School admissions.....exams....entrances.....Academics in the air in the spring of the year. Set me thinking about what we think about education, not merely academics.
Educating young minds is serious business. It influences their world view, their ability to carry themselves in the face of challenges they encounter & are likely to encounter, as also their interaction with the world at large. Education helps mold beliefs & habits, imparts skills, knowledge and builds personalities.
Merely transmitting knowledge from a teacher to a pupil is not enough in this day and age. As a matter of fact, it never was. But, in some age and time, maybe it sufficed. But, the need of the hour though, is to impart knowledge which can be applied in life. Not merely facts & figures, but life skills too. To be able to live well, one needs to understand that there is no one right answer for anything – there could be many and one should be able to reach the right answers that there are and use the best applicable. Who but the teacher can help here.
Education needs to arm students with the ability & skills to analyze the complexities in various issues and arrive at the best possible solution. They should understand that there are no blacks and whites to everything, solutions can be multi-hued and with careful & introspective analysis, arrive at the best solution.
Sounds complex… maybe yes. But, impossible, no way!!
Students require the skill sets for developing, among others :
- · Ability to understand & handle technology
- · Analytical skills
- · Communication skills
- · Aptitude & ability to collaborate in teams
- · Ability to design, collect & analyze information
- · Repertoire of factual knowledge
They need to be educated to empower their young minds to face, head-on, the world they are growing up in and better it.
The education system requires to imbibe more of applied knowledge in the curriculum, with factual information serving as a conduit. Much like the education for the warriors of olden times, wherein they studied the art of war along with the required scriptures. For this, the educators need to pay attentive heed to implementing a strong education system to develop young minds.
Along with a strong curriculum, the teachers need to be trained to imbibe & teach applied knowledge. Unless teachers understand the importance of ‘21st century education’ and can impart it with necessary skills & expertise, the premise will fall like a house of cards. And yes, their skills & knowledge have to be enhanced from time to time. The effort has to be concerted with educators, administrators, students and parents all working towards the desired goal.
And, most importantly, the education system should be examined periodically at all levels, to meet the challenges of each time zone.
Makes sense? Immensely, if you ask me. Education is the basis of human living and a humane way of life. It deservedly should get its due share of attention from all of us. With all seriousness, always ....
Wat say?
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