In a competition-driven world, where a student’s intelligence is assessed based on his grades rather than values imbibed and the process of learning has become more a stress than a pleasure, is the present system able to provide meaningful education to students?
Academicians, educationists, and experts from various educational institutions, along with stakeholders, who took part in the Education Thought Leadership Summit, ‘ETHOS-2015’, presented jointly by Markautus and The Hindu on Saturday , pondered over many facts that haunt the education sector, which was growing by leaps and bounds.
In his keynote address, former Registrar of Andhra University K. Rama Mohan Rao pointed out that unless the commercial element attached to the existing education system was removed, providing quality-oriented education would remain elusive.
“By adopting innovative methods of teaching and developing the overall personality of the students, one can do their bit to strengthen the system,” he said.
CEO of Markautus Y. Vamsi Krishna highlighted the themes of the summit — ‘Competition versus spirit of learning’, ‘Should careers drive education or vice-versa?’, and ‘Technology enabled education: boon or bane’.
‘Explore new avenues’
Defining education as a continuous process, principal of Delhi Public School, Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, B. Aruna Kumari, emphasised the importance of identifying the strengths of children and helping them become change-makers.
She said: “Parents should encourage their children to look beyond medicine and engineering courses, and allow them to explore other dynamic avenues such as journalism.”
To ensure collaborative learning, Head of School Interface, IMAX, Anuradha Srinivasan, said teachers should strive hard to add value to the process of learning and make it a meaningful exercise for the little ones to absorb and put the perspectives into practice.
New techniques
Associate professor of Lendi Institute of Engineering and Technology T. Haribabu said that one should accept change and be open to adopt new techniques in learning as well as teaching.
Elaborating the impact of technology, Academic Head, IIM-Visakhapatnam, G. Janaki Ramachandran, said that technology gives a universal perspective and broadens the horizons of a person.
“However, it should not limit the problem-solving ability of a student. With unlimited answers available at the click of a button, easy access to the Internet should not cripple a person’s thought process,” she said.
Principal of Avanthi Institute of Engineering and Technology C.P.V.N.J. Mohan Rao, CEO of Edutor Technologies G. Ram, and project manager of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Hyderabad, I.L. Narasimha Rao, among others, took part in the panel discussions.
Unless the commercial element attached to the existing system is removed, providing quality education will remain elusive
K. Rama Mohan Rao
Former AU Registrar
Let learning be a pleasure, say educationists, stakeholders
