The most significant way in which man differs from animals is in the use of written
symbols. Alphabets can, therefore, be considered the most momentous invention in the ascent of man. The use of words enables man to master time by preserving for the posterity the best that is seen, experienced or done. Human knowledge refined by successive generations has upgraded technology which has altered the very essence of life. The man reclining on his bed in his luxurious apartment watching a live telecast ofolympic games being played thousands of kilometres away from his home is indeed a far cry from the man
who had to hunt for a game from dawn to dusk to keep his body and soul together and tokeep the fire ablaze throughout the night to save himself from the fury of the wild animals. The birth of the civilisation was conceived in the making of the alphabet. The knowledge of the alphabet is the first step in the education ofman and is central to the whole concept of elementary education. But for the human ingenuity of coining and using words, the knowledge of one generation would have died with it and had not been available to the coming generation.
While words empower man to express his feelings and ideas, theknowledge of numbers is essential for him to take stock of things and possessions he comes across and utilises in his struggle for existence. There is an inextricable link between education and progress. South Korea and Afghanistan provide glaring instances of progressive prosperity and decline through education and lack of education respectively. While educational advancement has brought about progressive prosperity of South Korea, lack of education has substantially contributed to the deterioration in socio-economic conditions in
Afghanistan. Korea achieved universal primary education by 1960. That is why it could achieve sustained economic growth for decades. India's progress has faltered because we have not been able to remove illiteracy even after 50 years of independence.
Some thinkers may find fault with the imperialistic designs of the United States, but nobody can deny that it is the excellence of Amer-ican Universities and institutions Of research which are attracting the best brains to her shores from all parts of the
