The world is progressing. Global competition is increasing every day. Everything is different from how it was a century ago. From hospitals to railway stations, every field in the world has stepped ahead. Technical advances have made a significant difference in the pace of development. But I have to ask, in the field of education is the world progressing, or remaining stagnant?
The education system does not just include the method of teaching, it is also determined by the content that is being taught, and how a student interprets it. A student should be enthusiastic to go to school and learn why the sky is blue or how dinosaurs went into extinction. The knowledge they gain from school should stimulate them to think critically and creatively. Young minds should be flooded with innovative ideas for the future. The quality of the education system cannot be termed effective just because the teacher uses a modern approach to teach it.
For example, in Nepal, the way we are learning and delivering in exams is almost the same as it was 20 years ago. I do agree that teaching methods have changed. From homeschooling and Gurukula, to writing on blackboards and now using projectors to enhance the learning experience, teaching methods have shown rapid development in recent years. However, the way students are expected to learn still remains the same. We cram long paragraphs, memorize lengthy equations that were taught throughout the year, in a single night, and sit for 3 hours the next day trying to write it all down word by word. Just modernizing the method of teaching has not made effective differences.
Albert Einstein once said “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb trees, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Every human mind is equally gifted in its own ways. So how can we judge these different minds based on standardized tests? This system kills the spirit of young children who will end up believing that they are not competent enough. As said by Prince Ea in his YouTube video, ‘I just sued the school system’, students are losing creativity and individuality due to the generalized basis of judgment.
Countries like Finland and Singapore are progressing rapidly in the education sector. These countries are often found to rank among the top performers in educational attainment, as measured by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Program for International Student Assessment. It is mostly because, students are taught more practically, in a way that keeps the students engaged and interested. For example, Finland has no standardized tests. Their only exception is something called the National Matriculation Exam, which is a voluntary test for students at the end of an upper-secondary school (equivalent to high school). All children throughout Finland are graded on an individualized basis and a grading system set by their teacher.
Having said all this, it is definitely not my intention to challenge the current education system of Nepal. However, I do believe that little steps can be taken towards a better education system. A system where all the students feel equal. A system that believes in ‘equity in education.’ A system that creates an environment to be cooperative and not competitive.