Author: Prem Kiran, Head of Transformation, Azvasa Education, Bangalore
The advent of NEP 2020 has opened avenues for innovation in Indian education from a policy standpoint. Embracing these policies and implementing them largely depends on the readiness and awareness of stakeholders who can work together to bring about the needed alignment to 21st century requirements. Schools are opening up towards much-awaited transformation -partnering with NGOs, Edutech and school transformation companies to raise the bar and level up.
Urban schools have much to offer when compared to rural or semi-rural schools in terms of technology and opportunities. India has 250 million students. Can we bring about uniformity and equality in their opportunities and exposure? Well, yes! This can be achieved through the power of technology. The educational landscape has changed tremendously in the last three years.
The challenge now is to keep the momentum and transform teachers into modern educators. It is imperative to have good digital infrastructure, internet and interactive mode of learning through collaboration. Internet connectivity needs to be ramped up and the government needs to prioritize this aspect.
During pandemic, every single teacher rose to the occasion and learnt new skills in digital teaching, a first to many. Thus, we know that it is only the purpose/vision that brings about change. Training teachers to supplement new methods of teaching and means of teaching becomes the second pressing need of the hour.
JC Macaulay once said “One of the markers of greatness is the ability to develop greatness in others. With respect to these markers, the third most important change is in the need to decide what to teach than what we teach?”
The purpose of education is to enlighten the mind to prepare for the society of today/tomorrow. It becomes a prime responsibility of educators to prepare students for the unknown tomorrow, with the tools of today.
One of the right answers is to impart values with equal importance to knowledge and skills. Can values be learnt? Yes, it can be learnt if it is backed by a purpose. We can mould students into becoming able leaders of the century by giving them a purpose. Bringing a collective value system into curriculums will ensure students develop and put to good use the knowledge and skills they learn at school for better action.
The post-pandemic education system of our country has the potential and power to become a global superpower. A knowledge and value economy. Let’s be the purpose of change!
