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Introduction:
In the current education system, students are made to ask permission from the beginning for everything. These include basic things like going to the toilet and when it comes to snacks, they have to wait for lunch. Even if they ask for the permission, they are often denied. The rigidity when it comes to scheduling what to learn according to the institution rather than the learner makes learning difficult. The reason behind it is that it takes more effort to focus on what’s not intriguing at the given time.
Having good communication skills is good but not at the cost of losing autonomy and becoming timid.
The course of following instructions which are the very basics of mainstream education has no relevance with the current world whatsoever. We need professionals who are well-versed in leadership, planning, and organizational skills. Moreover, the students who are starting school right now will enter the workforce by the year 2040, which will require a completely distinct set of qualities.
The dilemma of current educational methods:
The compartmentalization of subject areas into science, commerce, and the arts does not help anyone and does not make any sense. It does not work like that in many parts of the world, where people are doing great on a lot of metrics. Those who know exactly what they are good at by the age of 16 can be okay with this, but that’s not the case when it comes to the majority.
The course of grade 10 in India is exhaustingly stressful for various reasons, like society, upcoming plans, expectations, and exam results. In grade 11 or later, if a student has a change of mind, they are in big trouble. The absence of courses with real-world applications and hands-on projects like photography or kinesiology is also a huge disadvantage. Interdisciplinary studies are advantageous at many levels and for many reasons because their outcomes can be surprisingly good. The contrast of seeking permission and making major decision in life is quite drastic.
New and noteworthy milestones:
The government is also implementing various changes in admission requirements for postsecondary education. Continuing education is becoming more popular with the expansion of the internet for all ages. It is becoming more accessible to earn senior secondary credentials again in new subject areas if there is any change of mind or requirement. On-demand exams save time, can reduce exam-related stress, and provide space in case of an emergency.
If we look at the recent trends, schools are talking about “entrepreneurship mindset” in their brochures, websites, seminars, workshops, and parent meetings, which is an impressive shift to see, but is a business competition, a case study competition, or a workshop on entrepreneurship enough? Will this prepare learners to make informed decisions for themselves?
What new ideas can be implemented?
Gaining experience in an internship or apprenticeship before college can also provide a basic idea about the nature of work beforehand. Working formally gives practice to documentation, negotiation, and transactions. Being able to explore various disciplines with hands-on practice can help in expressing the innate skills a student has because when resources, support, strengths, and interest mix with potential, success happens.
Burdening students with the expectations of following rules strictly and then suddenly expecting them to make their own major life decisions is unfair and quite contrary.
At Ribbons, we strive to build a supportive and engaging environment where the learners are independent thinkers and are able to interact with key people and ideas and make sensible decisions based on that.