Coming from a modest middle-class background I understand and appreciate the importance of education in securing one's future. Not that people from other background don't appreciate education or that careers in other fields do not exist. But, pragmatically speaking education can help you achieve sustainable living and it is crucial in managing one's self esteem, specially for those from related backgrounds. Probably, that sets the pretext for the heightened stress that parents and children undergo to secure better grades, which has even led to suicides etc in some really unfortunate cases.
The recent education policy aims to abolish school board exams quoting the need to remove [reduce?] the stress for school going children. A welcome step? Well, depends where are you coming from.. In case you feel it is a welcome step because it help reduce stress I'm not with you. My question is who are you trying to help? are you saying you can make their life a bed of roses? they are not going to have any stress? ever? May be your new system allows them to pass certain public exam 'without failing' but what next? are they going to spend their lives at school alone, studying? I believe, No.. some time or the other they need to face the industry, the real world.. believe me all that school work will look like a cake walk...
But, in case you do believe that abolishing public exams at school level is welcome step because now students do not have to study to get grades. Yes, as much as it sounds strange it is good. It is important to understand that education is not some material object [read grades/marks] that one gets upon completion of education. The real education is the state of mind. It is that great heritage of common sense that has been brought down to us over the ages. Now, with that material motivation removed students can now focus on learning rather than getting good grades, which makes them seeker. The motivation to learn is now from within, there are no socially defined pressures.
I understand what many of us might go through as a result of this void created in our lives. There are no 'goals' which might distract our 'normal' student and he may eventually loose his interest in studies and compromises on a lesser education ... which is good isn't it?!! think about it!!... he was not liking it any ways and at best would have remained a mediocre all his life even after a 'highly-rated-degree'. Only those who really appreciate their learning will continue thus saving a lot of resources.
In either case there are certain risk factors which need to be mitigated to avoid chaos:
The recent education policy aims to abolish school board exams quoting the need to remove [reduce?] the stress for school going children. A welcome step? Well, depends where are you coming from.. In case you feel it is a welcome step because it help reduce stress I'm not with you. My question is who are you trying to help? are you saying you can make their life a bed of roses? they are not going to have any stress? ever? May be your new system allows them to pass certain public exam 'without failing' but what next? are they going to spend their lives at school alone, studying? I believe, No.. some time or the other they need to face the industry, the real world.. believe me all that school work will look like a cake walk...
But, in case you do believe that abolishing public exams at school level is welcome step because now students do not have to study to get grades. Yes, as much as it sounds strange it is good. It is important to understand that education is not some material object [read grades/marks] that one gets upon completion of education. The real education is the state of mind. It is that great heritage of common sense that has been brought down to us over the ages. Now, with that material motivation removed students can now focus on learning rather than getting good grades, which makes them seeker. The motivation to learn is now from within, there are no socially defined pressures.
I understand what many of us might go through as a result of this void created in our lives. There are no 'goals' which might distract our 'normal' student and he may eventually loose his interest in studies and compromises on a lesser education ... which is good isn't it?!! think about it!!... he was not liking it any ways and at best would have remained a mediocre all his life even after a 'highly-rated-degree'. Only those who really appreciate their learning will continue thus saving a lot of resources.
In either case there are certain risk factors which need to be mitigated to avoid chaos:
- The 'normal' student who settled for a lesser education as a result of his ever increasing committment to his 'other-than-education' activities should be able to leave his education without any penalties
- He should be able to find an employment opportunity fit to his calibre.
- He should be able to return to his education in case he gets frustrated with his 'boring' work to seek creativity to gain theoretical understanding of THE World around him.
Learning should be fun.
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