Educating Ourselves

Recently, or rather always, there has been outrage against our education system. Though not in physical form, mentally, among groups of children, elders, and older people. It is a thing to laugh that everyone is there to mock about it, but no one does anything to bring a change. Parents who send their children to school, silently complain about the system followed by that school. It has become a thing to 'Gossip' in group discussions or social events. And the most ironic part is that it has become a topic for debate or ‘intellectual discussion’ in schools. Yes, last year, our class ended up discussing this topic with our social teacher.

Before I get into the topic, I would like to thank CBSE for its existence, which allowed me to write about it. Just kidding, the recent reforms done by our honorable HRD Minister, Mr. Prakash Javadekar, regarding reduction of class 11th and 12th syllabus got me into thinking mode. And, of course, our ever-lasting discussions on this topic helped me get the direction.

Getting straight to the point, is it our Education System? We have criticized it for our poor grades, complaining about the rote memorization, cramming and all other stuff, which got us no-where, instead wasted our time. Have we ever thought about it this way?

I accept the fact and I still believe that our education system needs major reforms. The suicide rates among teens, high rate of failures, and some other such factors got the government and various bodies concerned, and they came up with a new reform, that the syllabus of Class 11th and 12th would be reduced to half from 2019 (I mean, good for upcoming batches!) so that students get time for their all-round development. Do they really think that children are going to devote the extra time for 'All-Round Development'? It will only make them lazier. And believe me, it will create problems in their future studies because all topics are linked together, and cutting the syllabus short only means increased work load in colleges.

During a discussion, one of my friends came up with the fact that Finland education system was rated among the top among all other countries. Out of curiosity, I started digging into it and came across a video that amused me. There are a few things make Finland different; for example, the teachers work on building concepts rather than 'Book-based' studies.

So, the best option we find is to leave India and go to some city in Finland. Not possible for everyone, right? Neither can we blame our parents for not being citizens of Finland. The big question is, what can we do right now?

We are left with two choices right now, first to leave/drop-out of school. Another option is to go with the flow and accept what you have. And we all know that every drop-out student does not become 'Steve Jobs' or 'Bill Gates.'

Conclusion: The best option for most students is to do what they have been doing up till now, i.e., Study.

After thinking about all of this, I feel helpless. Although, we must not forget that each coin has two faces. All we have to do is to look at the other side.

Most of us are aware about this situation, and some people move on with it and continue what they have been doing. Some think of it as an opportunity and decide to rise and shine despite such situations. Some of you knowingly or unknowingly take it as an excuse for not doing stuff. And if you are such a person who blames the education system for your failures and say that you are tied, then my friend, I would say that you are making a grave mistake. Stop complaining and start doing. If you care about your success and your life, then do one thing right now, start blaming yourself for your failures than someone else. I know that this system does not promote creativity, and the truth is that we students cannot do much about it at this point. Crying about it is only a waste of time. And if you have the guts, go out and protest and ask people to join you. When you accept that everything is your fault, you feel the guilt that allows you to take action. You should stop blaming the education system and start doing yourself good. If you think that you are not suitable for academics, then go after the thing you love.

I was such a person who always blamed the education system. I restricted myself from innovating and thinking of new ways until I realized that I had been doing so wrong to myself all of these years. I created an imaginary boundary in my mind that forbid me from seeing beyond the walls. So, after that, I decided that I would accept my failures instead of blaming the education system. Blaming yourself is not depressing; instead, it becomes depressing when you blame others and start feeling helpless.

We should never give our hope. Be it any situation, believing that you can do it and giving your best into it is the best you can do. Gossiping about it with your friends is just a waste of time. Talking to yourself and finding a solution to the problem will surely help you. I want you all to promise yourself that you will not complain anymore about our education system. Take it as a challenge and do something in your life so that you can tell your children and grandchildren the same thing our parents do "Hamare zamane me education bhut tough hoti thi" And don't forget to remember me while you say this with a smile on your face.

Thanks a lot, if you are still reading this. It means a lot to me. Please drop me an email about how you feel about this or how you think I can improve my blog.