On sharing a report, the changing trends in education, with technology bringing in,  on a whatsapp group of education leaders,  the following question was asked on the group!

Good morning! Thanks for sharing! I am wondering how these start ups would affect K-12 education in India. With virtual classroom experience being the influential factor w.r.t user experience, schools need to work on pedagogy and training as well as equipping their teachers in virtual mode to a great extent. Virtual is real as on date and so is blended in future. The document reflects corporate avataar of education sector. I hope and pray the humane aspect is retained as education sector embraces these winds of change. I am still thinking. A lot of food for thought!

My response to it….

Of course, nothing can replace human beings, teachers/ facilitators/mentors in the near future for the creativity and emotional bonding, for the feel of touch flesh and blood, sense of belonging.

I am sure the technologies have done great deal of good to every teacher, every class, every child, every family whoever had access during the last six months. Yess, the socio-economic disparity might have deprived a section of the society. If only as a nation we had been proactive since 2000, we could have facilitated that segment of the society too far better in these COVID times.

Grinders, Microwaves, washing machines can never replace my mother. Can they ever? They all have added to efficiency and efficacy aiding my mother, and each one of us. We need to see all these developments in the same vein.

All these tools were in existence since 2000. But, the power centres in education space, fear of they becoming better of humans etc kept them at bay.

Yes, there may be personal mentors a decade into the future, when all the aforesaid traits may get incorporated in humanoids, and the human beings around cannot match the humanoids. I hope that day does not come, as crooked human beings can create havoc, can hold world to ransom, and machines sooner or later with its computational and long lasting capabilities can damn the creator himself.

Having said these, with the experiences of the last six months that most students have experienced, most proactive teachers have experienced, when the classrooms welcome students again, will not and cannot be the same again.

The children with their felicity to learn and use technology, capability to adapt faster, would have moved miles ahead of what they left back in the school, last time. Almost every child beyond class 7, has shared that they want such tech-enabled support even after schools open up.

So schools, teachers, facilitators have to be mindful to think through what all elements to continue and how.

Pandemic has been a blessing on some fronts. Proactive educational leaders will make a difference. Do not left behind.

Corporatization of education?

I keep wondering, are schools any less corporate avatars? May be zilla parishad and govt schools in the hinterland or not. All of us in this group are in some form of corporate governed schools only. Yes, education and medicine have a noble purpose, but how many of these ‘corporate’ schools we all part of are genuinely child and learner centric, devoid of thoughts of profits and reserves. We left all those things, the moment we left ‘Gurukul’ system. Haven’t we? We need to be objective and ask ourselves!

This nation needs more corporates fund education through their CSR. Every corporate should adopt villages around. Invest in education, health and sanitation. Rest will take care of itself.

COVID, a blessing? Only we can make the difference to impact…

Even today no more than 13% of children of this country do not go beyond class 10. If at all our nation has to educate, train, empower population of the magnitude unimaginable, technology is the only way. We need to train all literates in the rural, remotest corners on creating tech enabled, exciting learning environments that can dramatically change the nation in the coming decade.  I am sure you all experienced what exciting content on youtube can really do to every child. I am sure most children accessible to technology, would have gained a lot aptitude and skills in these last six months that schools never touch upon. Do you deny this fact? You cannot. if igniting those sparks, that can be harnessed, they can enlighten not just their families but whole universe.

Even with the abysmal numbers in schools and colleges, almost 50% of world’s leading corporates are Indians, Imagine 100% educated (not just literate) enlightened, skilled, confident India, what it can do to the world. By 2050 most of the world’s PMs and President’s can be Indian! I wrote an Article on this more than a decade ago. Hope now on, with COVID induced changes, the hastening of the process can happen, if only each one of us and leaders of the nation are proactive and selfless, and really think of every child and family!! God bless!