Education System: A Radical Approach

Basis for the system

Sir Ken Robinson in one of his many TED talks points out two important facts about the education system. The system sprouted in response to serving the needs of the industrial revolution and no matter the method of teaching throughout the world science stands first and arts fall last in any institution. It is ironical that the system has not undergone many transformations though few centuries have passed since the steam engine became the order of the day. Thus, the system was designed for people who are to work in the industry and in a general population only a small percentage have that natural aptitude.

Why it exists?

The reason for the biased system’s existence in our society is its ‘convenience’. The system works well in creating a citizen who will accept life in its terms and doesn’t involve himself in questioning its relevance. A student undergoes 12 plus years of schooling. During his schooling, he is taught and questioned from only what is printed on a book (only subjects considered necessary by policy framers) and his inquisitive thinking is paper squashed. It is safer for teachers since they are not to engage themselves in topics which extend beyond the book and they don’t have continuous evaluation like students.

Grading and marking system exists because one eventually needs a scale of measurement. The system is inaccurate but easy to implement – it measures only the student’s capability to reproduce what he has photocopied in his memory on a piece of paper. This measurement system does not evaluate his intelligence. It is more damaging to people who does not have an inclination towards science or mathematics.

Depending upon one’s grade and marks in his final exams in schools he becomes eligible for admission in colleges though few institutions have their own entrance examinations for admitting students. Thus, his admission to a degree becomes ‘simpler’ though the procedure is flawed. Education and marks in India are not just tied to one’s career but in realms quite perplexing. Last year there was wide furore throughout the country about parents aiding students for malpractice in examinations in Bihar. When journalists interviewed a few parents their response was, “We need our girls to pass 10^th exams to find them a good groom”.

Employment is one important domain in which marks are specified as a criterion for the shortlisting huge number of applicants.  Thus in many important occasions in one’s lifetime from a bachelor’s degree, employment to marriage the system of marks, though a flawed idea provides an easy route for ‘moving on’.

The society accepts this and argues that it is a better route for the downtrodden to rise above poverty – a child from a poor family who has a natural inclination for painting but still learns and manages to complete 10^th standard could use this qualification to get himself ‘employed’ in the formal sector and help his family out of poverty. The system exists because it is safer from the parent’s perspective too. It would help the child get a decent salary and lead his life.

Each one is unique 

Photo Courtesy: Alan Cleaver

Radical approach – Disbanding marks

So any alternative model would be acceptable to the society only if it guarantees to them the sophistication of the grading system. Nevertheless, I believe that ‘victimizing’ students could be stopped only if marks and grades are disbanded. So if there is no evaluation then how do we move forward?

Picture a school where children until the age of ten are taught only how to read and write without any evaluation. Beyond this age, the school should have platforms for learning all subjects from math, dance to sports and music. Depending upon the child’s interest towards any domain the child can be guided to choose the subject of his interest.

To quote an example, if child questions about butterflies and their origin it invariably can be advised to go to the science platform and ask its teacher. If the child goes into the specifics then it can be registered under ‘level 1 bio’ where the fundamentals relating to the question proposed are taught. If it wants to go a level deeper it could go to ‘level 2 bio’. If it feels that the language is becoming complex it could be guided to register with the language teacher under ‘level 1 lang’.

Additionally, there should be no age barrier for pursuing any level until the age of 20. If a child who in three years has completed ‘level 5 dance’ and all of a sudden it feels like learning some music it could go to ‘level 1 music’. Thus, children stay in a particular class only because they are interested in. It makes no sense for a child who aspires to become a discus thrower to sit in a math class.

Exams should be purely voluntary based on the child's interest.

Then on the question of how to register children in our ‘engineering’ colleges if many do not aspire to take exams throughout their schooling life. Entrance exam would be the solution. Only those children who have learned math and science (though they might not have mark sheets) would apply for the examinations.

The only two subjects taught compulsorily for all students is ‘moral science’ and ‘how to read the newspaper (not about murders in the city page)’. Moral science would make him understand life and the newspaper about how we live.

After school when someone asked me about my marks I would say, “Total ****. Cutoff: ***.**” ( I am ashamed of quoting marks which don’t have relevance to anything about a person). What if I was able to tell, “Level 8 in Writing, Level 6 in Physics, Level 2 in Math, Level 4 in Music and Level 3 in Sports”? I definitely believe that this system should help marriage rather than the one that says, “10^th standard pass”.

Is this Workable?

I certainly believe such a proposal throws up more questions than answers – on staff and resource availability, on society’s acceptance, on whether the child will be able to choose for itself. But change takes pain before results show. The child from the poor family could get employment if he completes ‘10^th standard’. But maybe this open model would help him to reach for the skies and create his own painting school. The society needs to accept that money can be made in all sectors, what matters is the skill. I remember talking to my mother about not sending my child (if I happen to have one in future) to school as this system does not really ‘educate’. She did not say a word, maybe she thought that my mind would change in the future.

But change actually begins from us. The more we people begin to realise that there are better ways of learning and goes to off-beat ways, the mainstream has no other go but to become off-beat. The radical approach may not seem workable for most but unlike the existing one, it places in the child in the centre of the sphere.

Schools should not be places where children are taught but one where they raise questions and find answers. When it goes beyond the scope of the teacher or the world, they would search for the answers and become the answers themselves. 

Photo Courtesy: (External Link)

Alan Cleaver