Education is happiness. Overloading a child takes away from him or her, the joy of learning. Let’s make the process more meaningful, says Kalpana Mohan, Principal, Vidyashilp Academy.
Offer students a buffet
Schools should focus on helping children think independently. Projects that are concept-based should replace homework. Students should be offered a buffet of subjects to choose from. In this case, homework should not be confused with the word project. The latter is given to help the child grasp the concept better. When such projects are given, children will automatically do research on those topics. If they don’t understand a particular topic, teachers can make lesson plans to facilitate easier understanding. An immediate step would be replacing textbooks with teachers who should be seen as “facilitators”.
Focus on contemporary life
Today, we need ‘child-driven’ education and not what they call the ‘child-centric’ education. Children can demand what they would like to learn. And giving them freedom to choose will give them the space to hone their skills. At our school, we don’t push children to memorise spellings or multiplication tables in the earlier days. They learn through role-play, drawings and chart-making. Life skills are taught through activities. So, in such a system, there is no need for the child to carry anything home.
Avoid conflict at home
When a child returns home, he is greeted by the formidable mother at the door who asks: how much of homework did you get today? Children are hardly given any space. Since most families today have only one child, he doesn’t even have playmates at home. So after school, the common preoccupation is settling down to do homework with the parent supervising, soon after which, the two end up fighting. There’s simply no happy hour between parents and children. And if he doesn’t do his homework, the child has to face his teacher’s wrath too. Homework is nothing but repetition. There would be five questions that you do in class and the rest five you will have to attempt at home. Children easily get bored doing it. Teachers should avoid repetition and give them challenging concepts for homework.
Call for reforms in education
Discussions on the need for reform in the educational system have been going on in the country for some time. But in order for education to undergo a sea change, policy-makers should actively participate while designing the curriculum. Also, video and audio clips, and other aides have to be used extensively. This promotes faster learning and the pressure on the child to learn through repetition is reduced. Teachers can also give children extended assignments that motivate the child intrinsically. These should not be made mandatory.
Change will come over time
Curriculum and policies can change, provided they are supported by effective guidelines. So far, the changes in the education system have been minor. But we are looking at a quantum leap in terms of policy. So, the people who make these policies need to do their homework well. They’ll have to identify needs, analyse them in totality and come up with appropriate guidelines. A few questions also need to be asked: Are the teachers ready? Are their minds open to new methods? Huge change is possible. However, in most schools that have adopted new teaching methods, most teachers are confused. That has to be addressed too.
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