What Are We Learning in Schools Today?

by Kanaka Pednekar

Grade 10

While the contemporary man busies himself envisioning the future and in upholding his responsibilities, this is what the country makers of tomorrow have got on their plates, memorizing the standard format for essays and research papers. You don't need to walk a mile in their shoes to realize how tiring and irrational it can be.

We tend to forget that language is meant to adapt to our needs not the other way round. If the meaning is accessible to the reader, then congrats, language served its primary purpose. But that is not the case today with so many linguistics constraints imposed on a student who is just looking to express their thoughts.

This is, but one example of many wherein our current standard of education has failed us as individuals.

There are set rules and codes of conduct in all spheres of our life. Be it in our workspace or in our domestic interactions. They can range through various levels of simplicity. For example, not burning the midnight oil on weekdays as kids, or some politically questionable ones like women having to mandatorily wear heels in the office as a part of their formal attire.

Yet bringing the policies of the academic setting to the forefront, some of the policies which are now severely out of date and demand a thorough reexamination and revision, becomes vital in this day and age of innovation.

Today, information is just one click away. It's no rocket science then, to realize the fact that the rote based learning that is rampant internationally is of little to no actual use to our students. While political, financial, social and professional illiteracy exists, the main focus of most of the educational institutions remain on academics. "Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. " [Einstein, Albert (1936)].

This was never the intention of education, if now it even is worthy to be deemed as such. A purpose of education is to advance social mobility, rather than perpetuate the status quo [Aims of Education - Oregon State University (1999)]. In brief, education should be helping us become aware individuals, ones who can be independent and not influenced by others, in order to move up in the social strata and to diminish the existing inequalities amongst social affairs.

An apt example to portray the inefficiency and conversion of education today would be of the revered and ancient Nalanda University of the 5th Century. One of our former Presidents, Mr. Mukherjee, said that the ancient Nalanda was known for the high level of debate and discussion it nurtured. It was not a mere geographical expression but it reflected an idea and a culture. Nalanda conveyed the message of friendship, cooperation, debate, discussion and argument. Discussion and debate are part of our ethos and life [Courtesy : PIB]. Some of the most famous alumni of Nalanda University were Aryabhata, Nagarjuna, Shilabhadra, Xuanzang, and Yijing (the latter two were Chinese Buddhist travelers).

Upon its ruin, the University resurrected in Bihar today has let down the sentiments of admiration it once harbored. In 2017, at least half a dozen students quit Nalanda University in Bihar, abandoning their studies midway; a majority of the reason was that both curriculum and culture had changed drastically [Choudhary, Shreya (October 2017)]. Bihar, by itself, is bringing the rear. Its literacy rate (61.8%) is the country’s lowest; and the female literacy rate (51.5%) is second lowest, according to Census 2011.

It's not just one University or State but the system as a whole that is in ruins. The current form of education system is not adept at accepting that different children have different needs and have formed a standardized path which it reckons will lead to success. All it has achieved in all these years is the suppression of a child's individuality.

In India itself, the once prevailing Gurukul system which taught its students the true way of living, has long been replaced with factorial institutions, manufacturing workers not leaders, leading bright and potential carrying children of six to having no individualness whatsoever by their twenties. Few foreign countries have had copied and improvised on India's ancient teaching method of Gurukul and, as a result of which, they are more developed in their thinking. There's large scale migration and brain drain is also a related phenomenon here.

To expand more on the Gurukul system of teaching, it was a style of teaching where the students lived with their teachers and learnt important life lessons throughout their stay. It helped build character and discipline among the students. The education was completed when the Guru said so and the end product was a Guru itself.

Then the Finland's adaptive teaching for the 21st century has been proven to be fruitful too. The students and teachers there are unburdened and actually spend time on vocational and other points of focus which are required to rear self sufficient individuals.

The education system we have is right. Sorry, it was right. Majority of the practices still prevalent in schools across the globe today, from the graded tests to the school bell ringing, indicating the end of the class, were formed in the industrial age. They were the need of the hour then, but not anymore. Still, the practices continue as education is no more for the welfare of the country's future, it's a business. So even though there were pre-existing aware masses, and yes, they have always been, not much could be done when facing off against capitalism.

But it won't be the case for long. From tackling misogynistic ideas, racist beliefs, climate change, a pandemic and everything in between, the current generation has continually waged war against all that threatens peace, equality and individuality. Time itself has shaped them to desire for a better world, to desire for change. By not hesitating to question the elephant in the room we have blown the world away with our revolutionized thinking. There had always been light at the end of the tunnel, and we are just now reaching it.

It is a late start, but it's a start nonetheless.