Honing the Learning Curve

The third edition of India Today School Summit brought together eminent educationists and experts, who offered a look at the changing system of education

TO DO AWAY WITH THE ARTIFICIAL DIVIDE BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE AND JOB ORIENTATION, WE CAN COMBINE THEM, WHICH I BELIEVE IS THE ONLY WAY TO TAKE SKILLS AND CONVERT OUR NEXT GENERATION INTO A MORE EMPLOYABLE LOT VINAY SAHASRABUDDHE, MP WE MUST BE ABLE TO IMPROVE GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS BECAUSE MORE THAN 60 PER CENT OF THE CHILDREN ARE STUDYING THERE. IT IS THE STATE GOVERNMENTS WHO NEED TO GIVE PRIORITY TO THIS. G VISWANATHAN, CHANCELLOR, VIT UNIVERSITY THE CHANGE IS GOING TO BE DRAMATIC IF WE BRING IN DIGITISATION IN OUR EDUCATION, AND WE NEED TO DO THAT QUICKLY BECAUSE THAT’S THE WAY AHEAD INDU SHAHANI, FOUNDING DEAN, INDIAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP THE GREATEST GAP AND GREATEST OPPORTUNITY TO SHIFT EDUCATION IS TO BRING IN CHILDREN AND TO GIVE THEM POWER AND LEADERSHIP AT EVERY LEVEL; FROM CLASS AND SCHOOL TO THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT SHAHEEN MISTRI, FOUNDER, AKANKSHA FOUNDATION; CEO, TEACH FOR INDIA 21ST CENTURY SKILLS ARE NECESSARY AND OUR CURRICULUM NEEDS TO BE MOULDED TO MAKE STUDENTS THINK. KAISAR DOPAISHI, PRINCIPAL, SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF PROGRESS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DECADES IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO EDUCATION. BUT THERE ARE POCKETS WITHIN THE COUNTRY, 20 PER CENT OF THE DISTRICTS, WHERE THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO ARE STILL OUT OF SCHOOL, AND A LARGE MAJORITY OF THESE HAPPEN TO BE GIRLS. SURESH SUBRAMANIAN, COO, EDUCATE GIRLS GOVERNMENT CAN MAKE POLICIES; IT IS NOT GOING TO BE PRESENT IN EVERY SCHOOL TO SEE IF THEY ARE IMPLEMENTING THE POLICY. THEY HAVE LAUNCHED ACCESS FOR ALL, THE ONUS IS ON US TO TAKE IT FORWARD BRIDGE THAT GAP MADHAVI TANDON HEAD, SYMBIOSIS SCHOOLS CENTRAL DIRECTORATE PARENTS THINK THAT BY SELECTING A GOOD SCHOOL THEIR WORK IS DONE. IT’S NOT SO. WHAT THE CHILDREN SEE AT HOME. IT SHOULD REFLECT IN THE VALUE SYSTEMS THAT THE SCHOOL IS ALSO PROMOTING. MOLLY PAUL, PRINCIPAL, BOMBAY SCOTTISH SCHOOL IF THE REGULATORY AUTHORITIES SUCH AS AICTE, BAR COUNCIL AND ARCHITECTURE COUNCIL HAVE THE MINDSET TO PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY IN ACADEMIC AUTONOMY, ONLY THEN WILL COLLEGES AND INSTITUTES BE ABLE TO TAKE COMPLETE ADVANTAGE OF THE AUTONOMY GIVEN BY US VINOD TAWDE, MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, MAHARASHTRA

TECHNOLOGY IS HELPING DEPLOYMENT OF CONTENT. SO WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON CONTENT CREATION, WHICH IS THE JOB OF AN EDUCATIONIST. SUNIL KHANDBAHALE, MIT SLOAN FELLOW, INNOVATOR AND ENTREPRENEUR IT IS IMPORTANT TO RAISE CURIOSITY IN CHILDREN, AND SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING IS WHERE THE CHILD WILL ENJOY LEARNING SEEMA SAINI, CEO, N L DALMIA EDUCATION SOCIETY WE NEED TO CREATE AN ATTITUDE AND AN APPROACH WITHIN OUR EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS AND STAFF TO DEAL WITH THE INTERNATIONALISATION PROCESS THAT IS HAPPENING THROUGH COLLABORATIONS MADHUSHREE SEKHAR, DEAN, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OFFICE, TATA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (TISS) IT IS THE EDUCATOR NOT THE TECHNOLOGY WHICH IS IMPORTANT. WHAT’S GOING TO MATTER THE MOST IS THE KIND OF INDIVIDUALS IN TERMS OF VALUE SYSTEMS THAT OUR LEARNING PROCESS CREATES, AND HOW WE TEACH OUR NEXT GENERATION TO LEARN. NIRAV KHAMBHATI, CEO, TATA CLASSEDGE ONE OF THE QUICKEST CHANGES WE SEE BECAUSE OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN A CHILD AND A GRANNY IS THE RISE IN THE CHILD’S SELFCONFIDENCE. WE ARE ENCOURAGING THEM TO DO IS LEARNING HOW TO LEARN. SUNEETA KULKARNI, DIRECTOR, GRANNY CLOUD IF YOU NEED INDIA TO BE A DESTINATION FOR EDUCATION, IT HAS TO ENSURE ACCREDITATION MALAY KRISHNA, PROFESSOR AND CHAIRPERSON OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, SP JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH (SPJIMR) WITH TECHNOLOGY IN PLACE, I DON’T THINK THERE IS A NEED FOR ANY PHYSICAL SCHOOL. PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO STUDY ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. VIKAS KAKWANI, FOUNDER, ANYTIME ANYWHERE SCHOOL (AAS) IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT OF LEVEL PLAYING FIELD THROUGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS GAYATRI NAIR LOBO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INDIA SCHOOL LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE, MUMBAI THERE ARE 40 PER CENT DROPOUTS AT PRIMARY AND SECONDARY LEVELS, IF TECHNOLOGY CAN BRING THAT 40 PER CENT TO 30 PER CENT, ISN’T TECHNOLOGY PLAYING A GOOD ROLE? SANTOSH PHAD, CO-FOUNDER, THINKSHARP FOUNDATION WE ARE LIVING IN SMART CITIES BUT WE ARE NOT SMART ENOUGH TO HANDLE TECHNOLOGY THAT NEEDS TO BE BUILT AT THE GRASSROOT LEVEL SONALI PATANKAR, FOUNDER, AHAAN FOUNDATION I FEEL THAT EDUCATION HAS NO AGE AND BAR WHAT WE STUDY IN SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES GIVES YOU A GOOD PLATFORM TO WHAT YOU WOULD BE DOING LATER ASHWINY IYER TIWARI, FILMMAKER