My veiws about Education

Few years back one lazy Sunday I, my husband and my son were just lying down. The fan was ON and suddenly my son says mama, have you noticed that the fan rotates in one direction, I said yes dear and immediately he said, that’s how it is in all rooms and in each house the fan rotates in one direction. That made me think for a moment and what I liked the most is the small yet important observation, a kid of 4 year old kid can have. It’s curiosity, inquisitiveness and the reason to know ‘the why of things’ that was inspiring in this case.

But to my surprise his question was Why is it so? Then both I and my hubby jumped out of the bed and started to look for a reply in the online treasure trove, Google and then explain him. He heard the full explanation and replied back to us say, what both of you are engineers and you don’t know how a fan works…..Boom Boom….This was sort of an eye opener to both of us, rather than a comment of embarrassment. In my heart, I also felt that, the comment my kid made is absolutely true. I am very sure that you and I have studied how a motor works in Standard 8^th or 9^th  .But how many of us have implemented those basics in practical.

Can we fix the punctured tyre of a car, incase the car breaks down suddenly on a road. Do we know why we get froth in a cup of coffee that we had in Coffee Day last weekend. Do we know why it is safe to board flight even when it is pouring cats and dogs and all of us are stuck in Bangalore traffic, staring at the night sky?  Do we know why cows like to chew over things together?

Well well well, I can see the blink and the twinkle in your eyes. For few cases, yes we know the answers and for few cases we do not have a concrete reply.

Today I would like to share few of my views on education and the way that is structured in India. I passionately feel that education should be skill based, with lots of practical applications of the knowledge that is imparted to us, rather than being based on rote learning.

We all know from personal experience that different people have different attributes. Some people are great at remembering facts and figures. Some are artists, craftsmen or performers. Some people are philosophers or scientists capable for innovative, abstract and technical thinking. Whatever our skill set, we often classify ourselves as being ‘intellectual’ or ‘practical’ but there’s actually a lot of intersection. Sometimes we fit into this definition and sometimes we fail to groove into this definition.

In today’s world with so many skills and career options available, why limit ourselves and our children to a single track education system? We can’t cover every subject at school but we can split the curriculum to deliver a perfect blend of knowledge based and skill based education. Combining our learning methods in this way can have many benefits.

Providing an even mix of knowledge and skills based learning means that every child should discover what they are good at as well as what they are not so good at. This provides a level playing field, making life fairer for students who currently have their skills and talents unrecognized.

Skills-based education should be used as an opportunity to put learning into practice. To me a scientific theorem without a practical demonstration is more like an ice cream without the chocolate sauce doused on it. Just as the chocolate sauce enhances the flavor and makes the experience of eating the ice-cream fulfilling, in the same manner the practical application of our leanings, makes the theorems settle down in our minds for ever. Learning becomes a gratifying, involving and exciting task rather than a dreadful exercise. 

This enforces the knowledge learned from the previous lesson, engages the students in what they are doing and gives them the chance to practice their skills by conducting experiments. By showing children how their knowledge can be applied using practical skills we can make learning more relevant to their lives and more fun.

It’s natural for children to have different interests and areas of expertise. We need to recognize that the practical skills are as important as knowledge they attain, in helping them fulfill their potential and find flourishing careers. Nothing in this world can take the place of curiosity. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with curiosity and persistence to know the ‘Why’ and ‘How’ of things. Bookish education will not and I feel that the world is full of educated derelicts. Curiosity, persistence and determination alone are omnipotent and an education system that nurtures this philosophy of learning in India can produce the next generation Bills Gates, Steve Jobs or even a Larry Page, right here in India.

With knowledge comes purpose; with curiosity comes the ability to achieve that purpose. I want to conclude with a powerful quote from Albert Einstein who said: It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.