Quality should be on top of the agenda

Stress is formed in the mind of the students due to a variety of factors. The impractical and outdated system of education is a major cause of stress. The frequency of exams and the parental pressure on the student to perform also causes stress. Counselling centres ought to be started in schools to deal with the stress and strain in students. Medication and Yoga can ease the stress in the minds of the students. The curriculum planners should make education more interesting and it should bring out the creativity in the students.

THERE IS a lot of talk going on about the new Millennium and the challenges it holds for us. Focusing on the real issues confronting everyone would be more apt rather than focusing on the new millennium. There have been a lot of issues, which have been simply overlooked in the past. Before these issues blow up, it will be better to confront them head on.

The impact of information technology on students, teachers and the educational institutions is a major challenge that has to be faced in the new millennium. There is a likelihood of virtual classrooms being created. With online evaluation, testing the proficiency of the student will take on a new meaning. The schools of the coming millennium will be very different from the present schools. Computers will become an instrument for teaching and for learning.

The role of teachers will change to that of a guide who will guide students through the maze of data available to the students. With the Internet, distance education is in for a total change. Students can learn through the institution's website. When the student is flooded with information, his/her mental make-up is likely to be affected. The learning process will become very mechanical and precise to an extent not known before. The aesthetic sense of the student is also likely to be affected. The precise nature of learning would make individual levels of tolerance to go down. This could in turn lead to violent outbursts by students.

Though computers will play a major role in the life of the learner, the individuality of the learner is likely to be affected. The emotions, feelings, traditions and ethnicity of the learner will definitely be lost. The writing skills of the student are also likely to be affected. The latest software can check spellings, grammar and a host of other things. This will definitely make the student dull and more like a robot.

The role of teachers will also be a challenge in the future. The social status of the teacher ought to improve, as the role they have to play in the growth of education is very demanding. They have to be up-to- date and make teaching more interesting rather than just transferring knowledge from the textbook to the student. Teachers also have a major role to play in the overall growth of the student. The teacher should build on the values that are taught at home. New methods of teaching should be evolved. The teachers' role should change to that of a person who helps the students in the acquisition of knowledge. Teachers should participate in training programmes and exchange programmes. These programmes can be made to introduce teachers to new methodologies in teaching.

Education should not be different from the living experience of the students, and it should cope with the demands of the society. The curriculum ought to be re-shaped periodically to suit the aspirations and expectation of the society. Teachers have to change their teaching skills regularly. The entire teacher- training programme has to undergo a major change.

Quality education will become a challenge with the major stress on quality. Education will act as a unifying force in conflicts among competitors from all walks of life. This will also ensure the physical and psychological well being of the learners. The teacher-student ratio should be maintained so that quality education can be imparted to the students.

Evolving a proper system of evaluation and aptitude testing is crucial to maintain quality. The current system of examinations can be changed to the semester system right from school level. Open book examinations, oral tests and practicals can be encouraged. Questions can also be changed from essay type to objective type. Self-analysis system by the students themselves can also be evolved.

Value education should form an important part of the curriculum. It can be taught through scholastic and non-scholastic activities. Value education is the need of the hour to help the learner to develop into a humane citizen.

Greater emphasis ought to be laid on vocational education, which would prepare students for a career after school, and also promote entrepreneurship among students. Co-education is the only answer for the development and education of girls in the society. The system should be fool-proof so that the parents do not have any apprehension to send their daughters to school. In residential co-education schools, separate hostels should be provided for the girls. Vocational education should be developed for girls since the rate of girl drop-outs from school is very high. Wherever co-education is not acceptable, the school can have two shifts; one for boys and one for girls. The advantages of co-education should be conveyed to orthodox parents.

Health education should be a part of the school curriculum and students should be given information about AIDS, sex education and the ill-effects of alcohol and drugs. Parents on their part should not expect their children to deliver the impossible. Only then will the child growup in a stress free atmosphere. The parents should be able to identify the child's talents and view them objectively with patience and guide them accordingly.

Students are exposed to un-censored information through the television, newspapers, books, magazines and the internet. This causes stress in the mind of the learner and it has to be neutralised by the teachers through interactive sessions. Physical education should be taken up more seriously and the value of sportsmanship can be imparted to students. It is very essential that discipline be maintained without corporal punishment as it may cause additional stress.

Stress is formed in the mind of the students due to a variety of factors. The impractical and outdated system of education is a major cause of stress. The frequency of exams and the parental pressure on the student to perform also causes stress. Counselling centres ought to be started in schools to deal with the stress and strain in students. Meditation and yoga can ease the stress in the minds of the students. The curriculum planners should make education more interesting and it should bring out the creativity in the students. Long term planning is very essential. Periodic supervision bythe policy makers should be able to find out the reasons for dropouts and inequalities in the area of education. With globalization, the values, traditions and ethnicity of any community is likely to be erased. In the event of any community achieving superiority, problems are likely to occur. No society can be isolated since we are interdependent on other societies.

Education is the integrating factor that brings societies close for a better understanding. Educating children is the only way to make them to become world citizens to bridge the gap between the global and the local. Finally, education is at the centre of all things and it is the only solution to the demands of the coming millennium.

R. KISHORE KUMAR

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