Look at the irony of the Indian educations system! We study concepts but we seldom apply them to real-life. Don’t believe me?!? Think about this – we all have studied Economics in school but our sole purpose was to mug up the concepts and parrot it in order to get the most marks. That is the grim reality that has besieged Indian education today! Something that we desperately need to change. And that takes me back to economics and the basic concept we all were introduced to in school – “demand and supply”!
That is to say that unless we demand something, no one will bother supplying it. Which is why, it is extremely important that the youth become more vocal in terms of the education system that is delivered to them. Of course, the reality is quite different. We have all invariably become the silent consumers of the education system that is being delivered to us. We accept it without question, without reason, without criticism!
We study a curriculum that has been forced upon us by individuals, who actually have a vested interest in what we are taught. Time and again, controversies erupt as one political party changes the narrative that is being taught to the students. And what do we, the students do?!? Well, nothing! We simply go back to class, mug up the changed concepts and hope to sail through the subject. Critical reasoning is at best absent and at worst, discouraged.
Then again, why wouldn’t it be?!? Critical reasoning makes a human being think. And when they think, they reason. And when they reason, they question. Back in the day, it was the Britishers who did not want their colonial subjects to “question”. Of course, today it’s the politicians! But are we going to continue to live like this. Are we not going to demand quality? Are we not going to demand a better service?
Even when we buy inane things for ourselves, we pay attention to the quality, we read the labels. Why are we not demanding the same when it comes to the product called ‘education’?
For starters, we have sub-par teachers teaching in both schools and colleges. Why can we not have a country-wide examination, just as the civil services, to determine their intake. This of course, will deter those housewives too who simply teach at schools to wile away their time.
Of course, selecting the best or the most suitable teachers is not enough, it is important to keep investing in them. Our teachers need both time and resource to improve their craft. They need resources and funds to undertake research. In addition, they need a decent salary so that they don’t feel the need to earn money on the sides and can devote their 100 percent time to skill-development and capacity-building.
Not to mention, our pedagogy itself is outdated. We are still relying on the lecture method, without looking at the best-practices across the world. We need to innovate and strengthen our education delivery system, so that the students feel engaged. In addition, it will deter rote learning and make students move towards active learning.
Of course, these three points are only to begin with. There are multiple problems plaguing the system right now. But the biggest problem of them all, is that we have a youth that is not demanding excellence from the very people who demand excellence of them! And that needs to change!
I think time is to adopt a new way of education through online mode…and make people realize that pedagogy is not enough and self learning habits give more batter outcome. In our country teachers are joining teaching as profession for government job purpose but not for there interest in that field…that reflect in there teaching habit and they try to avoid extracting out student quarries…I have evolved myself by my own…and finally I realized that my character changed because of hunger of knowledge as passion… teacher duty is to understand student quality… because God everyone unique and specific for his interests.thank you.my views.
nice blog , as Nikhil Nanda is also philanthropist in india who believes that the Hindu youth should be the symbol of devotion and nationalism .And main aim to bind the indian youth leaders in a common thread as the minds from all over the world and address the problems faced by the community and find solutions to grow together and stay together .
I read a lot of blog posts and i never heard of a topic like this. I Love this topic you made, really amazing.