Evolving global education system
The word education encompasses an entire lifetime. For me education is boundary less and cannot be defined as it is signifies the very existence of all living and non living beings. I remember when I was a student the focus was on content building and speaking immaculately correct English. Experiential learning was confined to science or mathematics. Our education system is based on teaching and testing knowledge as opposed to teaching skills and providing experiential learning environment. It does not promote risk taking or deviation from the conventional.
As the global education system is evolving at a fast pace we have to focus and bring about significant changes in our system too. In India we have to embrace technology and make our curriculum integrated and research based which encourages innovation, experimentation and questioning.
It is imperative to review our assessment pattern also. Our testing methodology should be structured to recognize originality, creativity and problem solving. If we make this change in our assessment system our teaching-learning facilitation will also improve significantly.
Our education system should be life skilled based wherein we prepare our learners for life by emphasizing on critical & creative thinking skills, decision making skills, leadership skills.
We need to restructure our higher education also by creating a coordinated system of leaning which is progressive and meaningful. This would help in building a strong skilled man power whoin turn would contribute in making a strong economy. The goal of our New Education Policy should be to create innovators/scientists/artists/ writers/thinkers/entrepreneurs who can establish higher knowledge based society and economy.
We at Billabong High International School follow a research based child centric, integrated curriculum which focuses on Multiple Intelligences and the assessment pattern progresses from lower order thinking skills to higher order thinking skills(Blooms Taxonomy) and life skills. Our learners undertake community based projects which enhances their problem solving skills, critical thinking skills and decision making skills. The focus is on building collaborative skills and to work in groups which enhances the skill of appreciating and respecting opinion and diversity and instil values of secularism and gender sensitivity.
it is important to build scientific temperament and promote technology in a big way in our education system today also we need to collaborate with international education boards and universities to expand our horizon to build global citizens.
Education should be to lead and unite the humanity for greater goodness of the human kind is what i believe in.
Sharmila Chatterjee