Reflective Thinking: The Damage Done By Indian Schools
Dilip Barad
This article (by Nazreen Fazal) can help on how to do reflective Thinking.
Some of the observations are very relevant to all of us . . .
Which three thoughts u like the most?
I like
1) In school, history was firmly contained to rote learning of dates and places. We were forced to learn the dates when wars started and ended INSTEAD of WHY they happened or WHAT could have stopped them.
2) English was about memorizing select poems and writing down the notes the teacher dictated INSTEAD of being asked WHAT our INTERPRETATION was.
3) I was NOT taught . . . How to do self-guided research and review
Independent thought and how to articulate my own opinion in speech and writing.
4) My university education became the beginning of my un-schooling. It was where I began to love learning, where I realised that more than one answer can exist to most questions, and that I can actually enjoy studying history instead of falling asleep in the class. But how many of us have this opportunity to undergo this un-schooling?
THE BLOG
The Damage Done By Indian Schools
14 March 2016
Nazreen Fazal Writer. Poet. Blogger.
Most people are surprised when I tell them that by 12th grade I’d studied in 10 different schools. Yes, 10 schools. From fancy Air Force schools to Kendriya Vidyalayas that have students from all classes, religions and backgrounds to a state-syllabus school in Karnataka to an Indian embassy school in ‘the Gulf’, I have seen most of what our system has to offer. And I’m sad to say that it is not enough. Our education system is flawed.
In school, history was firmly contained to rote learning of dates and places. We were forced to learn the dates when wars started and ended instead of why they happened or what could have stopped them. Mathematics was about Sonu having more apples than he could eat, or finding angles of triangles without being told how doing so was useful, or calculating the speed of trains going in the opposite directions. English was about memorizing select poems and writing down the notes the teacher dictated instead of being asked what our interpretation was. Scoring more involved writing the longest, most convoluted answers for simple questions. (As students all over India are taught, answers for five mark questions should have more words than those for other questions.)
I’ve had my books thrown at my face for not completing my homework, had subjective answers marked down because they weren’t what the teacher taught us...
Then there were the teachers, usually underpaid people who took the job as a last resort. Men and women who were clearly not interested in what and how they taught their students. While I did have some exceptional teachers who made me fall in love with the subject, I do not remember most other teachers fondly. Why? Because I’ve had my books thrown at my face for not completing my homework, had subjective answers marked down because they weren’t what the teacher taught us, was asked to solve problems with no heed paid to whether I’d understood the concept. And this is the case for millions of students across India.
In 14 years of school, here’s what I was NOT taught:
How to manage my finances/budget
What are taxes/how to do them
Sex-education that was not just a token chapter about male and female genitalia and reproductive systems
How to do self-guided research and review
Independent thought and how to articulate my own opinion in speech and writing
Other basic skills that adults require to navigate life.
Yet, by the time I was 18 I was expected to choose a college degree that would establish the course of my life and determine where I end up.
Luckily, I am blessed with parents who did not care as much about the report card as they cared about their children becoming well-rounded individuals. This is a privilege not afforded to many. I had my open-minded family behind me when I went off course and studied something other than engineering/medicine. However, it was when I started studying in a university abroad that I realised the full extent of damage done by my schooling. For instance, in my first year I could not turn in an English literature essay of substance. In the 12th board exams I’d scored 94 out of 100 in English because I had good handwriting and wrote exactly what the teacher taught me. In my first year of university I got a disappointing 58 for my literature essay. I was devastated. I’d expected that the flowery language that my English teachers had encouraged in school could substitute independent research and critical analysis.
How many children know algebraic equations by heart but cower in front of real life problems? How many children’s innate curiosity and imagination is snuffed out everyday...?
My university education became the beginning of my un-schooling. It was where I began to love learning, where I realised that more than one answer can exist to most questions, and that I can actually enjoy studying history instead of falling asleep in the class. But how many of us have this opportunity to undergo this un-schooling? I did three years of BA, followed by a year of postgraduation studies, and I still feel the effects of this schooling on me. So what of others?
For the parents and educators reading this, ask yourselves:
How many of our of kids lose themselves at the production line that is school; expected to excel in things they have no interest or aptitude in and punished when they fall short in an arbitrary competency marking scale? How many of our students hate books because they were thrown at their faces for a spelling mistake or an incomplete answer? How many children fear speaking up because every time they opened their mouths they were told they are wrong since it isn’t in the text books? How many children know algebraic equations by heart but cower in front of real life problems? How many children’s innate curiosity and imagination is snuffed out everyday under the pressure to score more than the neighbour Sharma’s kids? How many potential writers, painters, social workers and entrepreneurs were sacrificed to amass engineering and medical degrees? How many children sacrifice every waking hour to realise their parents’ dream of a professional degree? How many children are made to believe that a 9-5 desk job is the ultimate success they can achieve in life?
