By Anjani Kumar Agarwal, Director, Edify Education
A nation belongs to its people. As educated and cultured the people of a nation are, as great is the nation. There have been thousands of examples which make us proud of our country. However, it is important to ponder upon where we are at present, and how we have to grow to reach where we want to be.Real education is what remains after the ranks and results are out. The education system needs a paradigm shift from rote learning to knowledge and skilling, and the teachers need to be trained, upgraded, research-oriented, free from rote-learning and be given exposure.
Preparing Future-Ready Workforce
Technology is changing education. It is true that technology is changing how the world experiences us and how we experience the world. Our education system has served us well so far but we have failed at creating problem-solving innovative mindsets and an ecosystem for skill development.
We need to introduce dignity of labour, dignity of skills and importance of skills in schools for every aspect of life. Skilling portion in schools needs to be improved so that the children get a better view.
Technology and Digital Disruption
Technology is not new for us. We are on that curve where technology is not something that we teach in computer period anymore, but it has become an enabling tool for every subject we teach. Technology will take away jobs for sure, but it will create many more jobs as well.The transformation that’s going on in technology does not necessarily mean that the teachers who are not familiar with new technology will be left behind. It will be more effective if you keep the user, that is, the student first and think through that lens. Understanding technology is just one aspect but the way it is used in a classroom creates an impact.
It’s important to know how to integrate project-based learning with subjects. For a child, life is happening outside, it is not happening inside the classroom.
Academic Result or Holistic Development
Holistic development is being taken care of in terms of academics and activities. The whole challenge lies in drawing that line of balance between holistic and academic learning. Academics and holistic development of a child is complimentary and supplementary to each other. It is not ’or’, it is ‘and’.