As a follow up of my previous post, I’d like to share one of my experiences. I happened to spend time with a 6 year old school going kid last month which included his preparation for a periodical test. He had the subjects of English, Tamil, Science, Numbers and General Knowledge. The course content was good except for the fact that it was in English. What’s wrong if it’s in English? We’re talking of globalization, corporate companies where English is the official tongue, of course our government’s official language is English and yes in this age it’s difficult to survive without the language. Children obviously must be conversant in English. But the problem is they aren’t. And before they are comfortable with English, how can you teach them science and general knowledge in English?
It is simply like pushing a person who doesn’t know to swim, into sea just because he has to reach some other shore (which isn’t well defined either but is a better place to live). Some do survive, but it is a very small number. The rest succumb to the pressure of waves, the nausea of sea, the wrath of sharks and the sheer pressure of reaching the shore.
Am I making a big issue out of nothing? Something that’s happening for the past 50 years yet no one complained? Take a look at this example.
Subject: General Knowledge
Title of chapter: Communication devices
After a paragraph on different types of communication devices,
Question: The ___________ is used to talk to other person.
Answer: Telephone.
There were 9 other questions like these. And the student actually is expected to memorize what to write and where to write, i.e., Telephone for the above question and its correct spelling and nothing more. And there are several other chapters as this such as musical instruments, sports etc.,
I asked the kid for the meaning of the words - communication, devices, talk. He did not know. But he knew to spell Telephone and knew which place to write it. He ranks in the top 5 consistently in his class of 30.
The kids are pushed to a pathetic situation where they just mug up whatever is written, write, earn good marks and (whoever manages to do so) progress to the next level without actually learning anything. India and its system would be the world’s largest producers of quality photocopiers (Xerox Machines).
The solution is simple, either teach science in the mother tongue or teach the foreign language properly beforehand. It is always better to grow humans.
Note: Try imagining a situation where you’re sent to China for higher education where the course content, lecture and discussion are in Chinese, but they don’t teach you Chinese assuming you know that because you’re in China. This is exactly what 4 year olds face with lessons in English.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
What is ‘x’???
Why is it that Tamil Nadu has around 500 Engineering colleges but not one Engineering Marvel to be proud of?? It produces around 12500 Civil Engineers every year, but still talks only about the greatness of old structures like Tanjavur Periya Kovil, Built in the 12th century? It Produces more than 20000 electrical engineers every year but suffers power cut of more than 3 hours in its major cities? (Not to mention villages which experience just 3 hours of power every day). Produces 20000+ communication engineers but its mobile networks are good just in advertisements, internet connections work to potential only for some time every day? Produces 50000 computer and Information tech engineers but still waits for USA to outsource jobs. The same question can be extended to the whole country, and the figures can be HUGE and disturbing!!
Isn’t it pretty obvious that something is very wrong? I feel there are a lot of reasons behind this. But the most critical factor seems to be the mindset of the students. Most of the young minds of this country are contented with what they have. This (contentedness) may not sound very plausible, but the fact is they set very small targets and are still in a small box. They always want to get everything staying inside the box, while more than 99% of the opportunities lie outside it.
What could be the reason for this? Lack of awareness? Rural upbringing? No good school? Forget engineering, those poor rural fellows drop out at elementary school. The aforementioned engineers mostly come from the good schools of the cities, which claim to provide high quality education. So, If they come from good schools, what’s wrong?
A very disturbing truth is that the so called good schools have a flawed system. Having been born and brought up in Tamil Nadu, speaking and reading Tamil each day, I always get a feeling that many people here are self boasting. People who are so very proud of their pasts, that they have no vision for the future. That is one reason why the government spends 4000 Million Rupees on a Tamil Conference which can give no results. Had it been spent on some power research we might have better power supplies. How do this system/surrounding affect the quality of our engineers?
What is most important for innovation? Innovation is a new technique to carry out an old practice, preferably in a better and efficient way. More importantly do it faster. How do new techniques/methods come? They come when people are bored/tired doing the same things repeatedly. For example, Sir Alexander Graham Bell should’ve been bored and tired walking to the other person to tell something, so a phone was invented. For this to happen, people should not be happy with what they have. All we need are restless minds. The problem is not that we don’t have such minds, every kid is restless, but their minds are made to rest, in peace, as they grow.
