Classrooms now value questioning, multilingual comfort, and teacher mentorship, not just academic performance
Dr Basant Goel
India’s educational system is going through one of the major transformations in its history. Now, the emphasis is moving from rote memorisation to deeper insights and real understanding, from using fear to motivate students to creating curiosity as a motivating force for learning, and from narrowly defined success measures to holistic growth. Although these changes are taking place quietly and gradually, they are taking place on many levels. An encouraging aspect of this change is that there is now an increasing awareness of children as whole persons rather than only as machines that create scores for schools. Emotional well-being, creative expression, confidence, teamwork, and ethical values are now becoming part of education’s core purpose. Classrooms now allow for students to question, and teachers now spend more time listening to their students than giving one-sided lecture-style teaching.
In the past, one type of teaching methodology was expected to be effective for all students. Schools today are beginning to experiment with creating a variety of learning experiences for the student population. Activity-based learning, storytelling, project work, and experiential education are becoming increasingly commonplace as ways to create excitement and engagement in learning among students. For example, a student who struggles with written exams may excel in sports, design, problem-solving and debate-type activities. This system continues to be supported by teachers, and the roles of teachers continue to change. Many teachers are moving away from having a fixed lesson plan and are instead functioning as mentors and guides. Teacher training programs and workshops, in addition to peer learning, are supporting teachers in gaining new knowledge and skills and also supporting them in adjusting to new methodologies. When teachers feel supported and respected, it creates a positive learning environment where students can enjoy and find meaning in learning.
Technology, when utilised properly, is also a positive influence. Through the use of smart classrooms, digital content, and online resources, schools are now able to provide access to high-quality educational resources for students who live in rural or remote communities. Students can now learn in visual and tactile ways. Students can review information at their own pace. Students have access to real-world examples that connect to their learning. The significant change is that technology is being viewed as a way to assist teachers rather than to replace them. Language and inclusion have gained much-needed attention. The growing awareness that children learn best in their language of comfort has resulted in an increase in schools addressing multi-lingual realities and cultural backgrounds. Taking this inclusive Perspective creates better learning success and a stronger sense of identity and self-worth in children.
A positive development is the resurgence of emphasis placed on developing children’s fundamental skills during their early developmental years. Educators are now aware that foundational skills in Reading, Writing, and Math, being able to read, write & do math well, are necessary for success after graduation from school. Another key area of focus is the introduction of Life Skills into the school curriculum. These types of skills prepare children for the world beyond the structural walls of the school, where adaptability and judgment are key aspects of an individual’s success, no less than the types of academic skills learned in most schools.
Even the methods by which students are assessed for those types of skills are evolving, as a result of many factors, including an increased recognition from educators globally of the negative outcome of putting pressure on students through constant comparison against other students. Many schools are attempting and adopting practices in which they provide students with opportunities for formative assessment, provide students with feedback on assessments and provide students with opportunities to self-reflect upon their learning. As a result, students now understand what their strengths and areas for improvement are without the fear and humiliation that accompanies evaluating one’s own work.
The emphasis on Parent Involvement in educating their children now appears to be more collaborative than it has ever been. Parents continue to expect their children to perform in school; however, many parents are beginning to place additional value on the items mentioned above, on par with the academic performance of their child. Schools and parents are creating partnerships instead of just pressure points, which provide a better environment for children to succeed. Schools in semi-urban and rural areas are displaying a remarkable amount of innovative resilience. Many teachers, with limited resources, are using simple tools, community knowledge, and the local context to create effective learning experiences. Many of these grassroots efforts are happening without any recognition, but they are the true strength of the school education system in India.
Educational values continue to quietly underline the value of diversity, social harmony, discipline, and service to society through daily examples of all educational practices instead of just being taught in moral science classes. Schools today see that character building is equally important to career building.
There is now a national dialogue about education that extends beyond physical infrastructure and rankings. We are evolving from the idea that education is a short-term project. The way that India has approached their education system since independence has been one based on finding the right balance between tradition and innovation, between the discipline of our teachers and the freedom allowed to our children through the use of technology, but also in how these new approaches are used to create meaningful relationships with our teachers and communities.
India’s classrooms will have a tremendous impact on creating a more confident and inclusive future that is rooted in values, provided that this journey continues to progress patiently and sincerely. School education will have an enormous effect on the character, competence, and compassion of future generations. The true measure of success for these types of school systems will be based upon what has become of the children who were educated in them.
The writer is a philanthropist and the founder of Goel Medicos and Sarvarth Seva Foundation, Delhi
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