I feel sorry for fellow school going children and their parents fishing out multiple thousands each year to provide them with decent education. According to Dr. Karan Singh, the youth of today in schools is a very priviledged lot compared to the amount of poverty in the country. So they should make the best of it and aim towards the achievement of highest academic goals.
Reading through my english chapters today, one of which constitutes the above address by Dr. Karan Singh, I reflected upon a question I asked in class.
The english coursebook is full of matter relating to the encouragement of humanity and the shunning of materialism. Most literature chapters are followed by exercises with frequent 'Do you agree?' or 'Write your opinion".
So I asked my enlgish teacher that if I thought that humanism was only a figment of our fertile imagination, could I write that in the paper? Or if I thought that materialism is the road to progression and a way of life, could I express that in the board? If they're asking me if I agree, do I have a right to refute? If they're asking me of my opinion, could I be honest about it and write the way I perceive it? Can I brave expression antagonistic to what the author has stressed on? Are the examiners really willing to know what I feel?
She smiled, almost laughed. "No, you can't write contradictory to the author's statements - the examiners are only looking for repetition of the author's ideas".
And they call this education...
Comments
Its just the same as you can't solve a problem in Maths in another way because thats not given in the text book.
(I get this feeling everytime I teach my sis some Math, and she gives me the - 'Miss will cancel this cuz she hasn't taught this method' reply)
made cooler by Abhi on January 8, 2004 7:34 PM
Abhi: Yes, perhaps its a similar situation. But you know Math always has the same answer - well pretty much, and creativity has little something to do with it, its more about logical thinking. Subjects like english encourage expression - but yet the education system is such that it hampers any true expression.. its a very sad scenario.
made cooler by Lime on January 8, 2004 7:44 PM
heh very true.. I remember in 9th, poem was going on, at the end of the poem, sir started with the questions.. and first question was "What did you learn from the poem?" and sir turned towards me, and told me to give answer, and I started, "I am not agree with the poet......" and sir stopped me and told me, you are not supposed to give answer like that, and then the argument started and it goes on.. well, the education system I think is better.. but teachers or sirs or principle are not following them properly... that's what I belive in.. becasue I have seen that the Education level of India is much higher...
but then also I am right now against it.. heh.. because now theres no need of education for me, I mean by college education.. education is must.. but not college education is needed for me..
made cooler by Dhaval Faria on January 8, 2004 8:49 PM
Right!....I think the same about english chapters.....we have to agree to those questions and we can't do anything.....if we write something else ....then we don't get marks.
made cooler by HeartStopper on January 8, 2004 10:43 PM
Check out this link.... http://www.flyingchair.net/vote.php?categoryID=18
U stood third in best Indian Weblog...I stood 1st in Best Newcomer and Rohit stood 1st in BEst Designed. I'm not much happy coz we know how it happened.....we could have put u on the top too...but couldn't as we thought u may get disqualified.....
made cooler by HeartStopper on January 8, 2004 11:07 PM
We, the people. :|
made cooler by shubir on January 9, 2004 2:28 PM
Silly school girl ;)
made cooler by aNIk on January 9, 2004 5:54 PM
Except for the IITs and the IIMs I havent heard of an educational institution that actually encourages a student to present his ideas rather than cooking up leftovers..This happens to be the bane of the rat race that seems to go on forever
made cooler by Linus on January 9, 2004 9:25 PM
Dhaval: See, I believe the teachers are only instruments in the education system, they're just following the rhyme of the authorities. If there was freedom of expression, the way we speak of it, no one would have a right to condemn what we feel anywhere - teacher or not.
So its not the teachers to be blamed, they're only thinking in our benefit when they advice us to follow the 'rules' and not go beyond whats expected of us. Almost like losing marks in the english board paper if you write high standard language...
Kartik: But its the wrong attitude - 'we cant do anything'.. if this has been going on for ages, what right do we have to let it just go on. What use is education for us - or why do we take pride in being educated when we can't handle anything around us? There is a need to redefine rules.. and we should be the ones to do it you know.
Funny about the blog awards :P Can't believe it still!
Shubir: Umm.. yea..
Sidharth: But how is one supposed to make it big in life when his expressions are undesired or suppressed and how is one supposed to be 'creative' if there is no value for it.. if we're such a storehouse of potential, why is our infrastructure so weak in the knees that our head can't stand tall?
made cooler by Lime on January 9, 2004 9:46 PM