Think beyond schooling

Education is often used interchangeably with Schooling. Education is learning which in turn is a process and an outcome. Age or availability of physical space is not essential for learning. It is about development of Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills and Habits.(K.A.S.H.). Learning is a process which happens only when K.A.S.H happens. It becomes an outcome when reflections lead to newer understanding and application leading to creation of new knowledge.

Schooling, is about relentless instructions of information, with a clear plan of action, with a definite outcome in mind, happening in a limited physical space. The ideal situation would be to have the educational processes in schools that is fun-filled, innovative and challenging. This article reflects on education as a process and an outcome.

With time, the process of education has evolved, but slowly. Conscious and concerted efforts are being made towards a more holistic approach to make education relevant, more meaningful and dynamic. We had over the years since independence accepted a system that was rigid and dogmatic. Though we have been working on reforms, we are yet to engage holistically with students, erasing the boundaries between life at large and that within the classrooms. There are islands of innovations in pedagogy and skill development in the country but, has it reached every child? How can we enmesh a child’s education with life beyond the classroom? How do we equip our children with the cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills needed to be thought-leaders?

The New Education Policy has delved into many aspects of school education. School education has spread its wings to include all, providing free education to the less–privileged. But, we have to look beyond instructions in classrooms. We have to create learning environments, which is not a question of specific skills and bits of knowledge that the student has never attempted to link with real life. We have to ensure that enhanced and effective learning has taken place.

Effective learning is an active, creative process and learners must spend time thinking critically about ideas, evaluating information, asking questions so that educators will go beyond the ‘scope of their syllabus’ to help students connect to real issues and engaging all learners in ideating, creating, discovering, reflecting, problem-solving and ultimately create their own knowledge to become thought-leaders.

How do we do this? Educators today, have a very important role to play. They have to merge the concepts of education and schooling to make learning authentic. Schools must work on engaging students in discussions to establish connections among subjects they learn. Moving to theme–based study is an interdisciplinary approach that leads to integration of subjects. For this, we must move from subject-based time slots in our time-tables to skill-based time slots. For example reading skills could be literature of any language. Appreciation of the language, understanding of emotions, pathos, reflecting on the moods is basically a skill that will help them develop aesthetics. It is not essential to have it all in school. Parents must also spend time reading pieces of literature and encourage critical appreciation of all forms of art, literature and poetry.

Assessments, certifications that seek out and reward individual achievement is a systemic bane that extends all the way to post-graduate education. With cut-offs exceeding the 90s mark and the sheer largesse in the number of students competing for prestigious institutions for advanced education, the margin for error has disappeared in our education system.

(Revathi Srinivasan is the Director-Education and Principal of Singhania School, Thane. Over the years, she has championed research into alternative pedagogies reiterating the need for experiential learning and developing multiple intelligences. Her school’s effort in this direction has been the subject of a case study by IIM Ahmedabad. Revathi is a much sought-after speaker and trainer for lectures and workshops across India and Europe)

Mrs Revathi Srinivasan, Director-Education and Principal, Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania School