At fifteen, my daughter is at a crossroads in her life. She has to decide whether to pursue further studies in Science, Commerce or Arts. She has written aptitude tests, undergone career counselling, met people from different walks of life. Yet she's unable to decide where her interests lie. Even though she's clear about not being an engineer or a doctor, the line becomes blurred after this point. She is not alone in her predicament.
Many tenth graders are guided by their parents and peers to take up science. The Arts stream invariably turns out to be the bottom of the ladder. There is an assumption that you take up Arts if you don't fare well in the tenth exams, and didn't get admission to Science or Commerce. We forget that some of the greatest minds of our society emerged from a humanities background.The CBSE has taken bold steps to change our education system — the pattern of examination, teaching methodologies, assessment of non-scholastic areas like life skills, exposure to creative arts including music and dance at the higher secondary level. Now we need to take it to the next level. Introducing a choice of electives from the humanities and commerce group at the beginning of ninth standard will broaden horizons. Instead of having to make decisions at tenth standard, children are better equipped to do so at the twelfth standard level. They might have the maturity to make better decisions that can alter the course of their lives.
Do you have anything to say? About the state of the world, the city, your angst? Dash off your piece with your photograph. Email it to bangmetro@gmail.com or post it to MetroPlus, The Hindu, 19 & 21, Bhagwan Mahaveer Road (Infantry Road), Bangalore 1.
COMMents
SHARE