Promoting Innovative Outlook In Education.

By Rhoades Maibam

“Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classrooms”.

The ever-increasing jobless growth is the latest entry in the list of obstacles that the country has to face in the present century. With ‘higher grades but lesser skills’ becoming a culture among many schools and colleges today, it is not wrong to say that a change in the education system is the very need of the hour.

But, before we try to change the system itself, it would be befitting to change the mindsets of the citizens as a whole. We have all seen and grown up in societies where doctors and engineers are highly favoured against singers, musicians, painters and whatnot. The very future of our children, ‘our pillars of the nation’, are getting decided by their parents and not themselves. This is the biggest tumour in the mindsets of our citizens and before it puts a halt to our nation’s growth, we, as both citizens and parents, must contribute our share and not hold back our children from taking the nation forward in their positive ways.

However, our share of contribution must not stop there. We have to guide them in the process as well and what better way than with ‘skillful and innovative means’ to our present education system? Education should not be just behind the four walls of the room. It should be more than that.

For instance, Mathematics doesn’t have to be only theoretical and numerical problems anymore. It can be as fun as carrying out field-works in surveys; working on laboratory assignments on a computer; drawing three-dimensional conicoids, paraboloids and their two-dimensional counterparts, etc… History doesn’t have to be boring, rather it can be as exciting as visiting ancient monuments on a study tour or visiting villages about rich cultures and traditions – ‘all simple, yet innovative!’ Also, the very English literature can be learnt through plays, dramas and dances, thereby providing a way to improve the students’ personalities too. All these are just a few examples and much more of these, if not better than these, can completely change the whole perspective of the child and hence, help him get the most out of what he receives.

The pessimists may, however, have a different say on this. According to them, factors such as an increase in school fees for carrying out such activities, infrastructural costs, the increased burden on teachers, larger demand for manpower, etc… are enough to put a stop to the whole idea. They may even go on with the argument that the present system is enough and if the child is not acquiring the concerned qualities then, it is he alone to blame and neither the system nor the teachers. But, as we have seen, other nations are fast outpacing us in every field and not because they have more resources and facilities, but because of the proper execution of plans and a holistic approach to development in any sector possible.

Nonetheless, thanks to the proactive approach of the present-day leaders, we have seen the pessimists getting a ‘hard slap’ and the education system has indeed taken up many steps in its innovative approach to the overall skill development of students. An increase in the number of science fairs, dance competitions, and other extra-curricular activities at both the national and state level along with the increased funds for innovative learning and research in many diverse fields such as nanotechnology, biochemistry, geophysics, etc... are a few examples worth mentioning in this regard.

Further, with the passing of the Right to Education Act, of 2009 and the many schemes for education so far, the nation has indeed made sure that not just the system of education is innovated, but its wings have also covered each and every child including that of the poor. It has given them a ray of hope and made sure that their prayers are heard. It has also guaranteed them that they too can dream the same dream that every other child in the country shares today i.e. ‘a marching nation with none left behind.’

Thus, there is no doubt of the immense importance of promoting an innovative outlook to the present education system and that we, as citizens, as teachers and above all, as parents should join hands in the cause and make sure that the ‘blackboards of the classrooms’ become the ‘lights of hope and inspiration’ for our children of tomorrow.

By Rhoades Maibam