Oct 24, 2011     

Today’s world is enveloped by an intense advancement in technology which has also affected the process of learning and thinking. Gone are the good old customs. No child today ever thinks of going to her grandmother and asking her to narrate stories. Children seem to be sharper and brighter. They are already immersed in the multi-task culture of technology. They just enjoy spending time with their favourite gadgets, video games, cell phone applications, face-down staring into Face Book and spend not even 15 minutes in learning what is taught in school. Even Tom and Jerry series in Cartoon Network is less attractive compared to the more recent cartoons involving famous film stars and celebrities.

Today when we speak of need for change in the education system, a possible uniform pattern throughout the country through the concept of National Curriculum Framework (NCF), I feel we need to realize whether our teachers have ever tried to make the learning process easy and enjoyable for the learner. I have serious doubts.

When I look back at my own schooling, I was never drawn to studying except when I had no other option but to do so, to write exams. But I remember having enjoyed some subjects because the teacher made the difference and created interest in me.

The trend in the profession of teachers is very vivid in the example of the woodcutter. A woodcutter found a job. He impressed his master by cutting 15 logs on the first day. Next week he was able to cut only ten. Later he realized that he could cut very few each day. He began to doubt his own ability. He had forgotten that he had last sharpened his axe on the first day of his job.

Aren’t most teachers today freezing, and showing laxity by using the same old, boring and routine style of memorize and delivery? I do not know why the Government has raised the retiring age to 60. Is it that the present generation needs old experienced teachers who seem to be still good with their old ways of teaching? Or do we not need young blood that may need extra training but can be more creative if so demanded? We need to strike a balance.

The primary school helps a child to move into the realm of knowledge for the first time. That first experience needs to be made best utilized. On reaching the secondary school stage, he/she learns to combine skill development along with the knowledge acquired. My concern is about the deteriorating standards of teaching in primary and secondary schools. Over the years of being in touch with different schools, I have come across some schools in which teachers do not even know the correct spelling of common words. I recently happened to see a video uploaded in face book from a news channel airing the standard of teaching. A teacher seems to be teaching the days of the week in a completely new language, that looked to be an off shoot of English... Sande, Mande, Farade, etc !

Many teachers get trained and continue to teach, often forgeting that they need to sharpen their potentials by learning newer techniques of making the learning process enjoyable. They are satisfied with using the same skills and techniques they used on the first day they ever taught.

A research done by P K Pandey and Dipali Dwivedi has only confirmed that there is no much difference between aided and unaided schools with regard to teacher-freezing. Teacher- freezing does not refer to the inability of the teacher, but the overall unused, under used and stagnated intellectual, psychological, social and moral potential of teachers. It means teachers lack interest, creativity and enthusiasm with regard to performing their responsibility in creating exploring minds in subjects they teach.

A survey of 2009-10 records that 77% schools have teachers who are not aware that Pluto has been removed from the planetary league. About 80% teachers do not know simple abbreviations like BSNL, UNESCO, UNICEF. Most are very familiar with LIC, I do not know why. 70% do not even know about India’s moon mission ‘Chandrayaan.’

Alvin Toffler, a futurologist says, “Future illiterates will not be the ones who can’t read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and re-learn.” Today’s generation has a few people who don’t want to learn new things, a new software, etc. We are not worried about the low standards of some government schools. But is not the tax we pay used for the upkeep of such schools?

The ASER report about education by an NGO named Pratam says, “Government school and overall enrollment over the years has increased. But 53.5% of children of Class 5 can’t read the text book of Class 2. Do we have teachers for Maths, Science and English who can make the learning experience enjoyable and memorable one?

Many have a basic qualification, but few after graduation have specialized training other than B Ed. Unless we have good teachers, not just in number, our country will not benefit from the fast growth in education. Education system needs to be reviewed or else we need at least to stop teacher-freezing, i.e laxity in preparing learning experience for their students.

Serious Concerns
           
Why are students committing suicide? To which age range do they belong? Have we ever realized and analyzed further? There may be many reasons for it. But I think in their adolescent age when they have sufficient stress and strain, our teaching method without the goal of helping them enjoy study, will be another burden on them. Just being worried about completion of the syllabus rather than making them understand, will only increase exam anxiety thereby leading to increase in suicides. Have we forgotten the student psychology when we rush to complete the syllabus and worry about rote learning and planning tests and exams? How can we make them remember things better? Learning takes place when things are understood. Things are understood when emotions are involved. Emotions are involved when learning is connected with awareness. Some may blame the exam pattern. But I think students remember what they enjoyed learning most.
           
