Education for Tomorrow: Recommendations for a revamped Social Syllabus

The modern trends in education centre on individual development. Today, education is commonly viewed as a tool for individual growth, welfare and prosperity. Educational institutions are generally seen as stables wherein well-groomed students, market ready, are produced. These students, on their advent into job market labor hard focusing purely on their individual dreams, such as, lavish lifestyle, sophisticated living and amazement of wealth. Thus, Education has mostly lost its right of being the end and is rather perceived as a means to the end called ‘Luxurious Living’.

It can never be denied that the current global market is extremely competitive and ‘Survival of the Fittest’ is the only ground reality. But at the same time, it is indeed important that one needs to bear in mind the adage ‘No man is an island’. An individual on his race towards personal progress runs on the field called ‘Society’. Life of one necessarily impacts the life of the other. Despite the differences that prevail in social, economic, cultural and religious spheres, every many is dependent. One man’s rise and fall essentially affects the rise and fall of the other. This inter dependency is an inevitable aspect of human living.

It is easy to argue, I am responsible for my individual life and those of my friends and relatives. Why should I shoulder the responsibility of some others’ life? The answer is simple. For instance, if a man insists on violating the traffic rules, does it prove detrimental only to his safety or to all around him? If the answer is the latter then it is proven that one man’s weirdness has a sure impact on the peace of all around him. Such scenes are very common in morning wee hours on our roads. We may quote various such instances from our day to day living. Being educated, if a man purposely chooses to violate rules, despite knowing its consequences, does it not trigger a question regarding the aims and purposes of education?

A closer survey of modern educational practices causes an alarm. The modern day students are born of one same mould, i.e., ‘Mark Machine’. Incessant coaching, slip tests, revision exams, remedial teaching, etc., completely drain the individuality of students. Students are forced to master Math and Science, regardless of their individual preferences and interests. Excessive emphasis on Math and Science makes students as things on conveyor belt moving towards a cause unknown and non-preferred. The ultimate end in the process becomes mark accumulation and not knowledge accumulation.

Similarly, there is an exaggerated nationwide emphasis on language efficiency. Craze for language, especially English, has resulted in the mushrooming of Language Institutes that cater English on the platter as instantly as fast food. Students frequent these institutes with an aerial aim of mastering a language, a few centuries old, in a few days. Thus, the entire course of education for the modern day students becomes a routine activity, remote to personal interests and intercession.

After all such fuss and race, the modern education system produces products that are completely wielded from the ground reality. It is a common scene that parents often complaint of their children’s inability to rise up to an occasion and respond intuitively. Decision making is a nightmare to most of these mark machines. They are not confident enough even to desire and dream of a future but are completely reliant on their parents to decide for them.

The result of such forced and self-centered education has its reflection in the perils that surround us, such as, Global Warming, Pollution of various forms and intensity, worsening civic awareness, dispersion of anti-social trends and tendencies, etc. Treading the bottom line of Lord Buddha, “Desire is the root cause of all evil’, “Individualist tendency is the root cause of all perils that threaten the peaceful social structure”.

It is high time that we critically analyzed and evaluated the pros and cons of our educational system. Students cannot be blamed at any cause for they move with the current. Hence, we need to channelize the current in the constructive direction. Education definitely requires giving its takers something more than rote facts and figures. Inculcation of ‘Social Consciousness’ in Education is the compelling need of the era. It is high time that we stopped making mark machines and focus on making ‘Thinking, Social Beings’.

A society based curriculum can alone be the rightful step towards the required educational innovation. Any addition to curriculum, we are aware, would bring about mixed responses. The teaching fraternity might think of it an extension of their existing work load; the student community would consider it an additional burden and the parents might consider it an added strain in monitoring their children.

But here the emphasis is not on adding to the existing curriculum rather reconfiguring the existing curriculum. Students do have a subject called Social Science up to secondary education. But it is unfortunate that this subject is historically limited to rote memorizing of facts and figures related to history; soil types, climate changes and topographical features in geography. Though there is a part called ‘Civics’, it is not intense enough to trigger the social humaneness in students. The vision needs to be calibrating this syllabus to make it encompass the rudiments of the art of social living.

