CHENNAI COLLEGE STUDENTS ATTACK with swords and Venkatachalam Salem THOUGHTS on education system restructure

My THOUGHTS on our education system  restructuring [August 2019]

I was deeply disturbed by the news few days ago that college students in Chennai made a brutal attack on fellow students with long knives or swords. It is following a petty issue called ROUTE LEADER or ROUTE THALAI.

It is a clear example of total failure of our education system. Our school and college education system will have to be remodelled urgently.

We give undue importance to marks and don't teach other good things required for leading a happy and peaceful life in schools and colleges. Previously we had something called a MORAL SCIENCE period in schools. Now it is non existent. We sow cactus seeds and expect "apples" when they are fully grown.

The youth or the persons in the age group 16 years to 26 years have lot of energy. Due to the natural phenomenon i.e. high hormone secretion, they are also easily provoked. But our education and family environment do not properly channelise this abundant energy.

HARVESTING THE ABUNDANT ENERGY IN YOUTH

What can we do constructively to utilize this abundant energy ?

I strongly feel that parents should not give any pocket money to students after 14 years. Both rich and poor. Alternatively, they should encourage them to go out and work and earn something. However, monthly the parent should deposit an amount equal to what his son or daughter earns in a bank, like PF or provided fund in a company.  Their son or daughter should be able to withdraw the amount once they become a major.

REMOVE RESERVATION IN A PHASED MANNER

The caste based reservation system should not be allowed to be prolonged infinitively. It should be totally replaced by a hundred percent merit based system. But this should be done in 4 phases or more.

In the first phase the reservation should be reduced 25%, then in the 2nd phase say after next three years, the reservation should be removed 50%. Then 75% reservation should be removed and then 100%. So after 12 years  it should be ZERO or purely merit based system.

ENCOURAGE MUSIC, DRAMA AND PAINTING

Successful cinema and music artists earn good money. However, only a small percentage say 5% can be successful and earn good money. Everyone can't become Illayaraja or Prabhu Deva. But everyone has a right to make a sincere  attempt. If they fail then they can think of something related to this.

In schools and colleges we should give due importance to extra curricular activities like sports, music and other arts.

PHYSICAL WORK IS NOT TO BE LOOKED DOWN 

In Japan, the school premises is cleaned by the students, including the toilets. They say that only then the students will respect the work done by others. We should try to implement these, in a stage by stage procedure in our country.

In India, everyone wants to be a doctor or engineer. Then who will build houses, create chairs and tables, cook food and repair two wheelers and four wheelers? Who will lay the roads and clean the gutter?

Of course we need geniuses who can invent aeroplanes. But we also need persons who think pessimistically and can invent parachutes. So we should identify the interest and skill sets in a student when young and train them accordingly.

CREATIVE SKILLS TRAINING IN SCHOOLS AND PRODUCING AND SELLING SIMPLE PRODUCTS

In schools many real life skills like carpentry work, mechanic work, cooking etc can be taught to a limited extent. Then slowly students can be selected based on their performance and interests and be given special training in that area.

They may be allowed to produce small products and sell and make money too. Of course 90% of the money should be saved for their future use when they are fully grown up.

Gandhiji had told us long back to introduce work and learn in school. (See detailed section below)

CREATIVITY AND TEAM WORK IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN INTELLIGENCE

Please see a group of ants carrying a load hundred times their weight. We should be amazed at the team spirit and determination. In which school did they study? Did they complete any MBA? When such a miniature being can be so organized, can't we follow its example?

Ten years back I read in newspaper that a reputed company followed an innovative technique for recruitment. They did not conduct regular interviews. They recruited new employees from tenth and 12th standard students using an unique strategy.

They split the candidates into small groups of 5 or 6 members. Then gave each group few colour balls of clay and asked them to create anything they wanted from that. A team of managers were keenly observing what the candidates were doing. One person among them decided to do something. Others gave ideas to improve it. Others created sub parts to be readily attached with the main object. The final product was looking great!

Observing the candidates at work and taking expensive notes based on their performance, candidates were given jobs as team leaders, helpers and assistants.

ELECTRONIC GADGETS PLAYING HAVOC

The latest technological advancement make the conditions worse. TV, COMPUTERS and mobile phones does not make the body to sweat.

