OPINION: Revolutionary changes required in our education system

The news is of America but it is important for India too.  The reformists of Virginia University surveyed the education and analyzed the presentation of students of X class and found that Home Work to the students is useless. It was found almost no difference between the students who were not given home work and the students who were asked to do home work regularly except in the subject of mathematics.  It means, the students who are scolded for not doing home work are of no use.

There are some hurdles in implementing this system.  The education system of West is not like that of India where the stress is made on understanding than teaching through rote-method. In India, the concept is that the student who does the home work, get better position in the annual exams.

At the same time, if the exams are really of knowledge and subject matter, then there is no need of Home Work.  The education system in India does not depict the wisdom, grasping power and imaginative aptitude of a student but stress on to learn within the framework like a work given by a computer, which has the basis of “GIGO” theory – Garbage In, Garbage In,  meaning thereby as you sow, sow shall you reap.  The results would be according to the hard work done by the student.  In other words, the student who will do the home work would succeed than the students only studying in the school.  Similarly, the students taking the coaching class would be more intelligent than the student attending the tuition classes. It means, the student has to learn at home.

But, whatever is true in America is basically true in India also as no difference comes in knowledge and understanding from Home Work.  The educationists are united on the point that Home Work has no place in good education system. Whatever time is spent in the school should be  sufficient for acquiring the knowledge of education.  Rather, in colleges and universities, there is a need of  extra education.  In the developed countries, there are lot of shortcomings in the education system but in India, the students are over-burdened with the load of books right from the lower class.  The young students are successful at the middle level education but they are lacking at the higher level where there is a need of new concepts and own imaginations.  The educationists also believe that discipline and etiquette, must have a place in our education system.  In the past, number of initiatives has been taken to improve the education system.  Even Rabinder Nath Tagore established Shanti Niketan but that too has become one of the Universities.  Some revolutionaries are of the view that our education system is a hindrance in acquiring the real knowledge as you cannot beyond the prescribed syllabus while at school and college level except in research work in the universities.  The prominent writer, Mark Twain has said, I had gone to the school but I did make it a hindrance in my education.  The number of students would like to adopt the example of Mark Twain in lieu of Home Work.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author in this article are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of City Air News.)