Will a time come when children like coming back to school on Monday

The huge success of the movie 3 idiots in India clearly shows that public at large is frustrated with the present system of education where students are forced to study with curriculum and not what they like or want to learn. Where we are stressed more to learn the definitions than to understand the basics behind various concepts. The success of the movie shall give a boost to various schools who are stressing the curriculumn which is directed by the student and where student studies what he wants to and not what he is forced to.

There are various schools in India presently running on the Philosophy of J. Krishnamurthy, Sri Aurobindo and Waldorf & Steiner & a new school is going to soon open in Gurgaon on the Philosophy of Reggio Emilia.

The crux of their philosophy is that they professed for the need of Education where the learner shall have the freedom to learn what he wants to.

Why ?
The learner understands the concept with more interest and retains the same if you let him learn what he wants to at whatever time he wants to.

How ?
We learn faster when we are not forced to do so and our understanding runs deep when we try to understand something of our own.

What are the benefits of such curriculum ?
Students will have more concept clarity, be more confident and less stressed.

Then Teacher might have to know so much more than what they know now ?
The role of the teacher here changes from authoritarian knowledge giver to the person who is more tactful, diplomatic, having interest in students and who knows how to channelize the energies of the children and who can awaken the curiosity of the kids in various things.

How is this possible ?
Student to teacher ratio should not be more than 1:10 and teachers who have interest in children should come forward. Special training to teachers can also be imparted making them more tactful and resourceful.

What is this system of schools called ?
It goes by various names like Alternative Education, Democratic Education, Student self directed learning or Free Schools.

How will these students react when they will come in contact with the real competitive world ?
Students from these background are more confident and more than ready for the real world, infact many of the ex-students are placed at high places in the profession what they choose. They are also not bonded to & go beyond the conventional professional choices.

I hope this article will be helpful to you in understanding the new wave of opportunities for teachers to understand what is going to change their role in the years to come and for parents to know how they can now choose schools for their children who profess the overall upbringing of the child according to his personality and not just the grades.

I hope that the time will soon come when all children will never say that they don't want to go to school, infact be ready to listen, that they don't want to come back from the school.