I

read this article by Devdutt Pattnaik, where he talks about how the ancient model of education was based on the expertise of teachers. He says even today learning music and dance from a government school is never as good as learning it from a master expert’s private academy. 

In the olden days, the content was dependent on the teacher, not independent of the teacher. This is why the old Indian model of education was different from the Western model, creating highly refined quality, but not useful for scalability. 

He says the industrial model of education will always, therefore, follow the western route, not the cottage industry approach of India

This made me wonder If the concept of education changed from getting everything from one place to finding the best in the field and learning from them, how would it be?

There would be less pressure on teachers - Generally, schools/institutions expect teachers to know everything, some teachers lose their passion for teaching because they feel like they're not good enough.

Teachers could that way work on their skills and focus on what they're good at to make their students learn better.

More specific learning - If a student wants to learn about a certain thing, they could go straight to the person who is best in that field instead of having to wade through information that isn't relevant to them.

The pressure on students to learn everything taught in school and be an expert is very unfair, and often the information learned in school is quickly forgotten anyway.

What if, instead of forcing students to learn things they might not be interested in and will forget later, we let them choose what they want to learn and follow their interests?

Education would be more enjoyable for everyone involved, and we would likely see a rise in the number of people passionate about learning.

This would also lead to a more well-rounded education, as students would be exposed to a variety of topics and fields instead of just one.

Education would be more flexible and adaptable to the needs of individual students.

In a way students would compete with themselves, not with others, they would be driven by their desire to improve and become the best they can be in their field.

This would lead to a more confident and capable generation of students, who are better prepared to face the challenges of the real world.

In the current system, a lot of pressure is placed on students to get good grades and score high on standardized tests.

This often leads to cheating, as well as a general feeling of anxiety and stress among students.

Education would shift from the perspective of just getting certified to learning skills and knowledge. 

This would mean that the focus is on developing a love for learning, and not just on getting good grades.

It would be about instilling a desire to know more and to continue growing and expanding one's horizons, instead of just aiming to get through school as quickly as possible.

Many schools are still not equipped with what students would like to learn - It becomes a task to be promoted from one grade to another, and not a learning process. The concept of education would change from receiving an education to acquiring an education.

The motivation level would be different if kids learned from experts- They would be passionate about learning if they knew that what they were learning was useful and would help them in the future.

It is important to have both, theoretical knowledge as well as practical skills.

The current system often lacks the latter, which is essential in today's world.

If education shifted its focus to finding the best in the field and learning from them, it would benefit both students and teachers alike. Students would be more engaged and motivated to learn, and teachers would be able to focus on their passions and strengths.

Education should be an ongoing process throughout one's life, and not just something that is done during the years of schooling.

The concept of lifelong learning would become more important, and people would be more open to learning new things and expanding their horizons.

The schools are limited in their resources and capacities- but they should not limit the students of the dreams they have or the potential they possess.

We need to remember that education is not just about getting a degree or a certificate- it's about learning and growing as a person. It's about acquiring knowledge and skills that will be useful in the real world. And it's about finding your passion and pursuing it.

Posted 
Jul 4, 2022
 in 
Alternate Learning
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