Scope of Improvement in our Education System.
I remember a story where a King had a very naughty monkey who would bother the king all the time.The King could not even sleep at night because of him.The king got frustrated.After thinking,he found a smart solution.He gave the monkey a ladder and asked him to go up and down the ladder for as much time as he could.This kept the monkey busy throughout 24 hours and the king could do his work peacefully.
Did Britishors have similar intentions in mind while designing our syllabus that is taught in our Universities till date?They keep our students busy for the initial and crucial 21 years of their life in memorizing irrelevant database which is of no practical use in real life.Memory of students is tested and trained to the ridiculous extent.But their intelligence,personality,social skills,creativity,spirituality and self confidence are severely and irreversibly damaged in the tender years when they can develop and use these qualities to the best of their ability.Britishors probably wanted clerks from the Indian Population so that they could rule over them by taking all the creative and administrative decisions themselves to rule India.
By designing this syllabus they mentally ruined a number of generations of our population.
The worst part is none of us is protesting enough to have this syllabus changed even 60 years after the independence.
In my opinion,the problem is with what is taught and not how it is taught.How we teach is fantastic.The proof is that when our students study in foreign universities, they top the universities.But what we teach is of no practical use in real life.I am especially talking about the syllabus from 5th Standard to 12th Standard.These are the most fertile and foundation years of life.We are putting monumental efforts on wrong subjects and wrong details like chemical equations,trignomentry and digestive system of frogs. This information is irrelevant and of no use in our practical life.
Additionally,some of the information which they make us memorise may even be false. Say for example, we were taught in school,that there are nine planets in the Universe.I read in newspapers about two years ago that there are only eight planets in the Universe and the nineth one is not a planet but something else.
I and my millions of friends didn’t really care whether there are 9 or 90 planets.Even if every student wasted 10 minutes of his life learning/memorizing this false piece of information,imagine how many manhours were collectively wasted every year by millions of students.And this is just one example.Tomorrow, more scientists will challenge more so called facts and we probably may realize that an atom of water is not made of two molecules of hydrogen and one molecule of oxygen.Let scientists debate among themselves as it is their job.Why should we be bothered? Why should we be forced to memorise how many planets are there in the Universe or how many molecules of Hydrogen are present in an atom of water.And for those who want to join the scientists in the debate, should be given an option to study that subject at the Higher Education level.Please do not force all students of every secondary school to memorise these details. Many students commit suicide due to failure in exams.Come on guys…are these pieces information worthy of human life? In fact some information in textbooks is such that one should rather commit suicide than memorise it…..just kidding !
When teachers in school are asked why children are made to memorise the irrelevant data printed in our textbooks which seems to be of no practical use in our life,they console by saying that it is to discipline students.But discipline can be inculcated by memorizing telephone directory as well.We should inculcate discipline in students by teaching sensible,practical and useful things. But in this case, teachers are helpless as well.They don’t design the syllabus.They are supposed to teach whatever is in textbook.
Students securing 75 percent and above marks give at least 125 percent efforts during the years of their education.But in return,they get a degree certificate which can not get them good jobs,good relationships,personal satisfaction or self esteem. So they feel cheated,frustrated and revengeful against the society.So we have crime,corruption,terrorism,murders and suicides.
Instead,let’s change the syllabus.How many years it will take for us to decide what is not needed in the syllabus? 1 year ? 5 years ? or maximum 10 years? But generations of mankind will be saved.Indian scriptures have so many better things to offer than the western theories.Teach our students about yoga instead of Chemistry.Teach them about how to breathe or meditate instead of teaching them about the digestive system of frogs.Teach them how to maintain relationships,what is the purpose of a family and marriage instead of making them memorise on which exact date the second world war was started. There are so many things to be learnt for which a lifetime is not enough.But we force our children to memorise what chemicals are generated when we add Hydrochloric Acid in Sodium Chloride.
