Prefer creativity, critical thinking to rote learning
By: Syed Mustafa Ahmad
It is a universally-acknowledged fact that the ultimate aim of education is the personality development of an individual. From Pestalozzi to Dewey and even Gandhi Ji believes in the harmonious development of an individual.
It is a fact that education is both a way and an end in itself that provides opportunities to a student to become a realized personality. To become a realized personality, both memorization and observations are necessary. The former opens up the closed sections of the brain, while as the latter is all about exposing an individual to the realities of life.
However, the irony is when the memorization is solely taken for education. Cramming notes and facts are never an education in itself. In the long run, it destroys the very aim of education.
The developed nations have a practical and critical form of education. They believe in that type of education that is all encompassing and sustainable in nature. In our case, as mentioned above, the case is totally opposite. Now the question arises what are the causes responsible for the flailing educational system in our country?
The first is outdated syllabi. For ages, thinkers and common people have been stressing upon this fact we must have the child-centred curriculum rather than exam- dominated curriculum.
Moreover, they disagree with the people, who believe in strict discipline. They believe that it hampers the progress of a child’s brain. However, their suggestions have been falling on deaf ears and the result is that for the sake of so-called learning, students memorize things without understanding those. Furthermore, notes are prepared by someone else. In this way, the learner is at the receiving end.
The second is laziness. Students have been made lazy enough to go for readymade things. They are not ready to observe, experiment and criticize anything. Instead, they want something that is socially-accepted and very short in nature. Their brains are filled with the suggestions that rote learning is better learning because it fetches marks. On the other hand, critical thinking may lead in trouble. In this way, they waste a lot of their time in other pursuits rather than investing their time in doing something on their own level.
The third is competition. In the present world, to remain in the competition means that one has to pass and qualify legally or illegally. Critical thinking and experimental things may shut out a student from the competition. The only way to get through is to memorize the things and come out with flying colours. Who, at the end of the day, is going to ask them about what they have done? Outward display of learning is more charming than an ocean of knowledge and experience.
The fourth and last is an ignorant society. Reading and writing is taken for education. This education is the narrowest type of education. Education is a lifelong process. In an unequal society, to find equality is education. Finding beauty in ugliness is education.
However, this type of mind-set is unknown to people. Our society judges on the basis of jobs, fluency, memory, etc. However, there is nothing about facing the real challenges of life. Society needs problem solvers; not problem creators.
So, the need of the hour is to do away with the rote learning and come up with something beneficial for the students as well as society. We cannot go on losing our precious brains in the name of education. It is better for the whole society that we get awakened now. NEP 2020 is also a nice step in this regard.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi implemented this policy in 2020 to streamline the education system and bring it at par with the latest technology. In the present age of the AI when the Machine Learning is dominating everywhere, it becomes necessary to carry on with the current and adjust our sails. The ball is in our court to make education sustainable, productive and compatible with the society. Hope good sense prevails.
(The author is an educationist)
