Dr (Mrs) Vishiesh Verma
The Chalk board was introduced in the US education system in 1801 and the lyrics of Twinkle, Twinkle little star date back to 1806. The education system we have today has its origins in the mid-19th century. Quite a cataclysmic change has engulfed the schools of late. A school has now come to mean a spectrum of houses- from a ramshackle building with cheap furniture to multi-storeyed magnificent structures, with well-furnished air-conditioned classrooms and school buses. Such schools cater to the privileged section of society. Between the two extremes we find quite an assortment- there are varieties : literacy centres, information drilling shops, money making business ventures, a host of them preparing students for schooling for scoring high marks in public examinations and of course, quite a few good schools which offer a variety of co-curricular activities and sports facilities. Very few among the thousands of schools would be real “temples of learning”. There is really a boom in the expansion of schools for 330 million students below 15 yrs of age. Management has to keep in view 19th century mindset, 20th century processes and 21st century needs.
Today, school have become a business and centre of power. The cost of education is increasing every year parallel with inflation. The parents’ annual income on an average has risen 40 percent over the last six years but on the other hand cost of education has increased by 200 percent over the same period. The Parents are crazy about getting their children admitted to the few so called good schools, mainly because of their status symbol. Because of this, there is too much pressure on a few selected schools in every city. Every kind of influence is used to get their children admitted to these special schools. Hefty donations are paid. There is key finding in a recent study that even top schools in major cities in India suffer from the entrenched tendency to impart rote learning. It may have some shock value to those who believe that private expensive educational institutions place greater emphasis on quality and holistic education. Bitter truth is schools in our country are, by and large, quite a from seeing education as a process of learning with understanding, acquiring knowledge through self discovery; rather, education remains a mere transmission of information in a rigid classroom atmosphere where emphasis is on memorization and the objective is to rush through pre-determined syllabus and prepare children for examination.
The introduction of teaching technology in these expensive schools has helped them to get their status raised. They provide smart classrooms fitted with white boards on which content can be saved, stored and viewed on line. Class work and homework assignments are emailed to students. Graphic calculators and Microsoft spreadsheets are made available. To make teaching interactive video conferencing is arranged. The drawbacks of using such technology in schools are also being pointed out: students do not take notes, nor intensive interest is shown towards class work. Writing skill and proficiency in language is ignored by the students. Delhi Public School Society provides special writing classes for students before examinations. Traditional forms of learning skills are ignored. The Students can’t make small calculations without calculators. Since students have plenty of time available they are prone to cyber crime. They spend more and more time in isolation watching TV and playing computer games. As a consequence there is a sense of hollowness which a large number of students find today in school life. They feel nobody cares for them. Learning game is essentially a marks examination game and the success game is essentially a game which is being played to eliminate a lot of people from the race. Thus students do not associate purposive and integrity to education. It is important that we recognise the learner as a ‘resource’ and not just a recipient of information so that we do not annul the process of creativity and critical consciousness that play an important role in giving meaning to human relationships and consequently, to education itself.
Our former President APJAbdul Kalam pointed out, “It is not fancy buildings or world class facilities that a school is all about. Instead, it is about exceptional teachers”. Primary education, he feels should be disseminated and promoted in such a manner that there is a synergy between the stake holders-students, teachers and parents. Kalam was speaking at ‘Schoolnomics- 2011’conference on December 19. He further added that good teachers and good education make all the difference. The school in which he studied may not have had a great building, but it had exceptional teachers. “The teachers paid attention to individual growth and made learning not just an informative experience but also a pleasurable experience” he said.
The significance of teaching can be gauged only in terms of emotional and psychological satisfaction. ‘Teaching is regarded as an art, like a piece of music or painting’. It touches heart, brightens the mind and gives pleasure to everybody in the classroom. It has to inspire and motivate the learners to go ahead on the road of exploration and discovery, to open new vistas and to reach new horizons.
In fact up to primary classes the most important and respectable person in child’s life is his teacher. The relationship between the child and teacher has all the sweetness the tenderness. A good teacher uses this sentiment of the child to help him to develop into a bright, daring, sensitive and confident personality thereby sowing the seeds of healthy self image early in life. Evidence shows that students from humble backgrounds but under the supervision of good teachers have excelled in life.
India’s topper of CBSE Class 12 (session 2011-12) Mohammed Ismat secured 99.6% marks had studied in Govt. Primary School Manipur Village. His father is a low waged private primary school teacher supporting family of 6 members. Md. Ismat had studied upto class 5th in Govt Primary School later he was shifted to Sainik School Imphal.
In expensive and status symbol schools, we are carried away with toys of our technology. Their wide spread use is leaving the inner child untouched, undeveloped, often unmotivated and increasingly violent as his undirected and unfocused energies look for some kind of expression. He becomes our juvenile delinquent.
A 10th class student of school in Kathua district, Jammu committed suicide leaving behind a suicide note, alleging his teacher of mental cruelty as the latter, ‘did not let him play cricket and forced to study’. The sources said this teenager wanted to become a cricketer but his class teacher wished him to pursue his academics seriously. The boy could not bear the pressure being exerted on him and decided to end his life (Source: Tribune Sept 12, 2012). What is happening to our teens, they are killing themselves. In 2010, according to a data released by National Crime Bureau, 7379 student suicides were reported. In other words, 20 students killed themselves everyday. (Source: The Times of India Nov 3, 2011) In Delhi alone 133 teen suicides were reported. In fact our school education needs a metaphorsis.
What the Children need most is a reassuring pat by their parents and teachers, a few breaks from routine and greater understanding of their needs. Parents and teachers should try to see things from their point of view. They would certainly do better if they are told with affection that they are really capable to do all the good things in life.
The writer is a former reader Coordinator of University of Jammu.
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