Changing the Education System

A few weeks ago, Rajesh Jain in a post entitled ‘Rethinking Education‘ blogged about the various approaches towards changing the prevalent Education system in India, and about his own thoughts on what’s needed:

One approach is to work within the current system and see what best can be done. It assumes that the legacy that exists will be very hard to change — everyone has a vested interest in keeping things the way they are. Parents are not keen to take risks with their kids, the ones in the education business would prefer to stick to the status quo since they are already in the business, the government seems to be quite happy with the way things are, and the kids don’t have much of a choice anyways.  So, even as some of us believe that the current education system needs a dramatic revamp, it is not easy to figure out where to begin. (Perhaps, there isn’t an entrance at all for those not already in.)

The second approach, advocated by Atanu, is to create a parallel system from scratch — encompassing K-12 and beyond. This thinking starts with the belief that the current education system is fatally flawed and there is no way to apply band-aid. What is needed is a new system, a new standard. And there will be early adopters among parents and kids who will be drawn to this new system.

My personal vote goes for the second approach.  The world has changed a lot, especially in the past couple decades, and the simplicity that needs to be there in the education system has vanished. One hears of kids as young as two and three years going for coaching so they can get into the preferred school of their parents. IIT coaching now starts in the sixth standard. It is reaching ridiculous heights (or lows). And then look at  the quality of the product that comes out of this system.

This is a burning issue for many parents, and naturally, Rajesh’s post saw a flurry of comments in a short span.  Here’s what I wrote in response :

My view is that disruptive innovation has a place in many things, but not in something as well-rooted in society as our present education system… There is just too much at stake for parents.

… most people within the system are averse to change of any sort – that is typical human response to any new idea. However, with a new system, even if you get some folks to switch over, many others will not fearing what will happen to their children once the system’s runway ends.

Already, I hear many concerned and informed parents voicing their fears of how their children will eventually have to cope up with the “mainstream” once they graduate from their gurukuls or whatever liberal-minded school system they follow. That fear is what keeps many of them from sending their kids down the less-trodden path in the first place! And until a critical mass of people *do* choose the new route, the fear of the majority would always remain…

… I think a more agreeable option would be to make small but significant changes in the existing system (even if that takes more effort), so that more and more people eventually benefit from the changes.  As a parent of two, I would certainly welcome a move in that direction.

Rajesh sent me an email in reply, later that day, in which he mentioned that the best solution may well be a combination of the two approaches.  What do you think?

Another Little Star

We’d been nervous for about a couple of weeks now…  15th June 2009 was the slated day for li’l Kabir to begin playschool, and he would just about be meeting the minimum eligibility age of 20 months. 

This time around, the apprehensions were not about the gear – we had that in place.  Kabir would be well equipped with a school bag, a raincoat, a water bottle and a change of clothes.  It wasn’t about the choice of playschool either.  We were thrilled with the experience that Khushi had had with LittleStars and would send Kabir to the same one.  What we were worried about was how young he is and so different compared to what Khushi was when she first joined.

Earlier this morning, Sonali and I briefly spoke about the differences.  He speaks far less words than she did at the same age.  He’s far more boisterous and naughty than she was.  But, most importantly, he’s a full nine months younger than she was when she first enrolled!!!

How would he cope up with the newness of it all?  How would he be able to communicate to his teacher about his needs and wants?  How would they understand the peculiar language he speaks in?  Only we knew all his short forms and codes – how would they understand?

Letting go of his mama at the doors of the playschool would be impossible.  As an extension, it would also be difficult for him to leave the company of “nima” – the caretaker he’s now grown so fond of.  So, it came upon your’s truly to do the needful.  Once again.

Honestly, I was nervous about it throughout.  But I reminded myself that he’s an ‘enthu bunny’ and he’ll be able to take care of himself.  I also reminded myself that I’d done this all before – I would simply do my “usual” routine of dropping off a new child to their first day at school!

We reached on time and waited our turn.  Once again, I was the only “papa” doing the drop off.  Since early today morning, all of us at home were getting Kabir excited about the prospect of him going to school, and he had some idea of the concept.  But, outside Little Stars, we did not get the opportunity to take it all in before I let go of his little fingers, and sent him off to the classroom… 

We’d agreed that Sonali would come and wait soon after my dropping him off, just in case he needed to be sent home early or comforted some more.  And, so she did.  I learned in the afternoon that he’d cried for a bit after entering the classroom, but had soon settled down… It would take a few days more, but for a first day, it had gone pretty well. 

Now, if I can only muster up enough courage for tomorrow…

 

Update : 16th June 2009
The wife sent an SMS… “All is well.  He did not cry at all today!”

Tidbits: May 2009

How Much Is Enough?

This transpired at home, on a lazy afternoon …

Papa: Khushi, do you know how much I love you?
Khushi: Tell me

Papa: From here till Ghatkopar! 
(Regular readers may recall how much that meant, once upon a time)

Khushi: That’s nothing.

Papa: Why?
Khushi: I love you from here till North America and South America!!!

A few days after posting this, Khushi came up with yet another interpretation :

“You know where Nikhil and Naomi stay?  Where it snows? 
Till there, I love you!” 

(Nikhil and Naomi are children of a good friend of mine, who lives in Sweden) 

 
Photographic Memories

We’d bought Khushi a toy camera that was actually a viewfinder with images stored within it.  Each time you clicked the “shutter release”, it rotated a new picture in view, from one of the several Barbie pics – all Khushi’s favourite.

For the first few days, Khushi was busy pretending to shoot photographs of her mommie and showing her how nicely the result had turned out.  One day, I couldn’t resist asking her why she does not shoot any pics of me.  Here’s what she said in reply…

I can’t do that, Papa.  You need to bring me a “Ben10″ camera for that.  Otherwise, all your photos will become girlie photos that look like Barbie!

 

Khushi is all of five and a half years old, at this time…