Table of Contents
The history of education system in India has its roots in the ancient ages.
The Gurukul system was followed a system where the students lived with their teacher until the teacher felt that the student has imbibed all the learnings which the teacher has imparted.
The subjects taught varied from Sanskrit to Scriptures to Mathematics to Metaphysics and the knowledge attained by the student would be passed to the future generations.
However, this system changed during the British era when they set up educational institutions that followed a syllabus confined to Mathematics, Science etc.
While the Gurukul system included interaction with nature, the modern system was just classroom oriented.
Benefits of Education are Universal:-
- Healthier Lifestyle:-
People with a good education live longer and have healthier lifestyles.
According to observations, degree holders are less likely to consume tobacco and drugs and more likely to stay fit and to get regular exercise.
- Socializing in local communities and Networking at all levels are the personal benefits of Education.
- Pursuing your Passion.
- An educated person has a greater sense of discipline, is more productive, is a better communicator and critical skills enhanced.
- More employment opportunities is a direct benefit of education system.
- Increase in income and perks are a benefit of education.
- An Educated person also is aware of the importance of a clean and pure environment and will work towards preserving the flora and the fauna and is less likely to pollute mother earth.
- Education reduces crime rate.
- In addition, it also reduces gender based violence, child marriage and maternal deaths.
5 Immediate Changes required in the Educational System:-
- Reservation:-
Do we require reservations in the Educational System:-
- Rote Learning:-
The Government needs to take action in its hands and eradicate rote learning from the education system in India at all levels.
Students should not be expected to mug up the whole syllabus and then vomit it out in a three hour examination.
The focus of education should be active participation and projects done by a student, communication and leadership skills and extra curricular activities.
- Equal importance to all subjects:-
Education System in India lays emphasis on subjects like commerce and science. Whereas, subjects like languages, communications, arts, sports are completely ignored.
- Better training of Educators:-
In the Education System in India, teachers are considered as parents.
Thus the training of the teachers should be such that they are able to create a harmonious and home like atmosphere.
The students can feel the attention and empathy in the classroom, which will then be reflected in their behaviors.
- Personalise Education:-
Some of us have a faster learning pace and some are slow. Education System in India must aim to having an impartial attitude and a fair observation of each and every student
A lot of countries around the world have for a short period closed educational institutions in an attempt to curtail the spread of the Covid-19pandemic.
Approximately, 1.3-1.5 billion students are affected by school and university closures.
These closures across the planet are impacting over 72% of the world’s student population.
School closures carry very high economic and social costs for mankind across communities.
UNESCO studies summarizes the disastrous impact of closure as follows:-
Interrupted Learning:-
Schooling provides basic learning and when schools close, children and youth are deprive of possibilities for growth and development.
Poor Nutrition:-
Many children rely on free and discounted meals provided at school for their healthy nutrition. When schools close, children go hungry.
Confusion and Stress for Teachers:-
When schools close for unknown durations and unexpectedly, teachers are not very sure of their obligations.
How to maintain connections with children and youth to support their learning.
A switch to distance learning platforms for education system tend to be chaotic and frustrating. In many contexts school closures lead to absenteeism by teachers.
Parents are not prepare for distance and home schooling.
When schools close, parents help their children with the work and they can often struggle to perform this task.
This is very true for parents with little education and limited resources.
Gaps in childcare :-
When there are no options, working parents often leave their children alone at home when schools close. This can lead to unsafe behaviours.
Including an upsurge in influence of peer pressure and addiction to alcohol, tobacco and drugs.
High Economic Costs:-
Working parents will also miss work when schools close because they have to take care of their children. This results in wage loss and tends to affect productivity.
Strain on health care systems:-
Healthcare workers with children, during school closures, cannot attend work because they have to look after their children.
This means that many healthcare professionals are not at their workplace when they are most needed.
Rise in dropout cases:-
It is a challenge to bring back the students to school once it reopens after closure.
This is true when economy place pressure on children to work and earn money so the financially weak families can meet their basic requirements.
Increased exposure to violence and exploitation:-
When school shut down, more children resort to violence and gang wars.
They marry very early, sexual exploitation of girls is rampant, teenage pregnancies become more common and child labour grows.
School isolation:-
Schools are safe havens for social activity and human interaction. When schools close students miss out on social contact that is necessary to growth and development.
One can understand India as a developing country has limited resources, certain core sectors like education cannot simply be ignored.
The education sector needs to open in structured phases.
We need individuals who are competent and technology smart to get us out of this possible recession. The world is going to face and ignoring the core sector of education is not going to help the cause.
There are estimates that education system in India will experience at least 15% reduction in enrolment in educational institutions.
Plans/ Alternatives to Improve the System
U.P is planning to use Door-darshan and Radio to promote audio-based learning among students who do not have access to the internet.
Low cost private aid and unaid schools, are likely to witness a reduction in fee collections. Due to income losses which have arisen due to closure of businesses and industries.
Various states including Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have announced that schools should not pressurise parents to pay fees .
But such move is going to impact the incomes of the teachers at such low-cost private schools.
Solutions:
A probable solution could be that a grant-in-aid could use for schools to bridge the gap between income and expenditure.
Covid -19 has taught us that a school is not equivalent to just learning but it includes a space where students laugh, play and fight, they learn to live.
And let live and to think and act for their own self and the collective good of fellow beings.
How will education system in India change in the post Covid-19 time:-
- Learning will be amalgamation of teaching in school and online course work. This will enable the students to physically attend classes on limited number of days.
- They will be free to study at home at their own pace.
- It will be mandatory for all the teachers to be train for online teaching as well.
- The students will have the opportunity to engage with different types of content. Mostly video, audio, presentations, thereby increasing the ability to personalise everything.
- The role of teachers will change from that of “giving knowledge” to that of “providing facilitation”.
- With the help of technology, teachers will be spending less time on paper setting, evaluating and grading.
- Schools might have to consider working in shifts, classrooms will follow strict social distancing principles and sanitization process. This will be the norm for a normal school life.
- Short term courses will play a very important role in the education system of India.
Almost overnight, Covid-19 has transformed the way we live, work, play and learn.
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