The syllabus can include in linear progression from the lower level smaller units of the following Human Sciences:

·         Anthropology

·         Demography

·         Criminology

·         Human Geography

·         Philosophy

·         Political Science

·         Psychology

·         Sociology

Subjects like Criminology and psychology would come handy in handling adolescents, an area the modern teachers find it extremely nerve wrecking. An introduction to psychology at the school level would definitely help the students to have a closer look at his individual self, to meditate on the varying physical and psychological phases that one traverse through and to seek help and guidance at times of emotional turbulence.

Anthropology, Demography and Human Geography will get the students acquainted with the race that they are part of. A wider understanding of human evolution that spans to millions of years will make the students realize how insignificant and meager his/her role in the entire human history. This knowledge would trigger in them achievement motivation, a fire to stamp their presence during their short span of stay on this earth.

Philosophy, Political Science and Sociology will present the students with a panoramic view of the wider social spectrum that encompasses them. Politics Science here indicates giving the students knowledge of the human governance and the existing hierarchical structure in the societies across the world. Sociology can be the efficient tool in making the students aware of the complex social evolution that the human race has been subjected to. Sociology can help students perceive the similarities and differences in the social structures that exist in the world. It is mandatory that the students get familiar with the numerous trials that have moulded the human race to its current sophisticated form.

The recommendation here is not to incorporate these sciences in volumes and extend the burden of school going children. These sciences need not be preached to the students in their theoretical, complex structured form. But the essence of these sciences needs to seep into the lessons that are prescribed for the syllabi that the children study in the tenure of their school education. Just as a drop of milk changes the texture of the black tea, knowledge of these human sciences when blended with the curriculum of the students would surely result in the emergence of a generation that is purely social friendly.

If one of the primary goals of education is to create mature social beings, it is not possible without the inculcation of these sciences in the syllabi. The ultimate intention of education is to create a society; devoid of disparities, free from war, clear of anti-social tendencies, relieved from poverty, devoid of corrupt bureaucracy, etc,. It can become a reality only when education enables man to understand, appreciate, admire and acknowledge the rightful presence of every fellow human being. A curriculum that promotes such a social cordiality can alone meet the social challenges of tomorrow.

A Compelling Need towards a Wider Psychological Spectrum in Student Teacher Relationship

The term ‘Education’ is ever evolving concept, devoid of a standard definition. The term ‘Education’ has given birth to different ideologies at different times primarily based on the socio, economic and cultural situations. Just as the human society enlarged and spread its roots to different domains, the term education became bigger and bigger in its perspectives. There can be no fixed governing principle for global education than the universal principle ‘Change’. An educational system that is afraid of ‘Change’ can never effectively cater to the demands of the society. Hence, the ability of an educational system to be flexible in terms of accommodating the current needs and changes marks its health.

When we talk of an educational system, it is explicit that it is a comprehensive term comprising all those who plan, pool sources, blueprint, edit, propagate and execute. However, there are two key entities that stand out in any discussion on education. They are the teacher and the taught. The entire purpose, meaning and efficiency of any educational pattern revolve around these two entities, as they decide the success of an educational method. At this context, it becomes mandatory that there exists a mutual respect, acceptance, co-ordination and coalition between these two entities in their attempts to explore the educational method in its fullness.

It is here the term “Psychology” plays a vital role. A look at the etymology of the term ‘psychology’ surprises. The word basically means ‘study of the soul or the mind’. So when we talk about teacher and student psychology, its interpretation should necessarily include the need for the teachers to be the best mind readers. A teacher is expected to have the empathy to step deep in to the shoes of the students and comprehend in fullness the ways of his mind. There have been many affluent educational theories that elaborate at length the role of a model teacher. Theories apart, I believe, the relationship between the teacher and taught must completely be based on mind and conscience than on theories and definitions.

The modern educational trend, especially the student teacher relationship as it exists today, is a worthwhile point to ponder. Today the violence against teachers by students and vice versa is all over the dailies. A student’s attempt to stab his teacher made a sensational coverage for our media a few years before. We are accustomed to hear of students being corporally ill-treated by teachers and the teachers being either threatened or dealt with serious injuries by students. Just as any other sensational news that vanishes into thin air over a period of time, these too are forgotten when something more sensational than them pop up.

