Organic linkages with society

Summarising the state of education today

Schools have not changed much since their global expansion beginning in the 19th century and continue to be organised to deliver prescribed ‘book content’ through
the teachers in a highly structured ‘classroom settings’.
Some of the areas where the schools have unfailingly retained focus are:
1. Delivering a ‘defined universal curriculum’ as the be-all and end-all of knowledge required for the students
2. Implementing the standard universal curriculum in every period, every section, by every teacher, in every subject ‘without prejudice’.
3. Teachers and text books are the only source of knowledge despite the vast resources of knowledge freely available on the internet.
4. Teaching students similarly, irrespective of their socio-economic background, by turning a blind eye to their individual or collective levels of educational readiness.
5. Assess the knowledge of the students using standard undifferentiated assessment methods.
6. Certify the achievements of students in gross terms, by summarising it in a few divisions/grades and averages.
7. Remedial for gaps in understanding are addressed crudely, such as remarks like ‘Work harder in math’, ‘You can do well in Algebra’, ‘Work on your speed of writing’.
8. Limiting the role of parents by mostly ignoring the way children go about their homework, reading, play, socialize and study habits at home.
9. Focus on students’ attendance is paramount. Attendance requirements have remained higher than the most academic benchmarks.
10. Undertake the above tasks at a mass scale, irrespective of the need to obtain the qualitative and quantitative requirements for higher education or employment.

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