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    A postcard to the PM: Why millions of children are pivotal to the vision of grand India by 2047

    Synopsis

    The potential for a child to learn is maximum in the learning zone – where she or he interacts with the teacher. So, to enrich the learning zone we have to enable the teacher on a continuous basis.

    Mr.-Vineet-Nayar-2
    The path is clear before us – but we must move quickly and rapidly in these areas. (Pic: Vineet Nayar)
    As part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrating India’s 75 years of independence, lakhs of students from across the country had recently sent postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. One of the topics for writing the post cards was My vision for India in 2047, when India turns 100. Getting the students to write on this vision is a great idea for it will be these very children that will play a crucial role for a grand India in 2047.

    Earlier in 2021, in a webinar the Prime Minister Modi had said it was important to work in mission mode to ensure that the talents of those from rural areas or from poor families were not allowed to die but were rather given opportunities to bloom.

    The question is then how do we enable the millions of children studying in government schools to become their best selves and contribute towards ushering in an India that lies in our dreams today? This I believe is the greatest challenge that is facing this country today and how we tackle this will determine how India fares at the end of the next 25 years.

    NEP & FLN – an idea that can build a nationWith NEP 2020, we know that the government’s heart is in the right place in its attempt to transform the education system in India. One of the focus areas for the NEP is the NIPUN Bharat Mission for Foundational Learning & Numeracy (FLN). FLN aims to bring in joy in learning and developing strong foundations for lifelong learning. NEP 2020 is a great starting point and now the task is to ensure that we chalk out a strategy of how to keep this engine going for the next 25 years. Here are five critical focus areas that we urgently need to work on, keeping the teacher at the center.

    Keep the teacher on a pedestal
    The potential for a child to learn is maximum in the learning zone – where she or he interacts with the teacher. So, to enrich the learning zone we have to enable the teacher on a continuous basis. The teacher is the most important person when it comes to the holistic development of a child. The freedom of thought, critical and analytical ability, and ultimately the desire to creatively contribute to the society - all boil down to how a child was educated in her formative years.

    Sadly, anybody can teach is what most people assume or believe, and this is more so for primary school teachers. We must recognize the teacher for the exclusive attributes that she or he has as a professional. We have to elevate the teaching profession in India and make it attractive and financially rewarding to attract good talent.

    This might not be an apple-to-apple comparison but as per an OECD report the starting salary of a lower secondary school teacher in Luxemburg is $79,000 (approx. Rs. 59 lakh) per annum. Financial remuneration definitely needs to be looked into but surely, we can make the life of a teacher easier. For example, adequate training can make the life of a teacher easier on many fronts - on the use of technology that will make learning easier, to understand the learning requirements of each child, to use learning aids to explain concepts in a creative and in an engaging way, to design group activities and exercise multiple methods of assessment and evaluation. And why not make all of these available on an on-demand learning digital platform?

    Learning in the first language

    In the webinar, Prime Minister Modi also said that those who knew only their own languages should not be excluded from India’s development journey. Research has shown that a child’s first language, i.e., the communication medium at home has an important role in shaping one’s personality, thoughts, and life. The use of mother tongue for establishing conceptual clarity and cognitive growth of children will help them to learn better and faster. High quality content in local language should be made available to ensure that potential and talent of children from any corner of India is not lost.

    Even a strong foundation in English learning can be built using mother tongue as a reference – for example by correlating English names of objects which the children are already aware of in their local language. This bilingual approach also builds the capacity of the teachers who might not be well-versed in English.

    Get in STEM early
    Most interventions of STEM begin in grade 11, by when we have already lost the child and his interest or aptitude to take up STEM based education or career. So, STEM education needs to be taught well at the Grade 6 level onwards to sustain the interest of the child. To avoid dropouts and to develop the right skill sets for a STEM career, coding skills can be taught by means of coding without computers. Children need to start loving problem solving through technology.

    21st Century Skills
    The focus should not only be on education but also on training and preparing children for work and life, also called 21st century skills. In a fast-changing world, where the context, requirements and demands change very quickly, 21st century skills become almost a non-negotiable for anyone to thrive. Accelerated programs on life skills as well as on the job training needs to be carried out.

    Frugal innovation for scale
    India is a land of innovations and frugal ones at that! Innovations like a battery-operated learning audio box augured well for learning outcomes in rural schools which did not have uninterrupted access to electricity or the internet. We need to create devices that can be made available easily, are affordable, need low skills to use and ignite a child’s imagination. Similar initiatives can be thought of and brought to life - how about turning all schools in India to smart schools!

    The path is clear before us – but we must move quickly and rapidly in these areas. A day lost is also a lost opportunity to improve the life of thousands of children. We will of course stumble on the way, learn, and keep moving forward. We have to focus on learning and not content distribution alone. We must focus on the teachers and not the children alone. We have to focus on learning outcomes and not enrolment numbers alone.

    Only then in 2047, we can look forward to millions of postcards to the PM. And from teachers as well.

    (The writer is Founder Chairman Sampark Foundation and Former CEO HCL Technologies)
    (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.)
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