For a new invention to take place, the inventor should know how the old practice works and he should hate that. The habit of questioning what, how, why and what if, why not to daily situations creates new innovations and results in growth. But the problem lies in the fact that kids are never encouraged to do so. I was never told why it was ‘x’ in an equation or what that ‘x’ was. This ‘x’ has given me nightmares. When I asked what ‘x’ is, I was told “You’ll not understand if I explain now. You should grow up”. But why not try? It is not just with ‘x’ but almost every question. Further the kids are ridiculed and threatened for asking ‘unwanted questions’. This kind of treatment causes fear and insecurity in the young minds that stop asking questions. “I never get answers, why should I bother asking??”. This habit grows in them, and makes them do just what they are told to. This is the reason why Indians look for Americans to export jobs (The reason why Americans love Indians is, they don’t question or have opinions. They just do whatever is told) rather than create jobs and opportunities.
And the fear is also the reason why students don’t ask “why engineering?” and most of them do not know why they chose to study that. They aren’t even given a choice to tell their interests. They just follow whatever their parents dream .This parent’s dream is another huge story which has to be told, but not now. But the point is the wings are cut, hearts burnt, dreams disallowed and mouths shut here, which has led us to a disaster.
I have put up this post here now because it’s the time when many young minds choose engineering (the coun'SELLING' of seats has begun). These questions of, ‘why no marvels? And why power cuts?’ should be put to them and they should try to figure out the answers. They should start risking coming out of the box. It really isn’t difficult to understand what ‘x’ is if you want to!!!
Isn’t it pretty obvious that something is very wrong? I feel there are a lot of reasons behind this. But the most critical factor seems to be the mindset of the students. Most of the young minds of this country are contented with what they have. This (contentedness) may not sound very plausible, but the fact is they set very small targets and are still in a small box. They always want to get everything staying inside the box, while more than 99% of the opportunities lie outside it.
What could be the reason for this? Lack of awareness? Rural upbringing? No good school? Forget engineering, those poor rural fellows drop out at elementary school. The aforementioned engineers mostly come from the good schools of the cities, which claim to provide high quality education. So, If they come from good schools, what’s wrong?
A very disturbing truth is that the so called good schools have a flawed system. Having been born and brought up in Tamil Nadu, speaking and reading Tamil each day, I always get a feeling that many people here are self boasting. People who are so very proud of their pasts, that they have no vision for the future. That is one reason why the government spends 4000 Million Rupees on a Tamil Conference which can give no results. Had it been spent on some power research we might have better power supplies. How do this system/surrounding affect the quality of our engineers?
What is most important for innovation? Innovation is a new technique to carry out an old practice, preferably in a better and efficient way. More importantly do it faster. How do new techniques/methods come? They come when people are bored/tired doing the same things repeatedly. For example, Sir Alexander Graham Bell should’ve been bored and tired walking to the other person to tell something, so a phone was invented. For this to happen, people should not be happy with what they have. All we need are restless minds. The problem is not that we don’t have such minds, every kid is restless, but their minds are made to rest, in peace, as they grow.
For a new invention to take place, the inventor should know how the old practice works and he should hate that. The habit of questioning what, how, why and what if, why not to daily situations creates new innovations and results in growth. But the problem lies in the fact that kids are never encouraged to do so. I was never told why it was ‘x’ in an equation or what that ‘x’ was. This ‘x’ has given me nightmares. When I asked what ‘x’ is, I was told “You’ll not understand if I explain now. You should grow up”. But why not try? It is not just with ‘x’ but almost every question. Further the kids are ridiculed and threatened for asking ‘unwanted questions’. This kind of treatment causes fear and insecurity in the young minds that stop asking questions. “I never get answers, why should I bother asking??”. This habit grows in them, and makes them do just what they are told to. This is the reason why Indians look for Americans to export jobs (The reason why Americans love Indians is, they don’t question or have opinions. They just do whatever is told) rather than create jobs and opportunities.
And the fear is also the reason why students don’t ask “why engineering?” and most of them do not know why they chose to study that. They aren’t even given a choice to tell their interests. They just follow whatever their parents dream .This parent’s dream is another huge story which has to be told, but not now. But the point is the wings are cut, hearts burnt, dreams disallowed and mouths shut here, which has led us to a disaster.
I have put up this post here now because it’s the time when many young minds choose engineering (the coun'SELLING' of seats has begun). These questions of, ‘why no marvels? And why power cuts?’ should be put to them and they should try to figure out the answers. They should start risking coming out of the box. It really isn’t difficult to understand what ‘x’ is if you want to!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)