Introduction
We have all heard the saying, "Today's children are tomorrow's citizens". As citizens of a country, we have specific responsibilities and privileges outlined in the constitution, such as Article 21 A (Right to Education), Article 45 (State's obligation to provide free and compulsory education to children up to 14 years of age), and Fundamental Duties.
A nation is a shared identity of people with a common heritage, cultural values, and history. The individuals who form an integral part of the nation determine its future. Therefore, shaping the destiny of the individuals is a tool to shape the destiny of the nation.
Importance of Education
Education grew rapidly in the ancient ages in regions of China (Confucius), India (Aryabhata, Varahimihra, Sushruta), and Greece (Plato, Socrates, Aristotle). However, there was a setback in the level of advancements in the medieval period, so much to an extent that this period is famously regarded as "the dark ages". Here, logical reasoning and scientific temperament diminished paving the way for superstitions, orthodox beliefs, and fear among people. With the renaissance, we are back in the limelight where education allows us to launch space vehicles to the moon (Chandrayan, MoM), explore the underwaters (PM - STIAC, the Titan) etc...
Education has the power to bring about revolutions and negotiate peace treaties.
Imagine a day and age where humans are still hunter-gatherers. Communication probably is still restricted to sound. There is no PayTM or PhonePay., no internet or books. We have indeed come a long way. Mankind owes credit to our early ancestors who devised mechanisms to read, write, listen, and record our history since pre-historic times. It is unfortunate that we have yet to decipher the writings from the Harappan script.
It is the efforts of institutions like Nalanda, Vikramashila, Harvard, and Stanford that are indeed contributing to the growth of each individual. Nalanda contributed extremely to astronomy and math as seen with the invention of Zero by Aryabhata who was one of the educators there. Vikramashila which allowed translations of Buddhist texts and their percolation across south-east Asia and China. From Ratan Tata, Mark Zuckerberg, and Salman Khan (founder of Khan Academy), who are alumni of Harvard.
Classroom Dynamics
With the pandemic, traditional classrooms as we know were replaced with digital spaces of learning. The impact of this adjustment was a double-edged sword. The lack of physical presence of the teacher meant a lack of accountability for the student. Poor network connectivity issues meant a large section of the society rolled back to working on the farms, or petty shops. The suicide rates in the country skyrocketed to an extent where toll-free call numbers were advertised everywhere.
The classroom encompasses students from all walks of life, allowing the inter-mixing of ideas, leading to collaboration and innovation. Recently, Santiniketan was listed to be included in the World Heritage Sites. One of the unique features is the emphasis on spending time in the natural environment, making observations, and learning from it.
On the contrary, these classrooms also can use some improvements. William Blake's poem, The School Boy, describes the significance of the institutions. The poet compares himself to a bird in a cage. As school-going kids are sensitive, if they grow under stressful environments, they may become unhappy and fall, like flowers from a tree. The trees may not bear the fruits. On the contrary, if they are nurtured well, they may lead us to a world that can peacefully co-exist and remain sustainable.
Common Challenges Faced in Education
One of the growing challenges is the ease with access, proliferation of education to reluctant societies, breaking economic barriers, gender disparities, and to rural and remote areas.
Secondly, it is about the quality of education, i.e., increased absenteeism among teachers, low student-to-teacher ratio, limited access to knowledge centers, and poor curriculum relevance.
Thirdly, the equity of these systems as in inclusivity and language barriers.
Lastly, it is about the infrastructure. Many schools lack basic facilities like clean water, sanitation, physical labs, and safe classrooms.
Countries across the world have resorted to steps to find solutions. The large-scale incorporation of STEM subjects in the curriculum. There have been talks about policies related to the development of neurosciences to ensure attention is given for the proper development of the brain at an early stage. Pratham ( Teaching at the Right Level) is one of the models used to reverse the learning losses.
The role of the private sector in developing technologies that can effectively revolutionize teaching methods should be leveraged.
Conclusion
Education has advanced our technologies, enabled ease of living, enhanced creative thinking, built our culture and heritage, devised a framework to govern ourselves, and led us on a path of sustainability. It allows promoting awareness of global challenges such as climate change, resource depletion, and social inequality, education empowers individuals to make informed decisions that safeguard the well-being of present and future generations.
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