THE NEED TO RE-STRUCTURE THE INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM!

As the daughter of an educationist, I find it hard to believe that the Education system that we follow today is hardly making the impact that it should. In fact when I talk to my dad, I realise that a lot of what is being taught in the colleges, he studied in school.

So, are the students today slower than the earlier generations or is it something more? Why are we, the largest democracy of the world in need of re-vamping the system? Why do we face a brain drain in our country?

Mrs.Ellen.G.White in her book Counsels to Teachers has written, “It is when the intellectual and spiritual power are combined that the highest standard of manhood is attained.

The aim of every educational institution is to re-in force a child’s skills, sharpen his mind and boost the student’s morale. However, education today has lost its meaning. It is now confined to late night projects, tiresome assignments.

History teaches us that in the past students stayed with their teacher in what was called a ‘GURUKUL’. Here a student developed a love for learning, picked up good activity and academic skills and learned the dignity of labour, thus making him an all-rounder.

Today most people are qualified, not educated because knowledge is not measured in terms of marks on the mark sheets at the end of the year, it is the understanding that we earn for a lifetime that matters as it is rightly said Experience is the Mother of wisdom.

Most people blame the poor qualification of the higher ups at the State level for ruining the system. But, that isn't the whole truth because when Ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair appointed Mr. Alan Johnson a school drop out as the higher education minister he fulfilled his task with a lot of efforts. Why then is it so difficult for us to have a refined education system especially when we have some of the finest Teachers and Educationists? What is the Missing Link?

Lord Byron remarked, “Nothing is so difficult as the beginning!” It is thus necessary to address the root cause of this issue. Any educational system comprises of 3 essential components:

1. Students without whom the need for teaching would not have arisen

2. Teachers who are the our guiding light on the path of knowledge

.3 Parents without whose support and encouragement a child’s growth is stunted.

As students ourselves have we ever stopped to think why today most of us are buried in books while others are indulged in sports and extra-curricular activities? Why are we unable to procure a balance between the two?

One of the reasons for a student’s lack of interest may lie in the overuse of assignments. Assignments aim at cultivating creative writing and thinking because what matters is the process of thinking and not just getting the right answers. Hence care must be taken that assignments must be given to a certain limit. Textbooks also must aim at giving an insight into a particular topic so it becomes easy for child to focus on the subject.

Apart from the flaws in the technicalities of the learning process, we must not forget that ‘The hand that rocks the Cradle rules the world’, so Parental involvement is crucial in the development of a child and teachers must not be expected to fulfill this duty. At the same time it is not to be forgotten that teachers who are blessed with a pleasant well balanced disposition will prove a great benefit to the students. If teachers aim at simplicity and effectiveness the explanations would be far more plain and clear. It is necessary to inculcate in the students a need to learn to search for knowledge, rather than spoon- feed them with ready notes and guides.

If we really wish to see our youth educated and knowledgeable intellects, the need of the hour is to make the students to love their books rather than detest them! For this, rote learning must be actively discouraged.

Last, but definitely not the least we cannot undermine the fact that students too must contribute to the system by active participation not only in the classroom but debating activities, extra-curricular and cultural activities!

If these simple steps are followed by each institute, we can hope to host an institute better than an 'Oxford' in our country in the near future!