A teacher - student violence can be customary at any other part of the world but not in my country that boasts to have a rich gurukula tradition. I am neither biased nor an extreme patriot. My concern is the strong twist that our nation has taken within a few decades in terms of student teacher relationship. There seems to be ‘rigidity’ in their dealings that necessitates such havocs in their relationship.

A stroll down our cultural lane would help us understand the evolving differences in student teacher psychology. The gurukula system the hallmark of our educational achievements was necessarily need based. I don’t tend to undermine its glory and I can never be forgiven if I do. My point here is that in a scenario wherein knowledge was primarily limited and the sources to access was relatively scarce, there can be no leeway for the students than to surrender their will to the teacher for the sake of knowledge. Gurukula was completely a teacher based educational system, wherein the teacher remained the only source of knowledge. It was a scenario of absolutism, in which the dependency level on the teacher was complete. In such context, a teacher could command nothing less than perfect submissiveness from students and it happened. As for teachers, they were primarily seen as objects of adoration and reverence. Gurukula, in my humble opinion, was more of absorption of knowledge than assimilation.

Thanks to the different invaders, who made a piecemeal of our educational system, the nation shifted from Gurukula to school education system. It is a major innovation in our educational scenario. It provided a common venue for the teachers and students to assemble together in the name of education. The improvement was not merely in the system but in the psychology as well. Still the dependence on the teacher was left untouched but the rigidity in their relationship got eased up. It is the golden period of education, as portrayed by most of the films. There was a mutual respect for teachers and cordiality in their relationship. The students looked up to their teachers and admired the teachers and their role models. The teachers in turn looked upon the students as the sheep entrusted in their guidance and went out of the way to teach them the nuances of life. The teacher was alpha and omega of the entire educational life of a student to the extent of making the proverb ‘As is the teacher so are the students’ come true. A teacher was generally accepted as a member of students’ family and was consulted for every major life making decisions. The relationship was more of a potter and clay. As the result, there was no room for psychological trauma and tantrum.

Going by the golden proverb, “Change is the one and only unchangeable particle of the universe”, educational system underwent a major change at the advent of technological era. The modern era brought along its own share of troubles with blessings. The advent of technology decentralized knowledge hubs. Knowledge is no more limited to certain precincts. Internet deals a death blow to educational arrogance. Information is just a click away. Anyone and everyone from anywhere and everywhere can have an easy access to information, irrespective of their caste, creed and religion. We live in a “Right to Information Era” that makes knowledge accessible and extremely affordable. In such context, dependence on one for the sake of information or education is perfectly meaningless. The modern era does not credit one with the absolute authority on any field. One can be well informed in a field but can never claim to be the sole master. In such a scenario of intellectual independence, we need to surely reframe our norms of teacher student psychology.

An approach to education with a liaison to the outdated terms of educational psychology would surely prove to be devastating. In the modern era, teacher is not a ‘be all and end all’ of education but merely a facilitator of education. The teacher stands as the doorpost for the students to walk through and explore the citadels of knowledge. A rigid door has very few visitors and this is true of teachers too. It is the time for the teaching fraternity to extend their arms to embrace the student community as they are.

The major crevice in the psychology between teachers and students happens because of association or comparison. A teacher attempts to judge a student based on the educational standards of his/her old era. Just as the old wine cannot be poured into new wine skins, the trends of the past cannot be the touching stones to assess the present. The terms ‘good’ and ‘bad’ have relatively similar or vague meaning in the modern trend. We need to remember that the anti-heroes attract more crowds in the modern days than the ‘goody goody heroes’ of the past.

