It is important to have conversations with children at the very beginning of the educational process and to convey to their consciousness the greatness of science and scientific knowledge as a socio-cultural process, to talk about the prospects that open up for educated and enlightened people in the context of the historical development of society. Raising the prestige of education is directly related to the future we are preparing for our children and future generations.
Science is a special form of knowledge and spiritual production, and it is high time to overcome the stereotype regarding “nerds”, as expressed in a derogatory attitude towards science, especially considering the original and real meaning of this word, which denotes scientists who study the flora (plant world) of the Earth.
