Benjamin Franklin rightly said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn”. This has been quoted now and then by the educators which is proven right by science and is called as experiential learning. This method of learning through research projects, internships and project learning teach students valuable skills.
According to the World Economic Forum, the education system of European and American countries is rated at the top in the world, due to their holistic teaching environment and common-sense practices. As far as the global education rankings are concerned our country lags behind due to global competitiveness and the system adopted by other countries. India is a country of sundry countryside, rich in rational and edifying restructurings. Thus, to completely revolutionise the education system unostentatious changes are to be acquainted with.
The standardised testing needs to be eliminated from the system. By introducing such practices students cram through the syllabus in order to clear the exams. The teachers in this case also teach for the motive of students, prioritizing their worthy recitals in the tests. A voluntary test for the students need to be familiarized. The tests need to be steered towards the admissions for various courses in universities. A criterion should be set for the teachers such as master’s degree or doctorate before entering the profession. The teachers should be made more responsible for the teaching-learning process. There need not be any test and therefore no grading system is required. There should be an apparatus which discourses the matters of teachers not accomplishing assignments.
Education system should be based on teamwork rather than race. An inclusive collaboration should be flanked by the participants. The system should be a public system which is funded by taxation. It should not be arbitrary merit-based system.
An understanding of pleased, melodious and vigorous students and learning environment needs to be presented in the system. The environment in universities should be impartial. It should not be about distinction. Education system needs to be adopted which balances social inequality, and provides ease of access to health care, individual guidance and psychological guidance. The optimal and best starting time for studies in a classroom is 9 am to 10 am rather than 7 am to 8 am with optimum and longer breaks. A research of National Laboratory of Medicine has shown that students who start late develop good wellbeing and ontogenesis.
The teacher has to take the role of a mentor or even a family member. A student teacher relationship is to be maintained with mutual trust and bonding. The students need a learning style which is flexible on individual basis. Teachers can help the students to reach their goal by chalking out a strategy for each student depending on a quick or a slow learner.
A student should be provided with less stress, less needed regimentation and more caring with recreational activities. Fifteen-to-twenty-minute breaks should be allowed to decompress and grab some fresh air. Faculty members also need the same type of atmosphere, with separate rooms where they can socialize and talk to other faculty members such that they can operate to best of their abilities. The work related to studies should be completed in the campus and the students should be free after leaving the campus, without added pressures.
The motive of the students should be to grow and learn as human beings. As Albert Einstein has rightly summarized, “Everybody 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”. An inflexible education system is absurd, and cannot be used to assess the skill of each individual student.
- The writer is Principal SSM College of Engineering, Pattan Baramulla and can be reached at principal@ssmengg.edu.in
