Context:
The Annual Status of Education Report 2023 indicates that over 86.8% of individuals aged 14-18 are enrolled in educational institutions, yet a quarter of them struggle to read a Class 2-level text fluently in their regional languages. India has long grappled with a learning deficit, a challenge highlighted in Pratham’s annual surveys. Despite increased awareness, little tangible progress has been observed.
Relevance:
- GS2- Education
- GS4- Role of Educational Institutions in Inculcating Values
Mains Question:
What role do teachers play in the inculcation of values among children? Why is the current education system struggling to impart inclusive, holistic and value based education that imparts confidence and curiosity among students? (15 Marks, 250 Words).
Learning Deficit and its Various Aspects:
Attendance:
- Public school attendance remains low, resulting in limited learning outcomes despite enrollment. This lack of engagement in schools diminishes their perceived value among both students and parents.
- Government school teachers often attribute poor student performance to absenteeism, leading to a cycle where low attendance reduces teacher motivation to improve engagement, further discouraging student attendance. This situation resembles a chicken-and-egg dilemma.
School Environment:
- Students thrive in environments where they feel motivated and safe, which fosters meaningful learning experiences. However, in classrooms across India, teachers often prioritize students seated at the front, while relying heavily on traditional teaching methods.
- They typically write questions and sometimes even provide answers on the blackboard, leaving students to spend much of their time copying from the board while the teacher attends to other tasks deemed more important.
- Despite asking questions, only a few students typically respond, with the rest often answering in unison. While this may seem like active learning, students are not truly engaged cognitively or emotionally.
Rote Learning:
- India has a longstanding tradition of rote learning, which has benefited many individuals in the past. However, this approach may not be suitable for all students, especially given the rapidly evolving world where different skills are needed.
- Consider a classroom scenario where the teacher engages with every student randomly, fostering an environment where each child is attentive, curious, and involved. Students are encouraged to collaborate, discuss, and solve problems together, learning from their peers.
- They have access to hands-on learning materials, such as math manipulatives, books, or science kits, allowing them to actively participate in the learning process.
- The teacher remains present in the classroom, providing real-time feedback as students work, resulting in cognitive engagement with the subject matter.
- There is a palpable sense of enthusiasm and ownership among the students for their learning journey. This exemplifies student engagement and creates a meaningful learning space for all learners.
Role of Teachers:
- For student engagement to occur, active participation from the teacher is essential. Classroom learning opportunities should be accessible to every student, regardless of gender, caste, religion, special needs, or disability.
- When teachers actively involve students in lessons, learning outcomes improve. While this concept seems straightforward, its implementation in classrooms is often challenging.
- Various issues within the education system, such as inadequate teacher allocation, ineffective systemic governance, outdated teaching methodologies, and a lack of teacher support and coaching, contribute to the difficulty of implementing student engagement practices on a large scale.
- Despite facing numerous challenges, there are many teachers who demonstrate passion and dedication in their teaching. However, even with committed teachers and good student attendance, children do not always learn effectively.
- A significant issue lies in the fact that many of these teachers themselves were not taught in an engaging manner. As a result, they may not prioritize engaging the learner, as they do not perceive it as their responsibility.
- Teaching is often viewed as a one-way communication process, with the teacher receiving little to no feedback from students during the lesson. Without insight into the learner’s thoughts, teachers cannot tailor their instruction to meet individual needs.
Educating Educators:
- Teachers often lack exposure to effective teaching practices such as questioning techniques, primarily due to the theoretical nature of teacher education and training in India. Training sessions typically involve seminar-style lectures with minimal opportunities for practical application.
- It is crucial to recognize teachers as continual learners and provide them with engaging learning environments that emphasize 70% practice and 30% theory.
- This approach serves a dual purpose: equipping teachers with necessary skills while allowing them to experience learner engagement firsthand.
- Furthermore, many teachers lack support within schools to aid them in adopting new teaching methods.
- Like all professionals, teachers require coaching and guidance to facilitate their growth. Despite the pivotal role of teaching, adequate support is often absent.
- Student engagement serves as a cornerstone for enhancing learning outcomes, yet it is lacking in many classrooms.
- Structured lessons, fostering high-quality teacher-student relationships, and granting students autonomy—such as offering choices within the classroom—can significantly boost engagement and improve learning outcomes.
- Implementing simple changes in classroom techniques can positively transform the learning environment.
Conclusion:
In India, considerable emphasis has been placed on the Right to Education in recent years. However, it is now imperative to shift focus towards ensuring the Right to Learning. Without this shift, continued reliance solely on reports like ASER (Annual Status of Education Report) will likely lead to continued disappointment.
