Learning

Education is defined as the act of imparting/acquiring general knowledge, developing powers of reasoning and judgement, and basically preparing oneself intellectually for mature life.

I do believe we seem to have lost this very basic concept. Today, attainment of knowledge is not the goal of the student. Academics is considered only an aspect of the qualifications required for a vocation. It is a trite search for a livelihood. Children study only that which seems to give them the best bet in getting them the best job. Success is defined by the money your first job offers. Education's new mantra is not learning, it is earning. And its ironic that a simple spelling mistake can sum up everything that is wrong with today's schooling.

Our biggest universities seem to have become glorified polytechnics. I find it almost unbearable when designers from reputed schools decide midway through to study medicine. And then have the gall to announce that it the earning potential of the field that has drawn them to it! The immense lack of integrity is staggering. What kind of doctors will these people make? Obviously there is as little love for the subject of medicine itself as they had for their previous chosen field. What of the empathy that this profession demands? As usual, I must put across my caveat: there is always that exception - situations when a field dies out, when there is no scope of development in a field and one must change tracks. Or when a person really does grow out of the role he/she has, and needs a new career. But when the consideration is only monetary it is a vile insult to human endeavour.

I know of a family where the brilliant son has so many options open to him because of his good grades and excellent SAT scores. The boy has NO IDEA what subjects he would like to explore. All he asks as advice is information on which field will be highest paying by the time he graduates! I would be surprised if he stays sane till then.

It is this frenzy for big, quick bucks that has relegated learning to the few inquiring minds who risk derision when they say they just want to 'study for now'. Where there should have been mass enlightenment of the human race on the knowledge we already have in store, we have mass hysteria of a race with an imaginary finish line. People often tell me 'competition is tough'. I am still to see the 'competition'. My mind has been independent of any others, my learning, or lack thereof has been my own, so who do I compete with?

The saddest part of this lunatic race in which we have thrown out kids is this- that the child who actually has got the inclination and the talent for the ' hot' career may actually be left behind. Getting into the school of choice becomes the prerogative of those with the 'right training' in India, or the 'right resume' in the US. And sometimes the 'right money' simply swings it to its advantage.

My daughter, thankfully, works in her own orbit. Sometimes she does not even like the assignments she is doing, but she knows she is working towards that erudition- not the job at the end of 4 years and a degree, but at what she wants to do with the 4 years of knowledge of biological cells she has by then. Yes, she wants to 'study for now'. And it is people like her who will find cures, and design drugs. Students like this who will write the next Paradise Lost, or propel the next tech revolution.

That brings me to the second point that has been bothering me. We have moved into didactic culture where we pamper students. We have fancy words, and even fancier instructional research. We have differentiated instructions , and even more differentiated approaches for labelled abilities . It is about as bad as the parenting guidelines that our thrown at us every few years! It is time we understood that the word teaching has a root meaning. TEACH. To impart knowledge, yes, but also to train and discipline. The classroom is not a playground, it is not a fun picnic. It is a place where you come to learn. And a part of the learning is to deal with things you may not like. I have been to many workshops, and have tried a variety of their programs in my classroom. Of course the programs are wonderful and the children have fun learning. But nothing works as well as 'you just have to do it'. Of course, I am not talking of children with special needs ( I have none in my class). But all other children, whatever their learning style- a simple 'do it' is all the motivation they need. We really need to stop pampering our children. Life will throw things at you that will be tough. That is guaranteed. Problems will not check your learning abilities before smiting you. Successful education teaches you how to cope with life problems, how to adjust to and accommodate the vicissitudes of fate. And teaching you to study according to what and how the teacher decides, gives you tools that you will call upon all through life.

It has been so aptly said- 'Education is what remains after what one has learned has been forgotten'. After one has forgotten the phonics and the projects,and teachers who struggled to help you put it all together, what remains are the skills you used to learn them. Western education has lost this crucial part of pedagogy.