In public places like tea shops, hospital clinics, bus stand etc -- nobody sees the eye of fellow human beings. They all are busy with their smart phones, either talking or watching something. Very soon the body and mind goes out of order. Then we will have to meet a medical specialist to restore normalcy. 

It is like giving a five year old child control of a road roller or the mighty JCB machine and later grumble that they have done wrong.

We should give lot of importance to the primary education. We should start primary school education at five years and not before that. Primary education should also be in the mother tongue.

These are my ideas after reading the sad news that ... college students in Chennai attached fellow student with long knives for petty issue.

Sir / Friend, Solicit your comments, please.

Ezhilarasan Venkatachalam
Tamil based English Trainer
Salem

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Relevant matter on education compiled from other sources
Part 1
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GANDHIJI'S IDEAS ABOUT EDUCATION

Gandhi strongly holds that education is not an  end in itself but it is the most powerful weapon which creates all persons of genuine characters. So, his primary information of basic education is Head, Heart and Hand rather than Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.

(*) He says, “By education I mean an all round drawing out of the best in child and man __ body, mind and spirit. Literacy is not the end of education not even the beginning. It is one of the means whereby man and women can be educated. Literacy in itself is no education.”
(*) The main aim of education is the development of human personality. He expanded fourfold personality in the individual that is body, mind, heart and spirit.

True education stimulates the spiritual, intellectual and physical strength of the individual. His view on education of heart which brings the idea of sympathy, fellowship and deep feelings of love.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING

AS PER GANDHIJI, WORKING AND EARNING SHOULD BE A PART OF EDUCATION

(*) He took up scheme for basic education in which vocational training or work experience is the utmost important. It is due to the fact that it stimulates the human mind for creative thinking or dignity of manual labour.

He thought that such creative thinking should be taken up from primary to higher level education. 

He thought that education is closely associated with the socio-economic development of the society.

(*) The Kothari Commission also followed Gandhi’s ideal of vocational training in education. They say, "We define work experience as participation in productive work in school, in the home, in a workshop, on a farm, in a factory or in any other productive situation.”

(*) His great emphasis on work-culture to the students from the primary stage to higher stage is to enable the students to start producing from the time he started his training.

(*) His idea of religion is different from common concept. His concept of religion is ‘service of humanity’.

(*) His education system is greatly emphasizing the culture of peace, sincere work, dedication of the cause for the nation, social mindedness, friendliness, right feelings, economic advancement, physical improvement and socio-cultural progress.

It is based on work-centre education which can provide the necessary economic self-sufficiency and self-reliance.

(*) We can draw a conclusion that his concept of education is not only the eradication of illiteracy but learning by doing.

Source :

https://www.mkgandhi.org/articles/g_edu.htm

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Relevant matter on education compiled from other sources
Part 2
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THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM THE JAPANESE EDUCATION SYSTEM

Japanese people are known for their intelligence, strong health, politeness, and wellness. They have an incredibly cool education system! In Japanese schools, the students don’t take any exams until they reach grade four (the age of 10). 

(*) It is believed that the goal for the first 3 years of school is not to judge the child’s knowledge or learning, but to establish good manners and to develop their character.  Children are taught to respect other people and to be gentle to animals and nature. They also learn how to be generous, compassionate, and empathetic. Besides this, the kids are taught qualities like grit, self-control, and justice.

(*)  Apart from traditional subjects, Japanese students also learn Japanese calligraphy and poetry. 

(*)  In Japanese schools all students eat in their classroom together with the teacher. This helps build positive teacher-student relationships.

(*) Most Japanese schools do not employ persons for cleaning activities. The students clean their school themselves -- the classrooms, cafeterias, and even toilets all by themselves.

(*) The school attendance rate in Japan is about 99.99%.  Japanese students don’t skip classes, nor do they arrive late for school.

Source :

https://brightside.me/wonder-places/10-distinctive-features-of-the-japanese-education-system-that-made-this-nation-the-envy-of-the-world-214655/

TIME INVESTED
FOR THE WELFARE OF THE SOCIETY
BY

Ezhilarasan Venkatachalam
Tamil based Online English Trainer
Salem