Carrying a bag weighing at least 6-7 Kg, you could be forgiven for thinking that a school going child today was going off on a trek to the Himalayas !
Have always felt strongly towards our educational system (or lack of one) especially at the school level. Have always disliked the examination system that encourages swallow and vomit and by-rote learning without any understanding and application of the concepts. Add to that the unbelievable amount of competition in our country and the pressure it creates and you almost feel sorry for the students.
You would think that this competition with peers would create a pressure cooker situation for the students. Yes, there is peer pressure but this is actually the peer pressure amongst the parents. Parents look at what the other children are doing and feel compelled to make their children do the same lest they are left behind. "oh, she is attending Arts and Craft classes, we should send our Pinky too. Oh, he is going for Kung Fu-Karate, we should send our Mickey too." All this, without even asking Pinky and Mickey what they really want. I have experienced this at close hand as parents of children in the 5th or 6th standard start fretting about what college they will get into, what if he fails to get a good percentage (mind you 80-85% is not good) and sundry other things which frankly "DO NOT MATTER"
When I was in school it was not always like this. We had time to be with friends, watch our favorite cartoon and serials on TV, play and pursue our cherished hobbies and did not feel bogged down. The trend of sending your first standard kids to coaching classes too started only in the late 90s. And post that, we all know how coaching classes have sprouted in almost every nook and corner of every city, creating a parallel schooling system almost.
Though there have been some improvements in the attitudes of parents, the system needed a shake up. And the recent RTE act aims for exactly that. It is indeed heartening to see that no student will be allowed to fail between Class I-VII and special care would be taken of the academically weak students. What is needed is an environment which fosters openness and creativity and understanding which should replace fear and anxiety and the schools need to take adequate measures. Parents too need to support this step wholeheartedly and encourage their children to take up multiple activities and not let them vegetate by sitting in front of the computer and TV.
Another piece of legislation passed in Maharashtra today was the decision to replace Marks with Credits for the UG and PG courses and a pattern of continuous evaluation not just based on final examinations. The new system will also allow students to choose credits from other streams, which is the norm followed at most educational institutions abroad. However, as always with any new scheme introduced in our country, the key will be implementation.