Answer just this one question, if nothing else:
How many more children’s spirits will we sacrifice at the altar of “education”?
What have we done?
What are we doing?
What can we do now?
Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.in/nazreen-fazal/an-indictment-of-the-indi_b_9416416.html
Dilip Barad, Ph.D.
Prof & Head, Dept. of English
M.K. Bhavnagar University
Gujarat - India
9898272313 / 9427733691
(Excuse typos -Sent from smart phone SN2)
Sonal Baraiya
Reflective Thinking: The Damage Done By Indian Schools
Yes, it is really true that such schools damage many students. The damage remains throughout their life and students also feel sometimes something lack which is going through his or her entire life. The basic or foundation is stands on a weak pillar so how can one think perfect student from it. Every student has perfect intelligence but it is all the matter of nourishment. Sometimes students try a lot to get more marks but someone’s personal interests and likes may harms someone’s hard work. Then if Balram said that compared to school life the real experience is more important. Because real life experience teach us more then all literature.
Thank you…
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Gopi Pipavat
Respected sir
very firstly i really thankful to you for sharing this wonderful article by nazreen fazal.
I read a quote of ravindrnath tagore when i was in high school that " every child come through us not from us it is gift of existence". For fulfill their own ego parents wants their child to be puppet. If child can much memorise the whole text as it is written are much praised. so teacher also doing their work as society wants. so they never think on child's mindset. And what is students review are not given importance if they unable to memorise like robot then they are weaker than other.
And so their method of teaching is as nazreen fazal told. if teacher will teach how to see various phases of life then it is danger of his own knowledge. Because students will definitely question him. will also make confuco him. And to provide all the information or reality to students teacher have to be much innovative,creative, he should be reader.
Lazy teacher can't do so. in fact teacher are not trained so.i see most of P.T.C colleges are not giving training to new teacher how to give wings or new sight to see various path of life. But they are trained as they are also one type of children in that college and there is so much rules and boundaries for trainee. P.T.C training center producing degree they have to also change the method of teaching.
our future is child they are like seed..they should be provide much fertilizer from us.
--
Pritiba Gohil
Respected Sir,
Thank you for sharing this article with us. When I read whole article I also feel that yes, our schools done some damages in us we can’t Compensate to that damages.
In school life we all are in age of some curiosity for knowing something and we want to learn something new. When we want to ask something and we raise our hands they scold us for doing that and we stopped asking questions. Because of this our thinking proses and argumentative discourse died at the very beginning of our childhood. And we stopped raising questions.
I like this lines from this article,
1. In school, history was firmly contained to rote learning of dates and places. We were forced to learn the dates when wars started and ended instead of why they happened or what could have stopped them.
2. Mathematics was about Sonu having more apples than he could eat, or finding angles of triangles without being told how doing so was useful, or calculating the speed of trains going in the opposite directions.
3. English was about memorizing select poems and writing down the notes the teacher dictated instead of being asked what our interpretation was.
4. Scoring more involved writing the longest, most convoluted answers for simple questions.
This all are some damages done and we can’t Compensate to that damages now.
Thank You …..
Krishna Gujarati
Reflective Thinking: The Damage Done By Indian Schools
Yes, it is really true that such schools damage many students.
--
Nidhi Jasani
Yes, I’m agreeing with that point that in school children get some lost. In very beginning of our growth school start making children suppress. In school days we are very curious and enthusiastic for knowing something. But when we asked question to teacher about anything they stop us, sometime teacher bit student and teacher become angry on student. After that student, feel hesitation to ask any question to anyone. Thinking capacity and creative idea of students are superset in very tender age. When the student are stared showing curiosity of knowing something at that time teacher become angry on them. Teacher becomes speed barker for them, then student stop raising questions.
I like this line from article,
In school, history was firmly contained to rote learning of dates and places. We were forced to learn the dates when wars started and ended instead of why they happened or what could have stopped them.
Mathematics was about Sonu having more apples than he could eat, or finding angles of triangles without being told how doing so was useful, or calculating the speed of trains going in the opposite directions.
English was about memorizing select poems and writing down the notes the teacher dictated instead of being asked what our interpretation was.
milan parmar
Quotes I like from this blog are
Scoring more involved writing the longest, most convoluted answers for simple questions. (As students all over India are taught, answers for five mark questions should have more words than those for other questions.)
