Daily when i open the newspaper in the morning, Asmita, my daughter - a class 8th student, is preparing to go to school. Astitva, his younger brother and a student of class 3rd, is also following suit. I find them busy arranging their books and notebooks while packing their schoolbags. Normally they refer their homework diary to check whether they have not missed out anything. They also check their daily school schedule to ensure they are carrying the right set of books for the day. When Astitva finds me observing him, he usually throws some question. These questions are rather very casual ones such as,
"Did you also have to carry such a heavy bag when you were my age?" or
" Will i also carry such a small bag when i will be your age?" or sometimes
"I am really annoyed at this rigorous schedule!" or even
"In my scheme of things, schools would be much different!"
When i find myself unwilling or sometimes unprepared to reply to these questions, i push myself in the headlines. For the last so many days, more often than not, i find some musings by our honourable HRD minister about his innovative and striking ideas about 'just going to happen' change in our education system. To every action, there is a reaction - equally forceful. I also find some opinions by status quoists. They mostly happen to be senior teachers or some parents or some bureaucrats or some 'swantah sukhay' letter writers.
People are really busy thinking about education. Everybody is contributing to this intellectual noise. All of us are, in some way or the other, responsible for this ideational pollution. AICTE must go! - says some educational revolutionary. Long live AICTE! - says some beneficiary of the the present system. We must have uniform syllabus!-says some reformist. No need to meddle with the system that has produced some of the best brains(!) of the world! - says someone.
The noise confuses me. I just listened my child say something about education. I want to find that in the newspaper. No, it's not there. "Did you say something about education system, my son?" He doesn't reply. But, my wife rebukes me. The kids have already left for the school.
Isn't the newspaper or the media at large missing their frank, off the cuff remarks? Or we have chosen to be selectively deaf?
The real question is, "who will decide the future of educational controllers such as AICTE?". Shouldn't we listen to the technical and professional students or even better, the potential recruiters?
8 comments:
U r absolutely right sir.actually we have chosen to be dumb who neither raise our voice nor let others raise their voice as well .....Today's education system is full of lessons with no practical knowledge which have to be crammed up by the children and vomit out in the exams .Those 10 kgs bags(no place for tiffins),exhausted young brains and others saying'look,he studies in the best school of the town!He will make our country proud!WHAT A SHAME!
Thank you, Priya! The basic puzzle is that nobody seems to bother about the views of the real users or beneficiaries of the system. This has got to change. And believe me, not ours, it's your generation that is going to achieve this feat. Everything other than quality of education is a noise. And students will stand up against all this noise.
Dear sir.In my opinion the Indian educational system is in a dilapidated state. It is more compulsive and less engaging. Also it is result oriented and not learning or process oriented.The focus is on rote learning and answering well in the exams, rather than understanding the topic and enjoying..in a nutshell the system is OUTDATED....
so who will change it?? OF COURSE OUR GENERATION!Yes we can change it if the government plays a vital part in it. They should implement strong laws of practical teaching rather than mugging up the things. This is what i think about it.
Thank you, Amit! Just one observation. Should we depend on government or law to change the way we learn? The bigger question is - do we want to keep learning in public sector or private sector? In my opinion it should be in private domain. I would like to decide what my child should learn till the time he starts taking this decision himself. And I would fight every war to avoid a group of politicians deciding this!
Thank you, Amit! Just one observation. Should we depend on government or law to change the way we learn? The bigger question is - do we want to keep learning in public sector or private sector? In my opinion it should be in private domain. I would like to decide what my child should learn till the time he starts taking this decision himself. And I would fight every war to avoid a group of politicians deciding this!
Hello Sir,
Very truly said by you that we shouldn't depend or wait the government. Ultimate goal of any education is value addition and intellectual development of students so that they can start thinking and can take decision for themselves.
What happens that after completion of formal education when a student enters in Practical Complicated Life, it seems like a "Hanumana Jump!"
At one stage of our life our work speaks itself.... then degree/diploma etc. doesn't matter.
Dear Sir,
I believe permanent solution has to be come of this issue and it has to be come only through the formal channel of Govt. But for that everybody has to raise his/her voice against the repercussion of the current education system prevailing in India. If it will happen than we can get the solution a bit earlier unless our Govt will keep on sleeping.
Hello,
sir,this is shubhi & as im refering through your blog this is a very serious point to be ponder over but for change to be made on this point i think before taking any step towards it we were in a great need to change ourselves in educaional front.
thank u!!!!!!!
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