What was lacking in our Education, that we were never Inspired to know but just rote and forget?
As I sit in my room reading “India Unbound”, by Gurcharan Das and enjoying every bit of the Economic History, I am drawn into this hollow feeling that I wasn’t taught my subjects well especially my History, Geography and Civics.
The history of our Nation, our Geographical spread across land and seas and the Good Governance we so badly miss in our day to day lives. I am constrained to think why weren't these subjects taught to me with the respect it beholds.
Why am I inspired by the freedom fighters of yesteryear now, why not then? Why the Indian geography appeals to me now but was vague then? Why learning about the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary was boring then, while I yearn to know more about what’s happening in the UP elections, or the Judiciary’s role in tackling cases given an early unlawful death or the Climatic changes coming our way.
Were we that stupid in the eighth or ninth or tenth standard; or made to be morons to ramble through our books, rote learning to get the maximum marks and be the cynosure of some eyes and the envy of some.
It is frustrating enough to know many of our leaders in the Government bodies are illiterate, have no inclination towards progress and spend half their time in the blame game as to who is a bigger Scamster. To most of us, this does not inspire to take the baton; we’d rather be happy doing our bit for ourselves and confining to our families and friends. It is so easy to comment (which sadly I am delving in too) but how many of us are willing to take up that challenge. Why is that spark missing?
Somehow I would like to lay the blame (easiest thing of course) on our education system, on the way we were taught, on the way we were brought up? Why wasn’t the Revolt of 1857, the team-work of Lal-Bal-Pal, the courage of Subhash Chandra Bose, the struggles of Bhagat Singh read to me in a manner I’d be wishing to remember and willing to recall?
Why do we require a “Rang De Basanti” or a Movie on “Netaji”to remind us of our past struggles and the glory these leaders brought?
Till date the Government wishes to reform the Education system, although not by comprehending the structure of this mundane education system and the manner of teaching, but by editing books to glorify some and defame others, by providing mid-day meals (which most kids don’t end up getting), by paying Teachers who have the least enthusiasm and will to teach.
Let me share this, it is wrong to presume children would want to study for the food they get at lunch. I remember the program we started in my college to teach mess workers, mostly kids (Yes, Child labor in a premier Engineering Institution). They didn’t come for the sweets and chocolates we gave them, nevertheless, the play time they lost, they came to learn. We inspired them with a vision for their future. They enjoyed the sessions because they found it interesting- the story telling, the jokes in between, the narration, the drama. They came for that. I too could have been doing something else and so could most of us, iff the manner of education imparted to us was with an effort to actually enrich our souls with a potpourri of Rich History, Wild Geography and Mesmerizing Civics.
Oh yes forgive me for not yet hitting upon the Gravity of Physics, the Bubbling Chemistry and the Enigma of Biology that befuddled us but also enthused, for we had a career to so badly make.
I pity those poor benchers of today who would be making stupid notes encrypted by some Tom/Dick/Harry who would have topped his way to a B-Ed degree and haunt the naïve kids until they read and read and vomited out all as desired in the exams.
Cometh Glory to that Student and Cometh Glory to that Teacher. The chain continues with batch after batch of Fresh young minds, which ought to be ignited are charred.
For those who run the system:
“What we seek is change in the way we ought to be taught and not what we are taught”
