Education | For our next generation!!

My thoughts on education, learning, thinking, asking questions, facing failure and perhaps correcting all these for our next generation!!    

Let us first ask our-self a question, what is education?

    Many would say learning, yes, it is all about learning, but have we ever thought, is it all about only learning.

    No, the reason being, we have not groomed to think, perhaps, we are programmed in such a way, that we record and deliver in the name of learning.

    Actually learning is all about gaining knowledge on what we learn. Gaining knowledge is all about understanding what, when, how of the context that we will be learning. But in current Artificial Intelligence world, which is fast phased, first we are not ready to learn patiently nor the schools are teaching what to be taught for the kids.

    We can say, we have a big flaw in our curriculum that has been designed in such a way, that we are forced to learn fast and deliver to prove that we are capable enough to become a Doctor/Engineer. But in the long run, when we look back, all we did would seem to be foolish. Yes, there are people who are ambitious to reach the heights like becoming a Doctor/Engineer, but do all possess the same ambition?

No, everyone has there own interest, but this society has molded our thoughts or vision to dream only about becoming a Doctor/Engineer.

    Beyond being a Doctor/Engineer, there are lot many professions in this world, that can be pursued. Slowly those professions are getting limelight and people have started to think pursuing their career towards it. But, the basic curriculum that is designed needs to be tweaked, so that we or the future generations can pick their choice of study in their earlier age. There are few professions, which don't require the knowledge of Physics/Chemistry/Botany/Zoology, but it might require to learn other subjects. Say for example, for pursing a career in Photography, one should know about few topics in Physics, i.e., Light and Geometry from Mathematics.

    This is not going to happen by tomorrow, but as I said, slowly we are moving towards the change. Curriculum designers should also have to make their vision broader and develop based on what all it is required now for the kids to learn, rather than the same old concepts, just doing some updates to it w.r.t current trends. That is not at all going to work any more.

    By god's grace, me and my wife had the same perception on Education and Learning, based on our real life experience in it. She was passionate in Art & Sketching, but her parents wanted her to pursue MBBS and finally she graduated as an Information Technologist, as she didn't score enough marks to get into MBBS and like 99% of us, she also got into Engineering without any second option to think.

About me, I liked travelling during my childhood. But I wasn't aware about it and my parents like all other parents, screwed me to score good marks to get an Engineering admission. Even I was initially asked to go for Biology while choosing your stream in your 11th & 12th, but I clearly refused it saying, that is not my cup of tea and obviously without any second thoughts it was Engineering. I was clear that no Computer Science/Information Technology and went for Mechanical Engineering stream. But as this society was all designed in such a way that, what you dream for isn't possible, I finally had to take up a role in the Software industry, luckily not as an Developer.

    So with all the experiences in our life, we were clear in what we were going to offer for our daughter's. Yes, we have Aana & Elsa and our's is a Frozen family. For our elder daughter, we wanted her to enjoy learning and shouldn't be afraid to learn or the basic capability of asking questions. This is what we realized upon all our experience, that we are afraid of asking questions or to speak out. Not all, but many I will say, would fall in this category.

    We as parents, first of all, should encourage our kids daughter to come up with questions and not to be afraid to ask for it. That is how, we can slowly plant the concept of thinking and also thinking out of the box, which most of us would lag. But that is what the current trend is wanting for. When we haven't been given a change to think and ask for questions, then how the society or organization is expecting us to think that too out of the box. It is like, as there is a saying, we asking a Fish to climb the tree.

    Along with preaching them to think and ask questions, I would also say, to train them on facing failures and defeats. Successful people would say, don't let failure reach your heart and success reach your head. This is not as easy as it is said. It is as tough as making them to think and come up with questions. Because we as parents, would mostly think that we should give our best to our kids, but in that process, we fail to preach them on how to handle defeat/failure in their life journey. Obviously, they are going to face it and would learn by there own. But, along with all good things, why don't we also teach them on how to face defeat/failure.

    We are still in the process of preaching our daughter, on to act and not to react, when she come across a defeat/failure. Because, even we as adults, would go down or get depressed, when we face a failure/defeat. We needed someone to be around us to motivate us to come out of that disaster. What if, our parents would have taught us on how to face these situations and overcome it, then there would be real sense is mentioning that Self-Motivation is our key strength in our resume or when we speak about our soft skills during an interview.

    How do we make our kids self-motivated? Just by telling that, what ever happens, we are there for you. These words really do have great power in it. But just think, do we really tell these words to our closed ones when it is actually needed for them. Not many, in-spite, we induce fear in them by saying why did you do this or what made you to do this?

    The above said are also part of education, because, as I said before, education is all about learning and there is no limit of what you want to learn.

    I guess this is enough for now and let me wrap up on my thoughts and before doing it, let me summarize.

1. We should enjoy what ever we learn and it should give us happiness.
2. Groom and help your kids to enjoy learning.
3. There are lot many professions to be given a thought about beyond being a Doctor/Engineer.
4. Preach your kids to think and ask questions.
5. Guide them on how to face failures/defeats.

    Will keep posting on my thoughts and do also let me know about your feedback on my thoughts or what I have discussed here.

    Until I post on my next blabbering thoughts, it's BR signing off. Stay safe at home, take care of you, your family and if possible your surroundings as well.