A teacher can influence a student for life. When I look back I remember those subjects and lessons which my teacher made me enjoy. Very few teachers think of the dimension of inspiration over students. Very few know the immense responsibility and commitment that come with the package of teaching as profession.

Don’t teachers call the parents only when students misbehave? I know of a teacher who called the parents of a boy. The parents were tensed and surprised. The teacher greeted the parents and made them sit. Parents had reasons to tell that their son was beaten severely yet did not improve. The teacher stopped the words of the parent and spoke of the number of stars and praises he had received for his performance in many activities and that he has been improving in his studies. The boy had changed for life from that experience. He had begun to get up early and come to school on time.

That teacher had to make the choice on “how to teach.” It is difficult to teach a class of 60-70 students today and have personal impact. But can a teacher go an extra mile, or can we reduce the strength of our classes to help children enjoy learning?

Ultimately all teaching must help deeper learning in a child. The role of a teacher has changed over the years from an instructor to a guide, a facilitator. But why not also be a motivator? A motivator has to plan well in order to motivate concretely through an experience setting. If a child is made to be aware of all learning, that is real education.

Today’s children respect what his/her teacher says, more than what the parents say at home. So does not a teacher have a major role in instilling values and knowledge and skills? Are our teachers remembered even if they teach for an hour or will they be the ones who will be forgotten when they leave the class?

Teacher’s responsibility is not just to transfer knowledge but how to make the process of knowledge acquiring memorable. If primary school does take things seriously the foundation will be laid. Thereby secondary education too will be a benefitting experience for the student.
 

Challenges before a teacher

·         Stress management – spending time out of the routine teaching work to recharge.

·         Rapport with children – being friend and guide.

·         Preparation of classes – create unique learning experiences, not just lecture.

·         Not underestimating any student’s potential.

·         Sense of humour – bring life into the class in spite of work load.

 
Innovative measures
            
Here are a few suggestions for creating better educational experience for students and better scope for teachers to plan their teaching well.

As educationists of our country are planning to merge plus 2 with high school, it is a favorable time to break the PU syllabus into three years and make 9th std as SSLC in the states. The PU needs to be made less stressful as it gives great clarity of knowledge for future careers of students.

Train Maths, Science and English teachers who can teach creatively so that students enjoy these subjects.

Introduce goal setting and life- management as a compulsory subject of the curriculum especially at the secondary level.

Introduction of portfolio concept of assessing students.(Portfolio – purposeful collection of student work on  specified topics to assess their interests, achievement  and growth in creativity)

Giving more encouragement through appreciation cards, stars, points for excellence in values, attitudes and skills.

I am reminded of an 8 year old student studying in US saying, “My teacher narrates a story in class. We are expected to write the summary of it and more interesting is that we are asked to give our own creative ending.” Marvelous isn’t it?

Literacy is the heart of education. Today the concept of education for all (EFA) is gaining momentum. But has the government’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (a programme to achieve universal education by 2010) been successful? Has the government done enough to give quality education or just fulfilled a new exercise?
A teacher is a vibrant member of society. When one imparts knowledge one ought to get adequate knowledge and learn more by teaching. The three goals of education - exploration, research and analysis, need to be kept in mind rather than make a student a bookworm. Are teachers really trained to train others? Or do they stop training after their training?

Great teachers don’t just teach; they influence the student through their teaching. Students must be made to think critically about what they learn; then they will remember better than by mere memorization. A teacher needs to feel proud of his/her profession, then only the desire to do more justice to the profession, will arise. One needs to realize the immense responsibility to society that a teacher carries. Reverence, commitment can influence the students’ learning process. Only a few have realized the need to be motivators of the students considering emotional and psychological growth dimension.

Education is a dynamic process. We need creative teachers who don’t freeze, who can help students to be creative. A teacher has done his/her work well only if his/her teaching has helped a student to creative. We need passionate teachers who can strike the emotions of the students so that they learn for life. This will automatically make way for spiritual and emotional growth of adolescents.

Only creative and innovative teachers can heal this epidemic. I feel students must not suffer because of teachers freezing in primary and secondary schools. Arise teachers, reflect on your sacred profession.