‘Horizon Enhancement’ is the primary need of the hour. We need to widen our purview in our understanding of the modern day students community. Remember we deal with a more mentally turbulent student community than in the past. The sources of distraction were merely limited to televisions sets in the past. But in modern times, the distraction points are unlimited. It is uncommon to see a student without modern day contrivances. A kindergartener knows well the difference between wifi and mobile data. The computer games harbor on their anxiety and bring out the alpha in students. Acute materialism places them under heavy stress. They struggle psychologically with the economic difference that exists between them and their friends or neighbours. Their dreams are purely either materialistic or sensuous. They are perplexed over their anatomy and troubled over their doubts on sexuality. Their queries on religion and caste, when go unanswered, perplex them. They struggle to get into terms with the extreme diversity that prevails in every sphere of our social living. Competitiveness leaves them troubled and a life of ‘survival of the fittest’ exhaust them. They require ‘answers’ for their queries, a pair of ears to listen to their concerns, a kind heart to share their anxieties, a good soul to empathize and a genuine brain to acknowledge their worth.

Can we the modern day teacher reach to out a student and meet out the above stated requirements? It isn’t a hard task but it isn’t an easy one either. It necessarily demands the widening of our psychological spectrum. Our ancestors are geniuses, when they commented ‘Child is the father of the man’. It is true that as teachers we need to learn our lessons on student handling from our day to day life experiences. ‘As is my child so is my student’ – this is the basic realization that every teacher must accept, assimilate and apply in their innovations on education. Unconditional love overhauls every discrepancy in case of our dealings with our children and this should become true of our dealings with students too.

We need not look to tread the path of international and nation greats in our attempt to become a good teacher. We have our role models in the same institution where we work. It is a fact that in every institution, there will surely be one or few educators, who will be extremely popular amidst the student community. It may not be that every one of them is an intellectual stalwart. They may be popular among students because of their simple ways. They may be doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way. In my experience as a student at school and later at college, students do not commonly get bowled over by teachers’ intellectual prowess but by the TLC (Tender Loving Care) they showcase in their dealings with the students. No student would be indifferent on realizing that a teacher cares and he/she is genuinely involved in their overall growth. Information is in the air, hence they do not depend solely on us for knowledge but for guidance and counsel, yes they very much do.

In the modern day guiding a student in the right, socially approved and economically feasible way is an art in itself. It requires update, update and relentless update. Once again it is my humble opinion that the seething tension between teacher student relationship is our inhibition towards update. We commonly dwell on our past glory, our outdated academic achievements and almost rotting medals and laurels that we bagged ages before. It is not enough to be informed of the basics of our field of operation but the need is to be updated of the current, evolving trends in our field. Are we as trendy as our students are? This is the primary question to be pondered upon by every teacher educator.

We need not have an active account on social websites but do we atleast know their do’s and don’ts. Are we computer savvy? Do we know to make the best use of smartphones? Are we aware of the common codes and signs that our students use in our communication? Are we abreast with their fashion trends and fashion statements? Do we have a clue of their heroes and super heroes? Have we got a taste of the emerging trends in mobile and automobile industry? Are we as quick as our students in information gathering and sharing? Have we befriended their likes, desires and ambitions? Do we know for sure the current educational trends? Are we well-informed of the job market? Have we got an ear for recent updates in our field? Can we give relevant and related input to our students well beyond the scope of our textbooks? Are we the right point of approach for career guidance? Do we own a passion for educational innovation? Are we eager to spearhead an eduvation?

These are million dollar questions. You and I commonly downgrade the modern generation in comparison to our generation. If they are fed with the right dreams and apt motivations, why would they run astray from the main stream? If we blame the media for demoralizing them, why have we not emerged as a better source of motivation for the youngsters? If we blame them for being over sensuous and purely materialistic, why have we failed to engage them in educational pursuits or help them channelize their untapped sensuousness towards progress? If we accuse them of lacking in moral, why have we not assumed the roles of moral boosters?

Don’t we long to be a perfect package of all mentioned above to our children? Then why can’t the same be extended to the student community? Let us give rest to our accusing fingers and come forward to empathize with the student community and accept them as they are. Let us be thoroughly aware of our new roles as facilitators and not as mere teachers. The compelling need is to die to our past, ignorance, rigidity, inhibitions and educational ambivalence and rise as phoenix towards educative update and innovation. As said by our Mahatma, “Let us learn to become the change we desire”. 

Pushparaj

BT Asst. English

Govt of Tamilnadu