Men and women who were clearly not interested in what and how they taught their students. While I did have some exceptional teachers who made me fall in love with the subject, I do not remember most other teachers fondly.
Luckily, I am blessed with parents who did not care as much about the report card as they cared about their children becoming well-rounded individuals. This is a privilege not afforded to many.
My university education became the beginning of my un-schooling. It was where I began to love learning, where I realised that more than one answer can exist to most questions, and that I can actually enjoy studying history instead of falling asleep in the class.
Deepika Vaja
Respected sir,
Thank you for sharing this article. When i read this article that i feel that yes. Our schools are damage to children. When we see that every child have own curiosity about schools, books, teacher. How teacher reacted? Schools life students and children has curiosity for knowing something and we want to learn something new. I m in 10th std teacher always told that you can not pass that. It is board exam. Not only for me but they told to many students. Teachers are created fear in our mind. And when we ask some question and difficulty. They told that i will tell you tomorrow. And when we ask that they are anger. This thinks in our mind . other students n children also see . They are not ask question. We can say that schools are our second home and learning place. Its only for ancient time. Present days in school as damage to children mind. And there are developed mind. Teachers are betrayed to children and they just only talk about to only in book say that. Those days in school teacher as forcefully teach and learn that to history dates and end dates etc.
We can say that our mind in at staring to school as damage children minds. So this thinks are to damage children and also society.
Vaidehi Hariyani
Respected Sir,
Thanks for sharing this interesting article. It made me look back at the days of my schooling. Everyone can relate oneself with this article because once during our school time we must have gone through several damages. I remember my school days, when our Maths teacher forced us to learn tables by heart. If it is not done then, we got beatings on palms with wooden scale. I remember those beatings and that’s the reason I still hate tables. The disliking for any subject starts from the attitude of the person teaching you.
Thoughts I like the most:-
1.) In school, history was firmly contained to rote learning of dates and places. We were forced to learn the dates when wars started and ended instead of why they happened or what could have stopped them.
2.) Scoring more involved writing the longest, most convoluted answers for simple questions.
3.) English was about memorizing select poems and writing down the notes the teacher dictated instead of being asked what our interpretation was.
4.) While I did have some exceptional teachers who made me fall in love with the subject. ( I remember those teachers, due to them I fall in love with my favourite subject – English)
What I was not taught:-
1.) How to do self-guided research and review
2.) Independent thought and how to articulate my own opinion in speech and writing. (Unlike now, we had to write what was taught not what we felt.)
3.) Sex-education that was not just a token chapter about male and female genitalia and reproductive systems.
Many a times it was just the matter of scoring. “Learn this question then you can score well” I heard that often. No one at that time told us that what will be its use in life. How life is connected with it.
Thank You...
--
Poojaba Gohil
Resected Sir,
Here is my views on mentioned article:-
I like all quotes from this article that very well presented the reality of our so called fantasy time of School.
In our school days we mostly habituated to learn with particular way,there are no such wide scope provides to us to think in a different ways for same one thing.so from the very initial stage of our learning we constructed or shaped in a very limited or certain fixed area.
e.g.
A for Apple
B for Ball
C for Cat
D for Dog
Instead of go beyond the syllables or know something new we surrounded from some fixed environment during our school days. At there one can't be able to get opportunities to learn deeply as there may be techniques to teach in a narrow sense. Students can't get or grasp enough space to develop their personality as well as IQ base.
e.g.
No one can guess how river or lake is deep from its surface. He must go into it to measure the deepness.
Same way students also should go deep in their subject of study & for that they should have healthy schooling as well as teaching.
Bird view teaching is in use instead of exact deep knowledge & understanding of particular subject matter now a days we can find in schools. No more informative sources are provides to students for better & effective learning.
Difficulties are also shows as danger.
e.g.
Many students face difficulties in speaking & reading English language.
It happens due to may be teacher's reaction towards such language & subjects of teaching that itself creates some more problems to response or learn such difficult contents.
School is considered as second home, when from this second home if we can't get stronge base then it will definitely turns to weak impact of our future.
e.g.
When little born bird can't get scope to fly few days after it's birth then it may be hard to fly over the sky for getting feed. It always wants freedom & enough space to fly same way from the learning point of any student if he miss the chance just because of above discussed responsible reasons it will obviously creates hardships for his future.
No serious concerns students gets from schools to constructs their base powerful enough.
