Date:13/03/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/03/13/stories/2006031315880400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Allow students to think: ex-CBSE official

Staff Reporter

"There are so many other avenues for development and achievement"

TAMBARAM: The present educational system does not allow students to think ``and making students think is the purpose of education,'' said G. Balasubramanian, retired Director (Academics), Central Board of Secondary Education.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Science Expo 2006 at the Bharathi Vidyalaya Higher Secondary School, Medavakkam, on Saturday, he said parents forced their students to aim at entering premier engineering institutions from the moment they joined L.K.G.

Joining premier engineering colleges was not the only avenue for a school student as there were so many other avenues for development and achievement. ``Children are tortured when they enter school at a very young age and pressured to excel,'' Mr. Balasubramanian said, adding the primary objective of education was to make the students think.

He regretted that today, a school was judged based on the facilities it provided and not by the quality of education provided to students and called for a sea change in the attitude of society, particularly of parents towards education of their children.

Models

The exhibition featured several models on various aspects of science. R. Krishnaswami, Chairman, Bharathiya Vidya Trust, Bhaskar Chellappa, senior consultant, TCS, and K. Alamelu also spoke.