By Patricia Mukhim
Sometime we tend to believe the worst of ourselves and conclude that education is Meghalaya’s most difficult mountain to scale until we go through online literature and realise that the whole word is grappling with poor educational outcomes, including the US which we often believe is the country that can offer a masterclass in every department of life. Successive Presidents have tried their own mantra to improve education but have not succeeded because educational reforms which deal with individuals that are creative; are curious and have their own calling, are instead emphasizing on a standardized sort of system where kids are sitting for hours in a dull classroom that expects compliance. There is no space for them to jump and scream and shout when they feel like because the education system we have created over centuries have instilled strict discipline. And this is what has killed creativity, curiousity and the ability to question. Albert Einstein very aptly stated, Education is not learning of facts but training of the mind to think.”
Now let’s try to understand what the word “think” actually means. It means to use one’s mind actively to form connected ideas, opinions, or judgments. Are our students able to connect ideas and then form an opinion upon which they base their judgments and act on those? Many of them receive read-made ideas from teachers, make them their own and don’t think beyond that single idea because they don’t trust their own ability to think and because the system does not encourage students to have multiple ideas or even ideas that contest those of the teacher’s. Thinking is what leads to curiosity. And what is curiosity? It is the desire to learn something. It is the engine of achievements. Curiousity is what drives a child to contest an idea, to question and to experiment. Alas! Instead of curiousity we have a system of compliance in which students and teachers are to follow a set of fixed algorithms. The result of how much a student can comply is reflected in the grades she earns.
In this educational culture, obedience and discipline are rewarded while questioning is penalized. Hence the system does not reward independent thinking. So, what happens then? We stop thinking and become cogs in a wheel. Without using the faculty of thinking we become uncritical and accepting of whatever is told to us. We have lost the most critical faculty of questioning which in turn is what sharpens our thinking.
I am currently reading the book, “Rethinking Curriculum in Times of Shifting Educational Context,” by Kaustuv Roy borrowed from the Azim Premji University Library. This book ought to be read by policy makers who yearn to bring about better learning outcomes. To do that they first have to understand the intrinsic meaning of education. This book unbundles the weight of curriculum that hangs like the sword of Damocles over each teacher; so much so the joy of learning is compromised.
Roy very succinctly states, “Across the world, educational institutions, in particular schools have systematically worked towards their own obsolescence by failing to show existential possibilities beyond a narrow cognitive spectrum. Today in many schools and colleges across various societies, we face a phalanx of indifferent students whose primary source of learning about themselves and the world is not the school or the formal curriculum. They put up with school simply because it holds sway in the public imaginary and controls institutionalized norms of credentialing. Given a choice many would not turn up. The curriculum is at best tolerated, at worst hated. All this makes for a peculiarly unhappy state of affairs, an unhappiness that has become institutionalized. But learned unhappiness is dangerous; it leads to widening circles of disaffection and malady.”
A reason for this overriding cynicism says Roy is that the curriculum does not seem to be the efficient cause of anything. Everything in our lives seems to be controlled and regulated by some invisible power that pays scant attention to us and the youth are aware of this at some level. They see the curriculum as a distant possibility for them to secure a career even while formal education seems to have become inert in the actual intellectual, emotional, oral growth of most young adults. There is a disconnect between school learning and life experiences. This aspect of school failure and curriculum reform is regularly brainstormed by educational experts but with little results. Instead, some seem to think that technology is the solution to these real life problems. Roy states that technology is only but a small extension of the brain’s own internal circuitry. The brain can only recuperate itself in various ways hence there is danger in imagining that technology is capable of bringing in salvation.
As in India, experiences in the US have shown that poverty and affluence are the most important determinants of test scores. This strong correlation is borne out in every standardized test pitted against a bell curve that reflects family income and education. And always, affluent kids have dominated the top while poor kids are at the bottom. Those who have proposed reforms in education in the US have therefore agreed that they can ameliorate the impact of poverty on children and families by ensuring that kids have access to nutrition, medical care, and decent housing. The US Government went further and even addressed the medical needs of pregnant women to ensure that their children are born healthy – meaning that a child must have adequate nutrition right in the mother’s womb to have the right cognitive development. We all know that in Meghalaya large numbers of children suffer malnutrition and under-nutrition and how that affects their learning. Is the state able to address this, apart from the bigger challenge of halting the rapid drop-out rate?
I am bringing in a comparison between the Indian and American education system because there are stark similarities between the two. The US, once a global leader, has slipped over the past few decades and now ranks far behind other developed countries in terms of educational outcomes. There are several reasons for this, and the ten most crucial factors contributing to the failure of the US education system appears to be our cup of woes too.
They include:
(1) insufficient funding which results in non-payment of teachers’ salaries or underpaid teachers and dilapidated classrooms.
(2) Outdated curriculum has hampered students from acquiring contemporary skills that address current societal demand and job market requirements. Now the NEP 2020 is a one shoe fits all model which is unlikely to work.
(3) Overemphasis on Standardized Testing puts pressure on students and teachers. Such high stakes testing that test only the memory will diminish creativity and critical thinking.
(4) Inequality of opportunity is Meghalaya’s bane. Income-based inequality denies high quality education access to all students.
(5) Inadequate Teacher Retention where skilled educators leave the profession due to low salaries, increasing workloads, and lack of support. This frequent turnover directly impacts the quality of education provided to students
(6). Lack of Parental Involvement is a major cause of poor educational outcomes in India/Meghalaya. It goes without saying that when parents take an active interest in their child’s schooling, it can lead to better student engagement and achievement. But how can poor, semi-literate parents be of any help to their kids?
(7) Lack of Early Childhood Education is what mars a child’s future. Studies show that early childhood education significantly influences a child’s future academic success but we know that many kids don’t have the luxury of pre-school education and are therefore disadvantaged
(8) Limited Support for English Language Learners (ELL). Students who don’t speak English as their first language often struggle in the classroom due to insufficient assistance or resources. This is a huge drawback for rural students in particular. Schools need to invest in specialized support services to ensure ELL students can succeed academically
(9) Neglect of Social and Emotional Learning: The focus on academics often overshadows the most critical factors of learning, namely social and emotional learning. Educating students on communication, empathy, and self-awareness allows them to develop into well-rounded individuals. Currently the number of youth afflicted by mental illness is on the rise but are we even aware and do we care?
10. Overcrowded classrooms: It needs no emphasis that too many students in a classroom negatively affects the learning environment. Teachers struggle to offer personalized attention when that is what a student craves for. Naturally this leads to a decline in students’ academic performance.
The question is whether the above factors can or will be addressed by our governance system because at the end of the day this will come under educational governance. There is need to admit that the present educational system has huge limitations and benefits those that could afford alternative systems. It is important for the Government to understand the limitations of the current system before stepping towards change and developing an educational system that truly benefits all students equally. Equal access to the best education system is critical.