“The world is changing rapidly and teachers must meet its challenges”

Synopsis: Implementation of new education reforms or else we might lose the privilege of educating the next generation.

Introduction

Like the greatest teachers, Buddha, Christ, Rama-Krishna, Aurobindo, Yogananda or Nanak, who never used classrooms, blackboards, maps or charts or kept no records, gave no grades but changed the lives of millions with their inclusivity and compassion, currently, India needs to encapsulate such new educational reforms to bring the changes required and make education more effective.

Changes required:

Challenge the existing education policies and practices to be more of individual-based.

Implement processes which foster student autonomy and leadership.

Encourage inventive learners with skills, understand and channelise the creative spirit, maximise liberty to make meaningful decisions and develop global partnerships.

Attributes teachers need to adopt:

Empathetic– Teachers need to emphasise partnerships and alliances that will help move from self-centred existence to coexistence, from confrontation to interaction and from alienation to collaboration.

Attentive: Teachers need to give greater attention to the happiness and health of our children. If we do not empower our youth with strength from within, they will find other ways of expressing their concerns.

Concerned: It involves caring for children and being responsible for their development in a complex society.

Inward look– Become aware of the realities that we take for granted, the ways we create knowledge and make meaning in our lives, and the aspirations and expectations that govern what we choose from life.

Outward look– Explore new ideas and different ways of thinking and interacting, connect to multiple processes and relationships outside ourselves, and clarify our shared vision with our students.

A shared vision– is a very powerful idea that connects a collective learning consciousness. Open the doors of opportunities to all our children, weak or strong, rich or poor, disabled or able and shake off the work-from-home culture by building a foundation for our children through robust offline teaching, learning practices and values.

Source: The post is based on the article “The world is changing rapidly and teachers must meet its challenges” published in The Indian Express on 6 September 2021.