Jay Vasavda's one article that glimpse on it at some point,i would like to take as an example for more light at the end:-
Madness Of Marks:-Grahanshakti nu Vardaan ke Gokhanpatti nu Gungaan...?
Thank You.
--
Hitaxi Dave
There is no worth to study anything that we can not apply it in our practical life . It is worth reading article that how our education system kills imagination skill of students and ties their thoughts into text that’s why they can’t think beyond syllabus. In school we find many co-curricular activities that helps students to build up their personality and give them enough space to think in their own way. But in exam students can’t be creative. They can’t think the answer of that question with different perspective. So my point is that if you cannot accept creativity of students then there is no need to do any co curricular activities in schools. If we take an example of essay writing we find that teacher gave some point that deals with topic so students can’t write their own thoughts in essay. In history we are forced to remember dates of battles not the reason that why it happened. That reason is more important than dates. In English or Gujarati, we forced to memorized poem not the analyses of poem that we understood through lyrics.
But we cannot apply this things in all Indian schools because personally I believe that some Indian schools are exceptional in this case. Here I like to give example of my school that When I was in 12th Commerce my account, Economics and Business Administration class begun with some interesting activity that helps us to get clear idea about Business and Market. And as a student of commerce our principal gave us charge to manage all functions. And in this way we learned how to manage functions in low budget. That helps us to build up our management skill. And when I was in B.ED we have to teach students with inductive and deductive method that students like most. because students like to identify the title or moral lesson of the text. If we gave some space to do that it create classroom teaching live. But the point is that teacher fails to apply this all methods when they go for actual classroom teaching. Students can’t forget that lesson that they learn themselves. Because self learning helps them to come out from any difficult situations of life and this is the main aim of education that one should takes help of education and apply it in practical life. And it can only happens when we give enough space to think and accept their reflective thinking in answer book.
We have movies like ‘ 3 idiots’ and ‘ Hasee toh Phasee’ that also deals with students and education system. Here I like to put one quote of Chetan Bhagat that.
“From biscuit to bride , if there is anything their children really want parents have a problem’. Parents has to give some freedom to their children.”
Because everyone cannot have ability to became An engineer or Doctor But their interest is more important than any profession. And if they fail to choose right path for their life in that case also they must learn something.
Comparison arouses inferiority complex in children. Parents have to respect of their children’s interest. If parents will support their children and obey their thought their children can easily win the battle of life. Abdul Kalam in his autobiography says that..
“ Your children are not your children they are the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts.”
If we want change in Indian schools that damage student's ability to think beyond syllabus we have to give some space to think and we have to create student friendly atmosphere in school.
Devikaba Gohil
Respected Sir,
None of us never thought that schooling can damage the mind of the student, but it is true. We are always teach that remember this only and this way only. Even our exam system is also based on the memory rather that the learning ability of the student. But at the graduate and postgraduate level, luckily students are getting chance of learning, unlearning and relearning.
These things are true when I was at my school level:
1) In school, history was firmly contained to rote learning of dates and places. We were forced to learn the dates when wars started and ended INSTEAD of WHY they happened or WHAT could have stopped them.
2) English was about memorizing select poems and writing down the notes the teacher dictated INSTEAD of being asked WHAT our INTERPRETATION was.
3)
I was NOT taught . . . How to do self-guided research and review
Independent thought and how to articulate my own opinion in speech and writing.
4) My university education became the beginning of my unschooling. It was where I began to love learning, where I realised that more than one answer can exist to most questions, and that I can actually enjoy studying history instead of falling asleep in the class. But how many of us have this opportunity to undergo this un-schooling?
Thanking you…
Divya Choudhary
Reflective Thinking: The Damage Done By Indian Schools
Respected Sir,
After reading this article I would like to say that yes many schools are still damaging the future of a student just because of their habit of not to do anything and we can say that many times teachers are also not interested in on going topics.so teachers also not shows their kneen interest in the topic and they are in hurry to complete that topic whether it is understandable by students or not, they don’t care. Many times students have fear of their teachers that if they will ask a question in a class then the teacher will scold them or punish them, because many teachers don’t like to answer a quiery of a student. I remember my school days when we were forced to learn the dates in History and Civics. If it is not done then we were punished by the teachers and teacher called our parents also to do complaint. In many schools teachers are focusing on the marks/score of the student just because they want to gain a name and fame through students. I remember when we are in class 10th there is a chapter in Biology named reproduction then usually teacher asked us to read ourselves and also says that if u have any problem in this then u can ask me in staff room not in class. Some students have their childhood fear due to which they feel hesitate to ask their queries to teacher during class because that childhood fear may be of insulted in class or may be beaten by teacher.
