Nerve Endings Firing Away

Rashmi Bansal in her inimitable style reflects on the Indian education system while seeing off her daughter to her first day at school. Her thoughts reflect exactly those that of this blog i.e. giving children more power in deciding what they do for a living. The problem with the Indian education system is more of a cultural problem rather than a systemic problem. The parameters of success are extremely limited i.e. you are successful only if you go to a professional college that trains you in the field of engineering or medicine. The other career options are seemingly populated by “also-rans”. You are in Arts only if you fail to get a seat in Commerce; you are in Commerce only if you fail to get a seat in Science, and of course, you are doing your B.Sc just because you couldn’t get into those engineering or medicine colleges scattered all over rural India. Parents in their overprotective zeal attempt to brainwash their kids by limiting their choices. “Padhoge likhoge banoge nawab; kheloge khudoge banoge kharab” takes things to another extreme.

But will offering an alternative education that encourages students “how to think and not what to think” find acceptance in the rigid Indian society. I have a model of an ideal education system in mind (also echoed by few IIM-A students) that would encourage creative thinking and let students pursue alternative careers (writers, painters, photographers, philosophers, public affairs, research, etc). Of course, I wouldn’t mind if some or rather most of them still choose engineering or medicine (we need those folks too, you know!) but simply the experience of a creative thinking environment might make their future lives a little better. To appreciate the beauty in a Da Vinci painting, the writing of Dickens, or the starry universe of Stephen Hawking, or simply the gasp of surprise at seeing the perfect surprise is mission accomplished. Attempts have been made in providing for an alternative education in form of ICSE, CBSE, or even IB education systems but most of them remain prohibitively expensive or simply not universally accepted for higher education purposes. My premise is that — if you train children in creative thinking and inculcate an understanding of all things beautiful and scientific, they are bound to succeed in whatever situation they are placed in. It is the MBA-experience for a child (weird analogy, I know) — the principles are applicable to any field they choose to pursue. Each child is as unique as the other one; it might be best if they pursue their calling. Who knows, Gross National Happiness might make a decent economic indicator in the future?