Time is changing and accordingly the time tested methods of education ought to have been changed long back. However our kids are being taught outdated syllabus and we are lagging 20 years behind on the educational front. Having an old school of thought even parents, guardians and care takers are not able to function as a guiding force and thereby balancing act could not be completed in a planned way and the youngsters are facing pressure throughout their school days. Education is a social-humanistic process, entirely dependent on relationships of people involved in the process – the teacher and the student. Early childhood years are critical for learning, growth and development of the child. Sociological factors have significant impact on education; socio-economic background of the children is a very important influencer of learning. Students should stop rote learning and education must be imparted in such a manner that allows them to think, explore and learn. More emphasis must be given on practical exposure instead of gaining knowledge from books.
The entrance test is yet another hurdle students have to overcome for obtaining high marks to be part of contention for professional courses. Thus the students lack both social and creative skills and become more or less book worms to get into IIT level of education. Hurting the students’ feelings and thereby losing a professional approach having both the creative and social skills they have become more or less monotonous and the practical knowledge is not imparted at any level of education. Very less research and innovation is happening in India and we are blindly emulating the technological solutions offered by foreign countries.
It is time to have a balancing act and the Education Ministry and the IIT Bombay must impart training to students in vocational studies. More emphasis must be laid on providing practical knowledge to students. This step will give them self-confidence to acquire special social skills and that is the part of the present day curriculum at every level and that will boost their morale when they go overseas for pursuing higher education.
The purpose of education is to raise us to become better human beings who build sustainable societies and civilisations that are respected over a period of time. Education must elevate us in ways we would not even have been able to see before. We need it to create aspirations for us at the very least, and grow us as individuals and people. Let us overhaul our education system and provide better future to the Indian students.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
