Between unit tests, mid-term and terminal exams, students in the regular system of education are hardly given the space for an activity-based self-learning. The Indian education system, for a long time now, has been under the realm of marks-oriented evaluation methods and rote-memory based system of testing. Is it time we put an end to an obsolete teaching and testing method? What are some options in today’s scenario? I spoke to a few students, parents and educationalists to understand the situation better.
Mixed reactions
International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is one of the popular syllabi, currently. The flexibility in terms of the subjects offered, examination pattern and ability-based learning are some key factors why parents choose their wards to pursue education through this syllabus shares Ravi Kannan, a parent. “I wanted my daughter to break-away from rote-memory learning and IGCSE pattern had Cambridge curriculum and the right mix and match features,” adds Ravi.
Educationist Navaneetham Padmanabhan feels the option to choose the level of challenge within a grade and a subject is IGCSE’s huge advantage. ‘This syllabus gives students the freedom to choose their level of challenge within a subject. For instance, there is an option called Mathematics Core and Mathematics Extended – advanced and inter-mediate competencies within the subject, as per a student’s choice and ability. This helps students not wanting to pursue Mathematics as a fundamental subject or those weak in it, an option to choose the difficulty level,’ she explains.
Technology has taken over self-education so much that Navaneetham expects private self-taught students out-numbering regular school-going students in about five years from now.
While parents and students alike prefer the newer syllabi, teachers, who are on the other side of the bridge, feel that there are several factors that need to be taken into consideration during such a revamp. “Undoubtedly, our current syllabus and subject options need to be revised. But the current pattern is a constraint. Therefore, a restructure is required — right from kindergarten. And a lot of the students, even today, are first-generation learners. So, introducing only humanities-based subject or a practical course isn’t the sole solution. The system needs a paradigm shift by introducing job-oriented subjects and better evaluation methods to accommodate students of different skill-sets and aptitude,” briefs Usha Kannan, teacher of economics, Vana Vani Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Chennai.
Several students feel that there is a definite knowledge-gap between what is taught at a high school and at a college. “During a structural reformation, it will be great if schools and colleges’ syllabus committees work together to develop a curriculum that enables a seamless transition from school to college. It would help in planning this top-down. And having more inter-disciplinary subjects at the high school level would benefit us greatly,” shares Jwalika Balaji, an 18-year old student of Law.
Flexible options
“I wanted my son to get educated at a school that offered application-oriented learning. That is why I chose to enrol him in the Cambridge curriculum. Moreover, high school subjects are split mark-wise. For instance, top scorers are usually told to pursue Biology so that they can get into medicine and so on. A syllabus like the IGCSE or Pearson learning method explores this skill-set gap in learning and teaching and provides job-oriented education. This pattern of education further offers several allied and elective courses like photography, tourism, psychology and so on, that help induce a student’s thinking and introduces them to an alternative career path,” says Gayathri Varadarajan, a parent.
Several of the current books are too text heavy and lack a window that enables students to think beyond the books, students say. “I wish more schools had the option of humanities or communication-oriented subjects. These help us think beyond books, enable us to learn about life and induce an interest in appreciating arts, culture and history. I’ve read about how some Japanese schools tutor students in home-science, sewing, gardening and other such life-coping skills. During a revamp, it would be great if such factors are taken into consideration,” shares Haritha Sreedhar, a high school student.
So, what does it take to educate students in an activity-based environment? I reached out to the folks in Navadisha Montessori Foundation, a school that specialises in promoting self-learning for kids. “Experiential learning allows children to discover and understand through their own effort. There is an exchange of idea(s) in a group learning environment,” briefs Hemalatha Rangarajan, AMI Montessori Teacher Trainer at Navadisha Montessori Foundation. “To promote self-learning, the teacher-student ratio need not necessarily be a small group. Activity-based learning removes the need to personally tutor children,” she adds.
‘When students shift from other syllabi to IGCSE, it is initially difficult to cope up. With the right attitude and enthusiasm for self-learning and hunger to read, write and create will help them bridge the jump,’ adds Navaneetham.
On the cusp of technological advancements and multi-skilled jobs scenario, it is highly essential to re-write the basics of how students are taught. And it isn’t impossible to make a shift from the traditional learning method to a more practical method of teaching. With time and support, they can easily benefit from the self-learning method, says Hemalatha.
