The Spark 

Introduction:

"Education is a process of teaching, training and learning, especially in schools, colleges or universities, to improve knowledge and develop skills." This is the defintion of education according to Oxford.

It was a regular tiresome day in my college and I was walking home. I spotted a group of school kids chatting loudly. As I walked past them, I heard them speaking about PVC, BUNA-S and other polymers which I had just written an exam on. Feeling surprised, I went upto one of them and asked which grade he was in. He replied 7th grade. "Why are you learning about polymers? Isn't it supposed to be taught in 12th grade? " I asked him. He simply answered "Foundation". "Do you want to be an IITian?" I asked. "Yes sister that is my dream" he replied with a bright spark in his eyes. He probably doesn't even know what an IIT is. But that spark he had! I didn't want to put it off. "Good. Whatever you are learning now.. its going to help you in your 12th grade" I said and walked away slowly.. seeing his bright smile and excitement awaiting for the future, to showcase his knowledge.

But I regret it. I regret saying study well and its going to help him. I regret being born in such a society where people think foundation for JEE and NEET is the most important thing a child needs when he comes to 6th grade, but not the foundation to face the real challenges of the world and to be a good citizen. 

Amongst these things, the lack of practical subjects, training, and the option for students to choose from more versatile subjects are the biggest issues and challenges in education today.

The Real Issue:

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.

- Albert Einstein

This is how education system works everywhere in the world. But we Indians take it one step further: Even if there are 10 types of trees in the forest, the monkey will only learn to climb the one which will be asked in the exam. Everyone will only learn to climb till the second branch as that is what is required by the exam. They will complain if a tree with different coloured leaves is given, as it is not mentioned in the text book. And once the exam is over, no one will even remember what a tree is. Ratta maarna is all that kids learn this way.

Only rote memorization typically dominates the curriculum. It is heavily theoretical. It is so prevalent that even to get admission to a school a child should know the alphabet, numbers, and whatnot.

Visual materials and practical applications of solutions are frequently not used. As a result, everyone who passed school remembers that "Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell", but not many people can do their taxes.

What's the Way forward?

1. To create a better education system in India, students teachers and policymakers should first unlearn the things and principles they know. The New Education Policy setup in 2023 recognizes these issues and is trying to eradicate them by including more practical subjects, adding more versatile subjects, and giving students the option to choose the best for them.

(Note: It is still trying and hence India is a developing country.)
Neverthless, they say great things take time.

2. For parents, it is important to understand that education and the learning process are very dynamic.The most valuable investment parents can make is in the activity the child is interested and talented at. This boosts their self development and helps them learn more positive educational experiences in general.

3. The ed-tech platforms are working together to make sure that every obstacle is overcome to assist the education sector in overcoming hurdles. It helps in ensuring that learning is fun and engaging.

At the end, his smile and the spark in his eyes still haunts me. I fear it's going to fade away soon. But there is still hope.
Let us all hope and be responsible for making a change in the Indian Educational System for a better and sparkly future! It is never too late.