And practically,education nowadays is not easy.Education involves blood,sweat and tears of not only students but even their parents.Children study while even parents suffer.They put their hard earned money and sacrifice decades of their life waiting for their children to grow up and graduate.Students lose not only their time but their innocence of childhood,energy and enthusiasm of youth while memorizing textbooks.Some even lose their lives as they commit suicides due to failure in exams. How long will we accept all this?
I suggest a solution as follows.
1) I do not have any complaints against Teachers or heavy schoolbags.I do not want air conditioned classrooms.I have no complaint against stiff competition and number of exams.Everything is fine.But PLEASE CHANGE THE SYLLABUS.Teach us what makes sense.Teach us what makes us better individuals,better family members and better social beings.Make us useful for ourselves,family and the society/country.
Subjects like Chemistry,Trignometry should be introduced only conceptually.Those who are interested can study them in detail after 8th, 10th ,OR 12th Standard by choice.These subjects should be replaced by more human and practical subjects like Yoga,Meditation,Martial Arts,HealthCare,Cooking,etc.I agree that these subjects are taught in schools even today but they are just touched conceptually.The emphasis is on theoretical topics and students remain busy memorizing short notes on cockroach and mosquitoes.Students slog for 21 years of life and finally can not even cook a meal for themselves but are dependent upon their maid,mother or wife for the same.Food is what you need everyday and if students are dependent upon others for such a basic necessity then our education lacks a lot.
2)Textbooks should be divided in two sections.60 percent content of textbooks has technical data like specific dates,chemical equations,etc which should be there in textbook only for reference and should be printed in italics.This text will remain only for reference for understanding and need not be memorized as no question should be asked from the reference section in any of the exams.
In exams they should ask what is necessary to develop logic .
More ideas should be discussed and some action should be taken to improve our education system as it involves lives of so many youngsters who are the future of our country.
P.S.
This post is with due respect to my teachers,my schools,colleges and universities who taught me whatever I have learnt today.I appreciate and thank everybody’s efforts. The above post is specifically about the education from 5th Standard to 12th Standard.In Higher Education,the scenario maybe different depending upon the college and the course.Thanks.
Hitesh
I remember a story where a King had a very naughty monkey who would bother the king all the time.The King could not even sleep at night because of him.The king got frustrated.After thinking,he found a smart solution.He gave the monkey a ladder and asked him to go up and down the ladder for as much time as he could.This kept the monkey busy throughout 24 hours and the king could do his work peacefully.
Did Britishors have similar intentions in mind while designing our syllabus that is taught in our Universities till date?They keep our students busy for the initial and crucial 21 years of their life in memorizing irrelevant database which is of no practical use in real life.Memory of students is tested and trained to the ridiculous extent.But their intelligence,personality,social skills,creativity,spirituality and self confidence are severely and irreversibly damaged in the tender years when they can develop and use these qualities to the best of their ability.Britishors probably wanted clerks from the Indian Population so that they could rule over them by taking all the creative and administrative decisions themselves to rule India.
By designing this syllabus they mentally ruined a number of generations of our population.
The worst part is none of us is protesting enough to have this syllabus changed even 60 years after the independence.
In my opinion,the problem is with what is taught and not how it is taught.How we teach is fantastic.The proof is that when our students study in foreign universities, they top the universities.But what we teach is of no practical use in real life.I am especially talking about the syllabus from 5th Standard to 12th Standard.These are the most fertile and foundation years of life.We are putting monumental efforts on wrong subjects and wrong details like chemical equations,trignomentry and digestive system of frogs. This information is irrelevant and of no use in our practical life.
Additionally,some of the information which they make us memorise may even be false. Say for example, we were taught in school,that there are nine planets in the Universe.I read in newspapers about two years ago that there are only eight planets in the Universe and the nineth one is not a planet but something else.
