Indian Education Society: What students are taught in India?

INTRODUCTION: Well this isn t a brief explanation of information given in PU books. The aim of this post is to focus on the knowledge and character built in students. Let us first understand, what education means. As per Swami Vivekananda,
Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man.

Manifestation meaning something already present and is waiting to come out. That means the perfection is already present in man and what education does is it brings it out. For example, Isaac Newton discovered gravity. Now was this gravity sitting anywhere waiting for him to come? No the idea was already in his brain the apple just gave a knock to it. And that knock is what all students need. As per an American novelist,
The whole object of education is...to develop the mind. The mind should be a thing that works. (Sherwood Anderson (1876 1941) American novelist and short story writer.)

As per Albert Einstein,

Sometimes one sees in the school simply the instrument for transferring a certain maximum quantity of knowledge to the growing generation. But that is not right. Knowledge is dead; the school however, serves the living. It should develop in the young individuals those qualities and capabilities which are of value for the welfare of the commonwealth. But that does not mean that individuality should be destroyed and the individual become a mere tool of the community, like a bee

or an ant. For a community of standardized individuals without personal originality and personal aims would be a poor community without possibilities for development. On the contrary, the aim must be the training of independently acting and thinking individuals, who, however, see in the service of the community their highest life problem.

Real learning brings strength in character, makes one chaste, makes one stand on his own legs, introduces a sense of philanthropy, brings knowledge of living, gives courage of lion and above all makes one concentrate well at work. So at least now we have some idea of what is basic idea of education. Now let us look at our education system. No I am not going to impose a complaint about someone or something. Just we are trying to observe to what extent have we fulfilling the idea.

PRIMARY EDUCATION: (BASE LEVEL) I remember the first day of my school. For the first time I was wearing a bag which had a Tiffin box, water bottle, a notebook and a pencil box and I knew nothing why and what was it meant for. As I entered into the school, what I heard was a loud drumbeat. I became terribly fearful because I didn t know why or what it was? I ran back to the gate but my parents had gone. The only person I could find was a watchman who scolded me and ran before me with his stick. You know what happened next, teacher scolded me and this was first lesson that I learnt in my school, Fear . Be fearful for not being disciplined; be fearful for not being good at studies and be fearful because nobody is going to understand you. In primary, most students learn because someone will scold them. If they cannot do well in studies teacher would call their

parents. In some houses, children even undergo physical afflict. Teachers as well as parents cannot understand why students are failing to do well at school. Teachers call parents if they score poorly and scold them and parents go home and scold the student. Some lower middle class people or even higher class sections use words indicating him as a dumb guy. Well their concern is not to insult him or something but is for the good. But what good does this do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing, he is just taught of the next lesson Inferiority . The student is said that his neighbor s son studies in the same class but is Brighter and he cannot simply get passed in test. He is taught of low selfesteem. But all this does not end up here. The consequence of above factors plays a great impact and the first decision he makes is to choose his friends. But ultimately because he feels himself inferior he makes friends who are like him thus sinking himself more into the sea of weaknesses. If I tell truly, 90% students in secondary didn t know a word of what they had learnt in basic primary level. Most students in primary face fear of stage, teachers, ghosts, animals, principal, parents and school. They speak bad words without even knowing what it means. Some students are so below the balance line that they can t even bath by themselves. Several phobias are created here at this level. When the students must be taught of courage and strength they are taught to be in the cage of unwanted decisions, behavior and rules of guardians and teachers. They have to live a life which makes them jailed toys without a fault of their own. They watch T.V. try coping superheroes and cartoon by the sense that one day they will become like them. Some even fall off terraces. But this idea is what gives the hope. They are weak but they don t want to

be the same always. If given chance they can improve. I don t say watching superheroes and jumping off terraces is good, but my idea is to give them just three thing courage, inspiration and love. Just this much would be enough and they will grow by themselves. You think your child cannot do well? Well check out this link:
http://www.reddisability.org.uk/index-text-only/DisFamScience.htm

Those who educate children well are more to be honored than parents, for these gave only life, those the art of living well. (Aristotle, In Education)
The educated differ from the uneducated as much as the living from the dead. (Aristotle, In Education)

