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Saturday, November 21, 2009

Education?

I believe that our education system has a pressing need to undergo a complete redesign.
The present education system was developed in the 19th century with the dawn of the industrial era to churn out academi-cians, engineers, doctors and managers. Formal education thus got created as an agent to aid the growth of capitalism. Our schools hone the ability of individuals to memorize information and reproduce it. However, they also destroy our ability to think beyond the obvious and to innovate.
Contemporary education needs to focus on developing the creativity in individuals such that we can nurture entrepreneurs, environmental scientists, space engineers, art directors, social activists, and sports players. We need to transform the rote learning culture to one that fosters imagination, compassion, peace, leadership and self-expression.
“The future of our world lies in the hands of our children”. We have heard this over and over again. It is the truth! It’s high time we step back and question the capability of the schools, to where we push our children for 18 years of their lives. Are these revered centers of learning really preparing our children for the world that they live in? I think the answer is very clear. We just need to acknowledge its existence.