An insider into the present education system and ways to refurbish for the betterment

Children are highly inquisitive in nature. They are not much aware of the conventional ways of the world. Everything they see, hear and feel, creates a wave of curiosity in their minds. They get excited by the sight of the stars, chirping of the birds and the colours scattered all around them. They have their own unique perspective about things, which is far from the impact of worldly ways. It is due to their birdy mind with wings which employs all its creativity to experiment with things. They are not bothered about any boundations, thus, their enormous creativity suffers no limit. As they grow up and begin their journey of attaining education in schools and colleges, they gradually lose their touch with their creative selves and turn into mechanical beings who cram facts, learn theories and strive for the sole purpose of attaining academic degrees. The question which arises here is, who should be made accountable for this drastic change? Has the education system gone wrong in satisfying the purpose of education?

This article explores these questions in detail and presents solutions to prevent schools from killing creativity in children.

A brief insight into the actual purpose of education:

The purpose of education is to nourish children- the tiny saplings, into well-bloomed trees having huge branches of creativity. The task of cultivating children’s innovative mindset begins with identifying their creative calibre. Education is all about devising ways to lead children to convert their passion into their profession. However, it seems that the current education system has long forgotten the basic aim of imparting education. This is clearly evident from the present state of the education system.

What does the present picture of the education system look like?

The present picture of the current education system shocks to the core. The very picture composes students being bound to devote long hours into reading textbooks, taking class tests and preparing for exams. They are made to cram facts and figures which are not only uninteresting for them, but they also hold no great significance in their lives. It is as if children are tied into dull routines which hardly give them a chance to unleash their creativity. This results in children often remaining unaware of their true passion, even after attaining higher educational degrees. Sadly, this is the harsh reality of today’s educational system, which clearly highlights how education has lost its purpose by failing to help children recognize their true passion and potential. Thus, the world today is full of individuals who feel dissatisfied from their professional lives.

What can be done to prevent schools from killing creativity?

There is a strong need for revolutionizing the education sector in a manner which gives a boost to children’s creativity, rather than curbing it. Below mentioned are some steps which can be taken to prevent schools from killing creativity in children.

No imposition of forced routines: There should be sincere efforts to prevent the imposition of forced routines on children. From a very young age of four to five years, children are made to follow strict time tables in schools. This acts as a negative force for their creativity as it binds them to do certain specific tasks at a time, without giving any due consideration to their peculiar interests. In order to save tiny tots from being robbed of their creative skills, a provision of flexible time tables should be made available for them. They should be given free will to exercise their choice in choosing their preferred activity every time. For instance, there should be a simultaneous provision of creative objects such as toys, painting colours and musical books in every classroom of kindergarten schools, to let tiny tots explore and select for themselves.

Giving space for experimentation: In order to enable children to identify their deepest of the passions, an environment which promotes experimentation should be provided to them. This can be done by introducing children to different fields of career through industrial visits and expert workshops. This gives children an opportunity to develop an idea of how things work in different sectors of the industry. It is after analyzing the working conditions and governance of different professional fields, that children can identify the actual alignment of their work interests. This prevents them from taking random decisions with respect to their choice of career and thus, ensures their professional satisfaction in future.

Letting children unravel their interests on their own: The current trend which is followed by the education system is that children first enrol in a particular course and attend the respective classes afterwards. It is often after pursuing a particular course that children discover that the studies don’t align with their interests. In order to minimize the prevalence of such situations, the education system must follow a more holistic approach by allowing students to get exposure to different subject classes, before enrolling into a particular course. The introduction of this concept in the education system, can promote healthy decision making by students and thus, help them in unravelling their creative interests on their own.

Acting as a candelabrum of guidance for them: In many cases, children are unable to pursue their passion, despite being aware of the direction of their interests. This is because they lack the knowledge and guidance to embark on the journey of their dreams. This throws light on the fact that every young child needs a mentor to guide him towards fulfilling his creative interests and ambitions. Thus, it is the responsibility of every teacher present in the educational institutions, to act as a candelabrum of guidance for every child who strives to realize his true potential by converting his passion into his profession.

To conclude, the education system can assuredly move towards realizing the true purpose of education, by taking the above-mentioned steps of reformation for the benefit of its students.