Zee Conclave: Bani Paintal Dhawan, Himanshu Rai, Divya Arora's insights on taking Indian education to global standards

Zee News is holding a mega-event ‘Zee Sammelan’ where top leaders from different fields will discuss practical solutions to the problems our country is or might be facing. 

On Saturday, during an interactive session Bani Paintal Dhawan, Head of Education, India and South Asia, Google Cloud India Pvt Ltd, Dr Himanshu Rai, Director at IIM Indore, and Divya Arora, Ex-National Director, AFS Intercultural Program, India spoke at length about taking Indian education to global standards. The session was moderated by Sushant Mohan, Digital Editor at Zee Media.

Q: Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, India brought a lot of students back to the country who were studying in the war-torn nation but this brings up the question - Why do students prefer to study abroad and not in their own country? 

A: Divya Arora: I think one of the main reasons why students prefer to go study outside of India is because of the lack of opportunities. It is very important to step up and focus on having a motivated faculty who encourages children and gives them ample opportunities to explore their skill set. Focus is required to be put on the training of teachers. 

Bani Paintal Dhawan: The Covid-19 pandemic brought with it a wave of online education and how accessible it is. It is important to move towards equalisation. India has grown multi-folds in providing access to education online and we have to work towards the same. 

Dr Himanshu Rai: It is important for the world, for the students to move from exposure to experience. All 600 students at IIM Indore have a program where they live in 106 villages of Madhya Pradesh. By living and not just observing, they experience the problems faced by the residents and come up with doable solutions along with the administration. 

Q: The Covid-19 pandemic shifted the entire education system online, however, people did and still have some doubts over the standard of education provided by teachers online. What is the way forward? Is online education replacing schools for good? 

A: Bani Paintal Dhawan: I don't think online education can ever replace the school system. While online education is surely more accessible, the school system helps to promote social and emotional wellbeing. The future of education is trying to find a blend between online and physical classes and come up with an equitable hybrid model. It is of utmost importance to distinguish where online classes would help and where physical classes would contribute to growth in a better way. 

Dr Himanshu Rai: Online education has provided a lot of exposure and freedom to children so that they can choose what expands their knowledge. Instead of shunning one practice and promoting another, it is important to find a balance between the two. 

Divya Arora: I think it is very important to differentiate between education and literacy. I agree with my fellow panelists when they said that a blend of online and offline is the way to the future. While online education gives exposure, group learning in a school setting supports students to gain experience and hone their skills. 

At the end of the session, Bani Paintal Dhawan also revealed that the students who prefer to study abroad do not compare fees in Indian institutions and outside but the quality of education which they feel is lacking in India. Therefore, it is important for creating a more equitable environment that will help take Indian education to global standards.

A focus on students' skill sets is required, if that is done, the purpose of education will be solved.