Thoughts on the Indian Education System

I was recently asked to write something on “What is wrong with India’s education system? What are the solutions?”

Here’s what I could come up with :

Problems

1. Training to take exams, and not learn

2. Does not kindle a child’s curiosity

3. Does not prepare a child for real life situations - thinking on your feet, quick decision making, communication, working efficiently, focus on physical and mental well being etc.

4. Emphasis on rote learning

5. Not inter-disciplinary, does not promote cross pollination of ideas.

6. Knowledge centric, does not focus on skills

Solutions

1. Incorporating skill education into the syllabi (being well read, thinking and working efficiently and smartly, presenting ideas, discussing them and learning as a group from each other)

2. Promoting interdisciplinary programs - eg. courses on mathematics + biology/ computer science + medicine/ law + IT

3. Teaching students to learn from reference sources and reducing dependencies on traditional modes of learning like lectures of 60 min

4. Focussing on teaching by making students do things (activity based learning) and case studies and discussions

5. Increasing awareness about alternative career paths, such that the child can focussing on excelling at something he really loves doing and then make a career out of it rather than forcing the child on a traditional career path   

6. Teaching students ‘How to Learn’ along with ‘What to Learn’.

Links

1. Feynman’s model
2. Learn to Learn