Rajneesh Wadhwa, dean, External Affairs, and director, SGT University, shares his views on opportunities and challenges of the Indian education system with FE Education Online.
What is the best thing about today’s education system?
The worldwide education system experienced turmoil in 2020 like any before in recent memory. Although COVID-19 produced a myriad of issues, it also brought about new possibilities and unlocked doors for innovation in the education sector. The education sector in India was no exception but did not follow the “dogmas of the past,” which is the bright side of this disruption. Instead, the whole education industry joined forces, thought differently, and took new actions. Teachers, leaders, and administrators all rose to the occasion and adjusted to the situation. Never before have so many creative ideas and distance learning solutions been developed and put into practice. Due to the quick and coordinated efforts of education professionals who seized the chance to find new ways to make learning possible and manage to keep kids and parents positively motivated and engaged throughout the year, practices that were previously thought to be impossible have now become possible. It’s time to look ahead and concentrate on the themes that will influence the future of education as we reflect on these challenging years. The education industry now has a fantastic chance to test out innovations that would have normally required many more years to execute.
What is the one thing you would like to change in the system?
The elements that colonial educators built into their educational systems are still present in ours. It’s not necessarily about becoming a powerful, wealthy individual. The topic should be humanism. Additionally, students need to be taught in-depth lessons about life’s ideals and instilled with humanistic values. They need to learn that success isn’t based on wealth and that life has much more to offer than material possessions.
We can reach the level of the best educational system in the world if the Indian educational system begins to take these factors seriously. It is imperative that as a nation, we begin to elevate education beyond the poor level with which we have been imbued and view it from a holistic standpoint.
What is the role digital has played in the evolution of the education system?
The roles of teachers and students are starting to change as a result of technology. The teacher serves as the main source of information in the traditional classroom and the students merely passively take it in. This “sage on the stage” paradigm of the instructor has been present in education for a very long time and is still very much in use today. In many classrooms today, however, we observe the teacher’s role shifting to that of a “guide on the side” as students take more responsibility for their own learning and use technology to gather pertinent information. This is due to the access to information and educational opportunities that technology has made possible.
What has been the disadvantage of digital in education?
Online classes entail a steep learning curve at first and additional work on the part of the teacher to design a successful online course. To prevent just reproducing the physical classroom experience and missing out on all the additional benefits and tools that eLearning and blended learning have to offer, instructors need to have a thorough awareness of the various methods to teaching and learning.
Of course, instructors must have adequate training in order to deal with the technical aspects of online learning, including the usage of video and audio recording equipment, virtual classroom and lecture capture software, and of course, learning management software (LMS). The combination of all these new abilities confronts a teacher with a steep learning curve, but careful planning and investing in the right training will benefit the institution, the instructor, and the students equally!
What is the career advice you would like to give to students?
Everyone adopts a yes-man persona in order to land a job after graduation. Because of this, many people spend their entire careers hating their jobs or switching jobs frequently. People enroll in colleges to explore their interests and earn degrees. Unfortunately, after they leave the institution, they start making decisions that are at odds with what they really want to do. They appear to lose sight of their own objectives.
College not only helps you prepare for a job, but also for life. A college degree will provide access to several opportunities. You can see how to get there from there. But keep in mind that you get to decide where you go and whether you succeed in the future. Do something that you have talent for and you love doing. Using your interest as your basis in finding your career path will help you determine the right direction towards your goals. If you love your profession, you will have a great time doing the job and less likely to experience stress.