WHAT TO TEACH ?

 

We are inherited by a British -driven education system Lord Macaulay introduced more than 180 years  ago. The basic purpose of  such education is to groom clerks for his erstwhile East India Company. Those Victorian times had gone, but we are still languishing with rote learning as a dominant factor.

 The current education you can say, is simply examination-oriented. Students' aim is how to score high marks than how better understand the subjects taught. The guiding light of student -
teacher is locked up in mediocrity. Majority of teachers do their teaching jobs as a routine  with no creativity. They don't read beyond the subjects they teach. The fate of our  educational system is better explained by technocrat and former chairman of Knowledge Commission Sam Pitroda. He says that our teachers do not do research and our researchers don't teach.

People in different walks of life have varied backgrounds with  individual strengths/ experiences.  If they are  channelized and create a platform , they could brilliantly give gripping lessons   to students of advanced learning say for 11th, 12th and graduation and post-graduation levels.

 We need to create a structure immediately where such liberal minds get a chance to teach/share their ideas/experience with students across streams - Humanities & Sciences. An online databank of such volunteers who wish to teach students with subject, date and time and location would give new fillip to institutions which must act to allot those slots to schools nearby in a time-bound action plan. This way the students are exposed to real world with latest inputs received directly from concerned domain experts in the society. 

 

When those good times come, I register myself to teach to students/like minded. Dr. Kalam with his post-retirement life has ignited me enough by teaching children/students across the world. I continue to draw my inspiration from this towering personality. His books always lift me to unimaginable heights. 

 

When it comes to education reforms, I feel that  science must be kept compulsory. It must be an added subject to Humanities at  +1 and graduation level so that children improve their learning curve. When subject books are devised, stress should be laid to write in an interesting tone to ignite students. I am telling these words after reading a couple of lessons of my class 11  Geography book of my daughter. It is time to write less technical jargon and more in an understandable way.

 

When it comes to teaching, we have to strike a balance between  teacher and taught (student). Both their egos should not clash in giving and taking process. The very process of teaching is explained by Galileo in these immortal words : You can't teach a man anything; you can only help him/her to find it within himself/ herself. Poet Alexander Pope further refined it : Men must be taught as if you taught them not, and things unknown proposed as things forgot. 

 

If the teacher follows the Galileo and Alexander Pope principle, teaching would turn into play and fun and a close bond between a teacher and pupil would give education a creative thrust.  It travels beyond school subjects. Then teacher like a friend instantly connects with  student and this alchemy creates an unexpected wonders in their lives. 

 

I love to switch over to teaching profession as soon as  an opportune moment comes.  I have devised my own methods and procedures on knowledge front. May be it is not having a governmental vetting.   If I don't get an opportunity then I would love to settle as librarian so that I get adequate time to read  and derive maximum benefit from the books I love.

 

Sharing of knowledge is  synonymous with  teaching. This should be a new mantra to bring radical change in education sector.  When blogs grow into  knowledge hubs, it gives a different sort of education across age groups.   

 

I am waiting for a day when volunteers come liberally to teach students without expecting anything and students derive full benefit from the lessons being  taught. This task is  simply not  left to government hands. Civil society, corporates and NGOs must plunge into action to strengthen our education system to bring back the glory of Indian Education System. 

 

When education happens in this atmosphere, the students blossom and choose their careers. When they choose their careers, they do wonders in their lives. Parents must only play supportive role as  guardians and facilitators so that the child's creativity is allowed to flourish. This is what education in true sense with no time limit set for learning and it should continue till last breath.

What is  education is better described by  SwamiVivekananda: Education is manifestation of perfection already man !


Let these noble ideas are translated into noble deeds !

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