The unemployment rate in the country in FY18 was at 5.3% in rural India and 7.8% in urban India, resulting in an overall unemployment rate of 6.1%. (National Sample Survey Office)
A total of 48, 31,515 cognizable crimes were reported in 2016, showing an increase of 2.6% over 2015. (National Crime Record Bureau)
India is the most depressed country in the world followed by China and the USA. (World Health Organization)
These reports are stating the obvious, which most of us have experienced in our own lives; be it un-employability or the sad state of mental wellbeing, the present Indian education system has time and again forced us to question their ways of teaching.
Education for some is a ‘means’ and for others, an ‘end’ in itself; but, most would agree that it is ‘both’. The aim of education is the physical, social, moral, spiritual and economic development of beings, so that they can serve society and also achieve their true potential, personally. But, we have physically weak people suffering from diseases, social clashes are on the rise, we have social misfits too, we have a huge number of unemployable people, we have people suffering from mental issues, our crime rates are on the rise; so clearly, the question is whether our education system is on the right track or not?
In a welfare state like India, the onus for development and wellbeing of people lies on the government. Revisiting history, we inherited the structure of our modern education system from the Britishers, in the colonial era. But looking back at it, from Macaulay’s Minutes (1835) to Kothari commission (1964) to National Education Policies to Sarva Siksha Abhiyan to Right to Education, we have fairly progressed in terms of our education system, the changes made and teaching methods employed, literacy rates have increased (75% in 2019).
But in reality, our education system has mostly been a dissatisfying experience for most of us. We see no point in rote learning when you can carry a 6-inch encyclopedia in your pocket, which not only gives you information but connects you to the world. We find it lame to study so much about mathematics and have no financial literacy at all. You cannot learn resilience by reading a book or listening to a lecture. We find competitions too individualistic in nature; when we know that life exists on collaboration, our work exists on collaboration, and our survival exists on collaboration.
There was a joke to describe the situation of the Indian Education System –
A student is sitting idly in class while others are furiously jotting down the professor’s words.
Professor: why are you not taking notes??
Student: I already have it from my grandfather.
So, who is to blame? Are the children not capable, or the whole system is to blame? Are we not modifying our teaching system according to the needs of the time, or do we lack resources?
In response to the dissatisfying experience with our traditional modes of teaching and schooling system, since 1970, a number of people have set up alternative schools in various parts of the country and have tried to change mainstream education by introducing radically different methods within existing schools. Jiddu Krishnamurti School (AP), Waldorf Education School (Delhi), Anand Niketan (Wardha), Trdiha (Mumbai) are some of the famous Alternative schools in India. They aim at developing the ‘whole’ human being, rather than just one dimension. They focus on local and social relevance, ecological awareness, arts and crafts, life skill and accessibility to children with diverse needs. Experiential learning and creative skills are nurtured, and an attempt is made to attend to each child’s unique needs and abilities.
Many pedagogical experts argue that schools should switch to teaching the four C’s of the 21st century – critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. Much of what kids learn today will likely be irrelevant by 2050. In order to keep up with the world of 2050, we will have to reinvent ourselves again and again, which our traditional education system is not preparing us for. It’s quite evident that our education system is progressing arithmetically, whereas society is changing exponentially. So, this gap needs to be filled out, and Alternative schools are a step in the right direction.
One such Alternative School is The Last School in Auroville, where the education system avoids too much specialization, to allow the students to develop their skills more integrally in order to keep with the changing world. So, what’s their pedagogy? It’s interesting... Jean- Yves Lung, who teaches French, History, and Sanskrit here, elaborated: Let’s say some students are to be taught about environment, so they will be taken out into a garden, where the teacher will teach them how a tree is planted, its significance, tools used during planting, and other related historical, social, cultural, economical, and scientific aspects concerning environment, related to their day to day life, through one activity.
Providing 10 minutes of knowledge on a subject with a PowerPoint presentation and then having 15 minutes of sport. Dance, music, storytelling, games, group-based activities, etc. are some other ways in which teaching is imparted in Alternative schools.
As the stagnant water becomes dirty in comparison to the flowing water; systems of education evolve when alternatives to the mainstream are absorbed by it. When this does not happen and the mainstream resists the assimilation of new ideas, the system ossifies.
Saying that traditional and modern teaching methods are both effective and useful in today’s education. Sarah Wright, who blogs for TES, explains, “As with most things, it’s all about balance. We need to understand when a traditional method works best and when it’s right to try new and innovative approaches.”
With the alternative options available; the choice is always yours, whether to drink the nectar of knowledge from the stagnant water or to have it from the flowing one.
