5 things that need to be changed about the Indian education system
The Indian education system is considered one of the most robust and toughest systems globally. This is evident by the number of brilliant minds that India produces each year who go on to reach new heights internationally. The demand for Indian professionals is high because of the tough training that kids get in India. As kids, we too have been a part of a curriculum that was based on the holistic development of the students. Although, there are many places in India, that still need a lot of backing to build up the right infrastructure for imparting quality education.
From the early 2000s till today, we have seen a lot of changes in the course structure and curriculum of studies that we had to undertake to prepare for college. Now, 10 years later (since I left school in 2010), there are still a lot of things that we think need to be improved or changed altogether in the Indian education system. The idea for this blog basically came up while I was having a conversation with my friends, and I hope to clearly state the problem areas that need to be addressed.
1. Very little or no attention to individual skills or interests
In India, unfortunately, there are still many kids who have to slog through school who have different areas of interest. I sometimes wonder why all the kids have to go through the same curriculum, study the same subjects before getting a chance to figure out what to do with their lives. Our schools pay very little attention to the individual skills or interest areas of the students and that is very alarming. I was fortunate enough to have had the type of support where I could study, participate in inter-school events, participate in sports, etc. from a very young age. But that is what I think not even 5% of the students want with their school or college life! A majority of the students are so much burdened with the pressure of getting a good job, earning good money or being highly successful in life that they actually forget who they are. The individuality is gone without even the kids, or for that matter, their parents realizing that it is gone.
2. Score based evaluation or basically judging the brilliance of a fish by its ability to climb a tree
We don’t need this! Like literally, a kid that scores 90% and above marks in all his exams is considered a genius, the one who scores between 75 to 90% is average, while the one scoring below 75% is completely useless. Does that even make sense? Unfortunately, the current system still uses this method to evaluate the merit of the students.
In recent news coverage, a report showed that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, students who were consistently scoring above 90% were more worried about exams not being able to be conducted. The reason is that they thought that there would be no difference between them and someone way below their scores which is hilarious. A simple question that we need to ask as educators or parents or mentors is that do scores matter in determining how well the kids will perform in real life?
Another most worrisome problem that arises out of this situation is the psychological effects that tend to destroy the mindset of low-scoring students. They start feeling useless and can even take drastic measures to put an end to the misery. We forget, that kids just want to live their lives as we want to ours. And is there anything wrong with that?
3. No focus on extra-curricular activities
This one is one of my favorites because I had been one of the most active students throughout my schooling and college life outside the classroom. Unfortunately, even after scoring so well in my exams, there were some teachers who would still point fingers at me for not paying attention to classroom teaching. Those of you who know me, you know what I’m talking about.
But it’s not about me. It has never been about a student like me. It’s been about the thinking of the teachers who just want their students to score hefty marks in exams, and hilariously, parents back them up too! And it’s not their fault even! A teacher’s increment in salary or promotion is based on the performance (read ‘scores’) of the students. I was a student, encouraged everyone around me to participate as much as possible in extra-curricular activities and I hope those of you did feel grateful.
My idea is simple. A hard-working student who continuously studies day in and day out NEEDS to unwind. That can be through sports, through inter-school competitions, performing arts, and so on and so forth. There are several other methods of entertainment too (which I reckon today’s kids will be more familiar with) but let’s not go down that road.
4. Zero focus on practical applications and research
Colleges in India have a fixed curriculum, have fixed syllabus, and fixed examination processes to evaluate the students and then let them off in the real world. Students have no clue about what to do next. This is a major concern about our education system. This point is directly connected to point number 1. An average student might not be interested in reading a coursebook, memorizing formulas, derivations, lines from a poem, etc., and then spill it out on the answer sheet in the examination hall.
This is absurdity at its best.
Why aren’t the kids taught about WHY they are being taught WHAT they are being taught. Where’s the element of practical application? Where is the inquisitiveness of conducting research and reaching conclusions? Half of the courses we study have no practical application at all. The argument is backed by two other absurd reasons- One, the course has been there for ages and is tried and tested, and Two, you need to study the same course because we did, and so did our ancestors!
The current curriculum needs to change with the current global socio-economic conditions. Education policymakers can easily introduce new, more useful subjects such as introduction to Finance. Students need to know how money works in real life. Students need to know how to survive emergencies, they need to have basic knowledge about medical aid and not just human anatomy?! Students today need to understand how cryptocurrency works, or how or what language is used to develop their favorite mobile game.
The things that go around us all the time attract us more and students should be encouraged to ask questions about the real things that are happening around them, and not be restricted in a bubble of a classroom.
5. Zero focus on functional literacy and financial knowledge
We want our kids to get an excellent job or do wonderfully well in their startup but we are not teaching them how to do it! There is zero focus on functional literacy, that is, the students are still stuck to formulas and age-old methods that have no meaning in today’s economic conditions. I would clarify though, that understanding the basic concepts of an economy and finance is essential, but the students need to be taught more about what IS and less about what WAS.
As schools are guided by education policymakers, they need to come up with solutions to solve the problem at hand. The students of today are the workforce of tomorrow for any country, and they should be trained like one. Unless of course, a Chartered Account firms want to ask for formulas from a high school textbook or an undergraduate degree program, we need to shun away with outdated subjects.
This is just an example of what type of skills companies expect from a candidate who can bring something practically valuable to the table, and not just a shiny bright mark sheet. Moreover, finance is something which every-one should know about irrespective of their fields. In the real-world, everything starts from money and comes full circle, eventually.
Additional note
Life skills are something that students are not being taught about at all. These include cooking, camping, driving, etc. that are something that everyone should know about from a young age. It is the responsibility of parents actually, to teach their kids from a young age through participation, and not just lecturing them. Kids should also be allowed to ask questions that we may find uncomfortable as adults. This includes varied topics such as dating, social structure, sex, money, ethics, moral values, differentiating between right and wrong, etc.
At the end of the day, it is far far more important to be a good human being before being a good-anything!