Children at such level don t need tons of knowledge, not even tuitions and especially not your scolding. They need encouragement and love. Tell them the stories of brave kings; teach them moral values of panchatantra or similar tales and make them free. Teach them to pray daily to god. It will make him aware of reason to be good. Learning and knowledge doesn t light up in a person s head that doesn t have values. This is the time to give them moral values. I must tell you the knowledge that they gain in primary is of no importance only the values make difference. That sows the seed of good personality. I personally feel personality must always be given priority greater than the academics because once this gets disturbed; one will suffer later in life. You say they have low memory power, ask them the songs of any movie they have watched and they will be able to sing. So the question is not of memory power but of Interest and that will rise on the foundation of values. Did you see a doctor who doesn t have any mercy

or sympathy towards others? Their principle of work was these values, so they are a in that profession. And that is what s missing now; Values in students. You have a doubt. Can values give me salary? Well let me tell you I haven t seen a single topper in entire 12 years of education in school who did not have good values. You need examples? Swami Vivekananda was merely a poor Sanyasin(Sage) but he travelled almost all of Europe and US and also opened the Ramkrishna mission in India and Advaita Society in US. He became famous and will be remembered for many centuries. Even Chanakya is such an example who created a laborer a king and created Arthashastra. The history is full of great people who had nothing and became a history only because of their values. The importance of values can be felt even now. Dhirubhai Ambani, Tata, Bill Gates, Narayana Moorthi and many more are all standing on backbone of values. On a survey in top universities in US, most toppers of campus emphasized 88% importance must be given to personality improvement and 12% to information. If the information is the only thing what education must give then Encyclopedias must be given all the PHD degrees.
Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value. Albert Einstein Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil. (C.S.Lewis) "It is possible to store the mind with a million facts and still be entirely uneducated." -- Alec Bourne, A Doctor's Creed

Knowledge is not information; this is what education makes you understand. You know what a student of 21st century wants not a job but a career.
The one which he created and not the one imposed.

SECONDARY EDUCATION: (TRANSITION PERIOD) Note that it is this period where a student s mind starts taking shape. He enters adolescence and if he goes in wrong path, he may lead to bad individual. I have seen students using bad words most often during this time. It is this time when they get this habit. It is this time when they start finding ideals or influencing people. The problem comes when they choose the wrong ideals. Think about it, what if a child chooses a terrorist, thief or a murderer in news as his ideal? Dangerous isn t it? This single wrong step will have great impact in him. At least, it would become very difficult in later stages to detach that impact from his personality. Second problem is his change in mindset about opposite sex. When I was in school (which is one of best schools in the city), the first love story that I heard was in 7th standard. In the same year I learnt about 4 love stories in my batch. Would you believe it? And are you thinking your child can t do that? Let me tell you, making girlfriends or boyfriends is called being cool among students. If not now we will soon hear bigger problems to come. But question is why that is bad? Well it is bad not only because it ruins academics of students but also his character. Yes his character, in near future he thinks himself as a hero of a film and imitates exactly as if there were cameras around. Where did this problem come from? They aroused from T.V., from West, from love tales in text books and novels. Do you think all this will have only good impact on students? We have been accepting western

ideas like copy cats. We must understand that by wearing the coat of lion a donkey cannot become a lion. And don t you find problems in west? Ancient India emphasized on chastity in education. As per Swami Vivekananda,
Do you see, simply by the observance of strict Brahmacharya (continence) all learning can be mastered in a very short time one has an unfailing memory of what one hears or knows but once. It is owing to this want of continence that everything is on the brink of ruin in our country. What we want are Western science coupled with Vedanta, Brahmacharya as the guiding motto, and also Shraddha and faith in one s own self. Knowledge should be acquired in that way, otherwise by educating yourself in the tol of a Pandit you will be only a human ape all your life. One should live from his very boyhood with one whose character is like a blazing fire and should have before him a living example of the highest teaching. Mere reading that it is a sin to tell a lie will be of no use. Every boy should be trained to practice absolute Brahmacharya, and then, and then only, faith Shraddha will come.

Not just in India, I see such problems even in US; Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl7R8xIxzKI