Read, understand, assimilate information and finally try to express oneself accurately according to the required standards. This is how we function in the current educational system. The educational system in India depends heavily on books, syllabi, written examinations and rote learning.
I am often overwhelmed with questions that teem my senses, questions that have no ready answers, like, is this system of education going to help our youth in the long run? What do these central boards of education churn out year after year? Why do we need to learn by rote? The questions never seem to end…..
India, my country ,boasting of close to 1.12 billion people is young at heart. Not because she’s just 62. It’s because more than 40% of her total population is in their youth. And how many young people get a chance to go to school, college and earn a degree? I wondered.
A quick search on the net told me that when the Indian Government launched the campaign, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, for universal education in 2001, there were still at least 32 million children out of the schools, according to the education authorities.That figure had gone down to seven million in 2007, although new data from the family welfare ministry puts the number at higher.
Our country is young,but hopelessly ignorant. Youth, to me , means energy. Youth is workforce. My India, a land renowned world-wide for its ageless wisdom, the Vedas, enlightened gurus…………..must the youth of this very India lie trapped in the bindings of books, question-papers, examinations et al?
When will my people learn to open their eyes and see beyond their books? The world beckons with its myriad lessons. Life scatters her own experiences to learn from. And what’s more, today, you do not need a teacher , a classroom or a blackboard to learn a lesson.
Technology has opened the doors to a new world to all those who cannot learn the usual way. E-learning does not tie you down to a class, a period or even a certain academic year. You can learn at your own pace and choose your lesson.
Tell me, has man been blessed with a greater boon than this?
We need to realise that there is a more vibrant and rewarding world beyond our books . Where marks and scores do not decide your fate. Where skills are all you need to succeed.
learning2learn 