Thank You .
Bhumi Joshi
Thoughts which I like most:
In school, history was firmly contained to rote learning of dates and places. We were forced to learn the dates when wars started and ended INSTEAD of WHY they happened or WHAT could have stopped them.
Scoring more involved writing the longest, most convoluted answers for simple questions. (As students all over India are taught, answers for five mark questions should have more words than those for other questions.
Luckily, I am blessed with parents who did not care as much about the report card as they cared about their children becoming well-rounded individuals. This is a privilege not afforded to many.
I was NOT taught. How to do self-guided research and review
Independent thought and how to articulate my own opinion in speech and writing.
My university education became the beginning of my un-schooling. It was where I began to love learning, where I realised that more than one answer can exist to most questions, and that I can actually enjoy studying history instead of falling asleep in the class.
--
nupur vyas
"Pursue excellence and success will chase you" - famous line from movie 3 idiots, spoken by Rancho.
I liked three quotes:-
My University became the beggning of my un-schooling, it was where i began to love learning,where i realized that more than one answer can exist to most questions, and that i can actually enjoy studying history instead falling asleep in the class.
How many children fear speaking up because every time they opened their mouth they were told they are wrong since it isn't in the text books?
Independent thought and how to articulate my own opinion in speech and writing.
Thank you.
Urvi Dave
Respected Sir,
During our school days, we always were eager to know something new and creative but most of the times, happened that whenever we asked questions to the teachers, they stopped us and many a times ignored us. Many a times, they scolded us for asking questions. At the age which our thinking process starts developing, when this type of thing happens, it starts declining. Due to this, students develop a fear for teachers and this becomes problematic for their whole life. In Science subject, we were supposed to learn all the chemical formulas and the periodic table but when we were scolded in front of the class and many a time in front of other students too, we felt insulted. This comes as a result for the disliking of the subject as well as the teacher too.
I like these lines from this article,
1. In school, history was firmly contained to rote learning of dates and places. We were forced to learn the dates when wars started and ended instead of why they happened or what could have stopped them.
2. Mathematics was about Sonu having more apples than he could eat, or finding angles of triangles without being told how doing so was useful, or calculating the speed of trains going in the opposite directions
3. Scoring more involved writing the longest, most convoluted answers for simple questions.
4. English was about memorizing select poems and writing down the notes the teacher dictated instead of being asked what our interpretation was.
What we were not taught was the Reproduction chapter in the class. Teachers told us to read it by ourselves and if we had doubt about it, we had to personally meet the teacher and clear the doubt. We also couldn't share our ideas and opinions freely.
Thank You
Tejasvi Joshi
Respected sir
In primary school many teachers are teaching only few chapter they are not covered all course they said that this chapters are not asking in final exam so we are not discussed about this chapter.
If I have in 12th standard our philosophy teacher is only seat in class most of time he seat on class only teach 2 chapters and said that I know you all are going to tuition class and you are also learn well in this class so I don’t studied more you can prepare it yourself. Some student of our class they are not going to tuition but sir said him to prepare it helping with your friend and don’t argue more. So they are hesitated to ask any questionI like
1) In school, history was firmly contained to rote learning of dates and places. We were forced to learn the dates when wars started and ended INSTEAD of WHY they happened or WHAT could have stopped them.
2) English was about memorizing select poems and writing down the notes the teacher dictated INSTEAD of being asked WHAT our INTERPRETATION was.
3) I was NOT taught . . . How to do self-guided research and review
Independent thought and how to articulate my own opinion in speech and writing.
4) My university education became the beginning of my un-schooling. It was where I began to love learning, where I realised that more than one answer can exist to most questions, and that I can actually enjoy studying history instead of falling asleep in the class. But how many of us have this opportunity to undergo this un-schooling?
Ranjan Velari
Respected Sir,
Thank you for sharing this wonderful article with us. It is the reality of Indian schools. Main concern of the school is not clear the concept but how much student can understand the topic. Many a times it happens that teachers taught to students the way they like it means their own style but students can’t properly get it. So, we have to minutely check the level of the students.
I like these three thoughts.
(1) In school, history was firmly contained to rote learning of dates and places. We were forced to learn the dates when wars started and ended INSTEAD of WHY they happened or WHAT could have stopped them.
(2) English was about memorizing select poems and writing down the notes the teacher dictated INSTEAD of being asked WHAT our INTERPRETATION was.
(3) I was NOT taught . . . How to do self-guided research and review
Independent thought and how to articulate my own opinion in speech and writing.
Thank You….