Why is an update needed in the way kids learn?

“All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy”, rightly is it said that children should be exposed to extra-curricular activities and fun ideas at an early age. Major learning happens in the primary and secondary school years.....But the question here is, how to mark the right balance between play and studies? With an over increasing pressure of advanced and complicated curriculums and unprecedented competition for children now-a days, won’t it be better if they are taught in a manner which rejuvenates their creativity, thought process and makes them enjoy their learning? Maybe this way we can achieve some harmony between work and play for young adults.

Indian education system must undergo a paradigm shift if we want our students to compete on an international platform. One of the major effects of globalization on education sector is that even young students get a variety of opportunities to make a mark internationally. Traditional indian methods of route learning and book-worming typically fail in such situations. It is definitely required to modify how education is being imparted. Therefore, it would be highly beneficial to change the way kids learn, they should be incorporated with a sense of inventiveness and originality, boosting the skill of handling things independently at the same time.

If we look into the daily routine of even a 1^st class student, he/she is supposed to attend school till 12 or 1 in the afternoon, have lunch and then rush for some extra class like art, swimming, skating and what not! The child is kept in a classroom environment till the evening and by the time he or she returns home, all is drained from the child and also accompanied by a sense of absolute loss of freedom! Even if we talk about elder students, the situation is even worse, with hobby classes replaced by tuition classes, inturn increasing the pressure much more.

In the age of “Survival of the fittest” children have to compete on marginal edges, and thus it would be good if our education system can make them more practical, entrepreneurial and resourceful from very young ages. This can be achieved by using techniques of observation, listening, exploring, experimenting and asking questions. Bilateral, collective and interactive learning via labs, prototyping techniques, projects, assignments, games, quizzes, role plays, touring, outdoor activities and other innovative pedagogy can be employed.

Moreover, schools now-a-days are required not only to impart education but also to understand and address the issues related to social and peer pressures. They have to keep children interested, engaged and motivated about learning all the time. Science labs, robotic labs etc can also be used as one of the measures apart from counselling. They can be taught by using objects or situations in different manners. It is high time that we understand the importance of updating our education system and take proactive steps to reach the goals quickly if want our children to be at pace.