Need for change

The current education system, is focused on memorization, homogeneity, grading and obedience, and does not promote holistic learning. The current education system needs to change as there is an increasing gap between the current education system and the ideal education system

The aim of the current education system
Working ideology is restricted to ‘doing well in exams’ to maximize economic opportunity

How students ‘learn’

• Knowledge is poured into the empty mind of the learner
• Memorising is learning
• Everyone learns the same way

What students are taught

• Education is restricted to rigidly defined subject-wise content which is independent of the child’s history and environment. It does not extend to life-skills and value systems
  Children learn there is one answer to one question; children learn that every question has an answer; children learn they are inadequate
• Students are taught to obey
  Children learn not to question; children realize education is boring
• Students are judged as good or bad, intelligent or unintelligent
  Children learn that they are not worthy of respect

Learning environment

• Environment is highly regimented, homogenous and intimidating
• Physical, mental and emotional threat is used for conformance
• The engagement model is not flexible and is not attuned to different learning styles. Thus it stifles learning
• It does not invest in teacher development, community participation and a culture of care
• Assessment is used to judge and label the learner
• The learning experience is removed from the learner’s context
• To facilitate homogeneity, all trace of individual spirit is systematically removed
• Teacher does not see learning as his/her responsibility. Role is limited to covering syllabus through lecture
• The education system believes that students should adapt to the school
• The education system is a static entity with a static output. Society should evolve to handle the graded outputs of such system

Outcome – The individual passing out of this system:

• Has a memory of disconnected data
• Has not learnt to build knowledge. Hence, no real learning has happened
• Does not know how to evaluate or create. Does not know how to think, discover and learn
• Imbibes qualities such as obedience and rejection of diversity
• Needs guidance as education has disconnected him/her with life and no life skill has been imparted

The education system we envision

Aim of the education system we envision

Education is an organized system that facilitates learning so that each individual:

• learns the process of becoming what one can be and wants to be, and
• understands one’s role in society and contributes to its progress

Vision of an individual

The systems envision an individual who has honed his capability to evaluate and create for continuous discovery of self and world.

• Evaluate – True evaluation happens when an issue or event is approached from multiple perspectives – scientific, artistic, mathematical, geographical, historical, social and philosophical. This, and the capacity to be involved and emotional, yet detached and empathetic, will build objectivity and completeness of thought and action in evaluation
• Create – Creation is bringing into existence that which is valued by the individual and society

In this process of discovery, the person imbibes the following qualities:

• Individual values – Integrity, courage, perseverance, spirit of learning, happiness.
• Social values – Democracy, freedom, secularism, acceptance of diversity, spirit of inquiry, reform and enterprise
• Human values – Compassion, preservation of environment, strive for excellence

Core belief

• Every child is an individual with a right to respect and education

How a child learns

• Learning is contextual to the child’s history and environment
• Learning occurs everywhere; all learning can be interesting
• Each child constructs his/her own learning. Every child learns differently, at different depths and at different speeds

What a child learns

• The child learns how to learn, develop and grow
• The child understands inter-related disciplines at a fundamental level
• The child develops life-skills. This includes physical development, vocational skills, competencies (such as creative and critical thinking) and abilities (such as risk-taking and risk-minimizing)
• The child’s learning is grounded in an individual, social and human value system imbibed from self-discovery

Role of the education system

• Devises a framework for desired learning derived from the vision of an ideal individual
• Contextualizes desired learning to the child and community
• Provides a non-intimidating and interesting learning environment where the right learning experiences can be created
• Understands the child’s context and mental status to create the right experience
• Assessment tools are used to measure whether the child has synthesized new knowledge with his existing mental construct and is now able to analyze and evaluate this knowledge for further application

Hence

• The education system facilitates learning and adapts itself to the needs of every child
• It evolves to meet the demands of an evolving society
• It learns how children learn and continuously renews itself with this knowledge

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