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Sunday, August 5, 2018

20 Points that education in general needs to pay attention.

20 Points that education in general needs to pay attention.

1. If realistically narrowed down the trade off of time, money, energy, and more importantly the mind-space that is occupied by role and relevance of education by all stake holders -from students to parents to teachers to insitutions- is focused on certain expected outcomes.

2. We need to be clear first about what outcomes? and why?

3. This write up is because I had the luxury of reading center page of TOI Chennai in the morning.

4. It was more than worth it because of the interview of Rupamanjari Ghosh.

5. There are two things that are inevitably interlinked:-

a) Clarity of understanding a subject or issue through grasping it by subjecting it to contextual relevance and interpreting through proper perspective-which is visualizing the wider ramifications and requirements.

b) Being able to articulate such an understaning lucidly and precisely.

6. Having said that, mostly, the discourse and narrative on various types of learning are hugely confused from using multiple frames of reference based on expected results, resources and restrictive ideologies.

7. Therefore, very often the canvas of learning is painted with a brush dipped in many colors starting from basic literacy to curious interest based self generated avid learning to acquiring academic qualifications for various purposes to over philosophizing the concept of education into some abstract idea.

8. This creates a great confusion among those who are entrusted with the responsibility of imparting learning to youth.

9. I always maintain that there must be more emphasis on quality created through effecting synergy (at all levels starting from 6 year olds) of at least the following aspects:-

Content and methods of delivery;

Experiment based activities;

Exploration- driven approaches;

Giving adequate scope for curiosity based activities, creative and original thinking and freedom to question;

10. We need to steer clear of all assumptions and prescriptions based on either copied models or over zealous addiction to any traditional methods even though they may be good or great.

11. This does not mean that we need to ignore either of them, as both are very essential for continuity as well as global competitiveness.

12. However, knowing the ground reality of purpose of academic pursuits will enable us to suggest a package that will synchronize with constant churning of life in all spheres.

14. Let us be frank in accepting the fact that a vast majority of academic courses are pursued in nations like India by the majority for livelihood.

15. In present day context, despite vast range of opportunitues, livelihood depends on various factors some of them may be listed as focus, perseverance, updation of development across various domains and countries, predicting probable changes (most of which are not gradual but sudden and disruptive now), a comprehensive survival tool kit that enables a person to work with knowledge and awareness through the legal rights and duties, social responsibilities, economic imperatives, humanitarian and environmental concerns ( which include primarily knowing what are the natural resources near one's surrounding), financial management, cross cultural adaptability, domain knowledge and specilization, personal and family health care and so on.

16. In short one must be equiped to relate effectively and efficiently with everyone and everything.

17. Real intense motivated learning will anyway happen in the realms of following one's innate interests, hobbies and passions and enhancing some unique talents.

18. Institutions and those at the helm of affairs of running educational institutions must keep in mind to prioritize the livelihood based requirements of academic pursuits and draft and deliver contents accordingly.

19. Most importantly we all need to be aware that everything and everyone in this world are interconnected, interrelated and interdependent and hence, any academic pursuit in order to have a comletitive edge must incorporate, as Rupamanjari Ghosh points out, 'interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach' to be of some relevance in the intensily competitive context of present existence and life. I would like to add academics must also take into consideration the various dimensions and the multiple dynamics of all the dimensions.

20. http://contentwriteups.blogspot.com/2018/01/education-academic-commercial.html?m=0


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