Look! If your Student is Getting a Quality Education or Mere a Piece of Sheet!

Is increasing the literacy rate all we should be looking at?Does just being literate credible enough in these times of constant technological evolution? The answer is a definite NO!! Still we find our nation gunning for a higher literacy rate, while barely paying attention to better the quality of education.

Am I being equipped to solve only theoretical problems or practical problems too?

More often than not we observe that teaching is weighing more on dealing with theoretical problems rather than concentrating on the practical aspects. This leads to situations where even though we have the theoretical know how we don’t have the vision to apply it practically. We lack quality of teaching here.

Are labs being given enough importance?

In many schools components aren’t in working condition, while in some schools there are no labs to begin with. Many times students are unable to apply the theory that they’ve learnt. And that poses a huge question, Should labs/practical have equal weightage as theory? I think that both theoretical and practical knowledge are both vital for survival in industries and hence should be given equal importance.

Are the textbooks being revised periodically?

I’m sure many of us know the answer to that. We still just use our siblings’ textbooks because we know that nothing has changed. Why do some teachers suggest foreign authors?

It’s quiet evident that Indian authors generally focus on including a lot of problems while the foreign authors focus on making the concept clear which will eventually help solve problems. And that’s indeed the right way to really learn and understand the concept. Teachers need to have the desire and the sincerity to ensure that the students learn. Are they given their due?

Is the teaching profession respected?

The state and the meagre importance given to education not only affect the students but also the teachers. Teachers like students also lose their enthusiasm and their creativity along the way as they are required to conform to the traditional ways of teaching.

There has been no real growth in the teaching ways. As the world evolves it is imperative that the style of teaching transform with the needs of today and not the comforts of yesterday.

Are we being evaluated based on our application skills?

What we need in addition to revising the textbooks is a revisal of the question papers. The format of the question papers needs to change. The questions need to be new. They need to make us think.  They need to be application oriented. Also, the misconception that understanding of a concept is directly proportional to the lines we write about it should be broken.

Are we being given world class education in India?

The answer is a definitely no. The government schools aren’t funded adequately. As a result, the schools do not have proper teachers and having labs is far from reality. We need to realize that private schools have become more a business rather than a service. The whole education system needs to be revamped. Its high time quality education becomes a right rather than a privilege. That is the kind of India we need to build.