I and my millions of friends didn’t really care whether there are 9 or 90 planets.Even if every student wasted 10 minutes of his life learning/memorizing this false piece of information,imagine how many manhours were collectively wasted every year by millions of students.And this is just one example.Tomorrow, more scientists will challenge more so called facts and we probably may realize that an atom of water is not made of two molecules of hydrogen and one molecule of oxygen.Let scientists debate among themselves as it is their job.Why should we be bothered? Why should we be forced to memorise how many planets are there in the Universe or how many molecules of Hydrogen are present in an atom of water.And for those who want to join the scientists in the debate, should be given an option to study that subject at the Higher Education level.Please do not force all students of every secondary school to memorise these details. Many students commit suicide due to failure in exams.Come on guys…are these pieces information worthy of human life? In fact some information in textbooks is such that one should rather commit suicide than memorise it…..just kidding !
When teachers in school are asked why children are made to memorise the irrelevant data printed in our textbooks which seems to be of no practical use in our life,they console by saying that it is to discipline students.But discipline can be inculcated by memorizing telephone directory as well.We should inculcate discipline in students by teaching sensible,practical and useful things. But in this case, teachers are helpless as well.They don’t design the syllabus.They are supposed to teach whatever is in textbook.
Students securing 75 percent and above marks give at least 125 percent efforts during the years of their education.But in return,they get a degree certificate which can not get them good jobs,good relationships,personal satisfaction or self esteem. So they feel cheated,frustrated and revengeful against the society.So we have crime,corruption,terrorism,murders and suicides.
Instead,let’s change the syllabus.How many years it will take for us to decide what is not needed in the syllabus? 1 year ? 5 years ? or maximum 10 years? But generations of mankind will be saved.Indian scriptures have so many better things to offer than the western theories.Teach our students about yoga instead of Chemistry.Teach them about how to breathe or meditate instead of teaching them about the digestive system of frogs.Teach them how to maintain relationships,what is the purpose of a family and marriage instead of making them memorise on which exact date the second world war was started. There are so many things to be learnt for which a lifetime is not enough.But we force our children to memorise what chemicals are generated when we add Hydrochloric Acid in Sodium Chloride.
And practically,education nowadays is not easy.Education involves blood,sweat and tears of not only students but even their parents.Children study while even parents suffer.They put their hard earned money and sacrifice decades of their life waiting for their children to grow up and graduate.Students lose not only their time but their innocence of childhood,energy and enthusiasm of youth while memorizing textbooks.Some even lose their lives as they commit suicides due to failure in exams. How long will we accept all this?
I suggest a solution as follows.
1) I do not have any complaints against Teachers or heavy schoolbags.I do not want air conditioned classrooms.I have no complaint against stiff competition and number of exams.Everything is fine.But PLEASE CHANGE THE SYLLABUS.Teach us what makes sense.Teach us what makes us better individuals,better family members and better social beings.Make us useful for ourselves,family and the society/country.
Subjects like Chemistry,Trignometry should be introduced only conceptually.Those who are interested can study them in detail after 8th, 10th ,OR 12th Standard by choice.These subjects should be replaced by more human and practical subjects like Yoga,Meditation,Martial Arts,HealthCare,Cooking,etc.I agree that these subjects are taught in schools even today but they are just touched conceptually.The emphasis is on theoretical topics and students remain busy memorizing short notes on cockroach and mosquitoes.Students slog for 21 years of life and finally can not even cook a meal for themselves but are dependent upon their maid,mother or wife for the same.Food is what you need everyday and if students are dependent upon others for such a basic necessity then our education lacks a lot.
2)Textbooks should be divided in two sections.60 percent content of textbooks has technical data like specific dates,chemical equations,etc which should be there in textbook only for reference and should be printed in italics.This text will remain only for reference for understanding and need not be memorized as no question should be asked from the reference section in any of the exams.
In exams they should ask what is necessary to develop logic .
More ideas should be discussed and some action should be taken to improve our education system as it involves lives of so many youngsters who are the future of our country.
P.S.
This post is with due respect to my teachers,my schools,colleges and universities who taught me whatever I have learnt today.I appreciate and thank everybody’s efforts. The above post is specifically about the education from 5th Standard to 12th Standard.In Higher Education,the scenario maybe different depending upon the college and the course.Thanks.
Hitesh
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