School for life – learn life skills
We read and write everyday.
How much time is spent in reading and writing words? This includes watching movies with subtitles, reading books, talking to professionals, watching television with ads in it, glancing bill boards on the road or surfing the products displayed in a retail store. The world has adapted to a system, that advocates – to live a decent life, literacy is indispensable.
How did this happen? At school a child is introduced to science, maths, language, social science. All these subjects are introduced only through reading and writing. Is this the best technique to teach a concept? If not, then why is note making and lecturing given so much importance?
Why can’t a concept be taught using craft, pottery, music, dance, acting or sports? Schools in this era, in India have become uni-dimensional. 6 or 8 hours spent by a student at school is into listening, writing and reading. This provides very little opportunity to know and learn life skills.
Now, the purpose and objective of current school system is adrift. What does a school actually do? Why should children go to school? What are they becoming after they step out of school? Some students are definitely proving progressive and contributing their efforts to the society. But this proportion is very small. How about the rest of them who are being taught to follow the herd game without purpose? Who will take onus of this situation?
Is it the school, parents, government? I would say the system. The current system in which we are all comfortable, oblivious of the weeds in it.
What should the children be taught? Balance, respect, clarity, truth, belief and most of all the art of learning.
A child spends 10 to 12 years in a formal school. Some graduate with laurels and others as mediocre and few others as nobody. While a student stays in school for so long, is it not possible to teach a few basic things to live life. A school’s definition is condensed and narrowed to ‘a literate generating institution’. When will it change to a life renewing system?