“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school” -Albert Einstein
How many of us can recall the dates, names, formulas, scientific names and anything in detail that we studied ages ago in school? Of course, there will be few amongst us who would remember precisely what was taught but the majority of us fall in that category who tend to forget everything once the exams are over. But, what all of us do remember are the incidents of the teaching learning process-the way the mathematics teacher taught us, the way the history teacher helped us remember the dates or the way the science teacher created a sense of mystery in her class and so on and so forth. While there can also be instances where we don’t recall any particular teacher or much of our academic lives which is absolutely normal because the teachers didn’t contribute much to our learning… well, at least, not apart from the necessary curriculum per se.
The scenario hasn’t changed much since the time we last attended school. It’s the
same old concept that the educational system follows unless there has been new developments that I’m unaware of. The schools continue to have a written evaluation system in every class, the teachers are as always scampering to finish their portions, and the progress of a child is measured in terms of academic excellence alone.
The concept of all round development of a child in true spirit is just a concept after all. Apart from few co-curricular activities that the school thinks is good enough for helping the child develop his/her talents and equipping them with life skills there isn’t much that happens to actually draw out the best from within every child. The focus most of the time is on the limitations of a child rather than the potential of the child. Teachers easily categorize or rather easily label a child as someone who is “capable of doing it” or “just not fit to do it”. The ones in the middle are not given much thought and are left to fend for themselves very often.
Where exactly does the problem lie? Is there a flaw in our educational system? Our Indian educational system was set up by the British and though the British have long gone away and much has changed around the world we live in, the same can’t be said in terms of our educational system. Except for a few tweaks and changes in the curriculum here and there not much has changed and it’s high time the educational system undergoes a complete 3600 revamp.
Along with the educational system the attitude of the teachers too needs to undergo a change and this is of utmost importance because it’s said a teacher affects eternity.
A man was selling gas balloons of all colours. Once, he felt his jacket being tugged by a little boy who asked him, “If you release a black balloon, would that also fly?” The man replied with empathy, “It is not the colour of the balloon, it is what is inside that determines how high it will go.” Therefore, the need of the hour is that every teacher must be aware of and fully develop her own talents to bring out the best in her students. “A lamp can light another lamp so long as it continues to burn its own flame.”
This change in attitude can be brought about not by any policy but if we are aware and clear as to why we choose to be in this noble teaching profession. People are defeated in life not because of a lack of ability, but because of a lack of wholeheartedness. If we are ready to be the change that we want to bring then nothing can ever stop us.
So you and I have a commitment to bring out the best in our students so that they in turn may someday bring out the best in their students as a famous quotation reads: “ Teachers are those who use themselves as bridges, over which they invite their own students to cross; then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create new bridges of their own.”
Please note: This article was written for the college alumni magazine.