Devyani Jaipuria, chairperson, Dharav High School and pro- vice chairperson, DPS International Gurugram, DPS 45 and DPS Jaipur, shares her views on opportunities and challenges of Indian education system with FE Education Online.
What is the best thing about today’s education?
The best thing about education today is the plethora of opportunities provided to every student. No longer is everyone vying for the same three-four careers and facing disappointment.
What is the one thing you would like to change in the system?
I’d like more flexibility in the national curriculum. It is on its way with the National Education Policy (NEP) but there are still some challenges. Also the hard separation between the streams must go as is envisaged in the NEP. It’s time for the art forms to be better integrated in the curriculum.
What is the role digital has played in the evolution of the education system?
We are running into the 21st century where technology knows no bounds. This is the phase of radical development where technology is taking over every niche and corner. Smartphones, laptops, and tablets are no more unknown words. During this phase the education system is evolving for the sake of betterment, as this generation’s students are not born to be confined by the limits of simple learning; their curiosity is vast and cannot be catered with educational systems that were designed earlier.
What has been the disadvantage of digital in education?
Although technological advancements have always had a significant impact on the educational system, the proliferation of new technologies has resulted in seismic changes to how classroom instruction is conducted. Many proponents of technology feel that modifications to the educational system can only advance as a result of the phenomenal increase in the number of technologies that are constantly altering the definitions of pre-existing professions. Many people hold this viewpoint, observing that traditional education will not be able to fully prepare children for the new problems and requirements of the real world, and that a complete abandonment of traditional classroom education is almost probable in the near future. The major issue here is that regular use of technological devices shortens attention span; studies reveal that children from Generation Z have an attention span of roughly eight seconds. Although teachers may have the best of intentions, it is best to limit the usage of applications that have nothing to do with the actual teaching process and only utilize technology in the classroom when it is absolutely necessary.
What is the career advice you would like to give to students?
We still have parts of our educational system that British educators included. The goal of becoming a successful, affluent person is unimportant. Humanism should be the subject. In-depth lessons on the ideals of life must also be imparted to kids, along with humanistic values. Students must understand that riches are not a measure of success and that life offers much more than material possessions. If the Indian educational system starts to take these issues seriously, we can catch up to the top educational systems in the world. We must start to elevate education in our country beyond the mediocre level with which we have been raised and approach it from a broad perspective.