Education and its future In India
Education plays a very important part in one’s life, and as time passes, education also changes with it. When it started from single-room school buildings to now a dynamic and interactive digital learning experience at home, the modes of teaching have continuously enhanced over time. In this article, we will dive deep into what education used to be, how it changed, and what it could be in the future, exploring the changes, obstacles, and enhancements that were made to make it emerge as an experience rather than a burden to students.
What education used to be and how it changed over time:
As we go back in time, education was something that prevailed in India for a long time, back in the days when Gurukul’s used to be a medium to educate and then the colonial era came when the British ruled India. They limited education only to a medium to benefit their own reign and not the growth of individuals. The curriculum only revolved around British ideologies, values, and culture. That system stayed in our country for a long time, and the universities and organizations they built prevailed and promoted rote learning rather than experiencing. This induced competition amongst children and increased stress level.
As technology grew, classrooms became digital. Many ed tech companies designed such digital boards that could play animated videos to educate children and make them learn in a better way. These boards became so advanced that now they have totally replaced a board and chalk/marker teaching. These boards can browse the internet and perform myriad tasks, which are clicks away.
Then the pandemic happened, the biggest disruption in the education industry. The students weren’t able to attend schools. Tutoring, homework, and even test-taking were online. That period made parents explore homeschooling, unschooling, and hybrid education as modes of education.
Homeschooling unschooling popularized since then, and many parents saw it as an official mode of education. Since then, many companies like ‘The Class of One’ who provide an online curriculum suitable for homeschooled children. In India universities like ‘Swaraj University, Udaipur’ , has also worked phenomenally in this field to popularize unschooling, shifting the focus on more individualistic approach of learning. Swaraj University focuses on the idea of experiential mode of teaching oneself, and more holistic approach to education,allowing the children to focus more on their passion and purpose in life.
The future of Education in India
Talking about what education could be in India, the possibilities are endless. More and more parents will understand the importance of education as an experience and not just mere memorization. AI-based technologies and Virtual Reality headsets will be integrated more seamlessly and will be accessible to each and every children even in small and remote areas of the country so that no children is devoid of such resources.
New technologies will be developed to make education more interactive and fun for children. The government will come up with more policies liberalizing the education system and promoting homeschooling and unschooling. Hybrid education, which is a mixture of classroom education and unschooling elements, will become popular in India, and more and more people will adopt it, with a focus on experiential education.
Students will decide for themselves, their fields of interest and things they love to do by exploring them and trying everything by themselves. They won’t be forced upon, a specific curriculum, but embark on a journey that will help them learn more interactively and holistically.
Examples of successful Homeschooling students and their families:
“A Bengaluru boy, Ramchandra Kishore Apte, was homeschooled right after his preschool, Represented India in International Olympiad in Informatics 2018”
– Source: Times of India
“In Mumbai, the state recently started Maharashtra state open school, after which parents got together to set up centers by pooling resources, set up centers to enrich their kids’ learning”
– Source: Time of India
“Pune-based Rayn Samson who was unschooled, has completed IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) and aspires to become an educator. His parents John and Urmila Samson, have 3 children and none of them went to a traditional school. Their daughter Sahya pursued a course in Eurythmy from The UK and their youngest son Niom finished A two-year course at Swaraj University Udaipur”
– Source: Financial Express