Are you thinking that I am going to discuss here the new National Education Policy or the state’s rules on governing the education system? Well, no, that work is of the experts in the education industry and I am here a layman who is only trying to share my view on the current education system. I will start this article by sharing how I felt after meeting my 11 years old nephew who is currently in class 6.
Embrace the current education system as it is
Studying in a good school in Karnataka, my nephew is quite well-versed in the English language and also other local languages taught in the school. His mathematics skills are amazing because he told me a subtraction a number instantly without even having to use a calculator. Well, the subtraction was nothing but 1000-150 = 850rs. I smiled at the instant reply and that’s why for a common man like me, it is a great thing to see his nephew having such a maths knowledge at such a young age.
Pre-school education with a difference
I have seen the children of my friends and other cousins who have grown up using smartphones and laptops. They quite well know when to delete the search history and how to download the games on the smartphone when parents are not around. So, for me, they are quite intelligent as well as tech-savvy. With children learning to click selfies or posing for videos right when they are just 1 or 2 years old in the present decade, I wonder what kind of jobs they would be taking up in the next 20-30 years.
Will the technology advance the education system so well that students would no longer have to depend on a teacher to learn their lessons? Will the moral values like respect, social responsibility, empathy, mutual understanding, and cooperation fade away if all that the children will watch on the OTT platforms are violence, crime, thriller, and horror? Well, I am not here to blame any industry or system. All I am trying to understand is how are children going to respond to the changes that will shape the industry in 2050?
How are children going to learn those skills while they are in their schools and colleges about working for a future job? Will there be training programs to impart the skills that children and their parents have to shell out from their pockets along with spending so much on education that almost took away their savings? Or will the government come up with more educational programs that the children will be able to access for free and get upskilled?
Will the words like “Competition”, “Success”, “Rat race” completely vanish in the future as every child will learn to develop his strength and come up with his own business idea or job as per his talent? Or will we again see the toxic work culture where there will be a Hitler-like boss and people sacrificing their happiness, self-worth, talents just to manufacture a piece of paper called “MONEY”? I hope time will reveal to me all the answers in its own way.
