One thing I have been observing for quite some time now is kids abhorring studies. No, this is not something new. Even our generation kids, many of them, didn’t like studying. But lately, I can see kids lacking interest in studies overall.
What’s the reason? Gadgets, kids being more entitled, distracted..might be to an extent. But these are not the only reasons. Indian education system gives emphasis to marks rather than learning. The more a kid scores the better student he/she is. Of course, there are brilliant students who love studying and have a very good grasp over subjects. But that percentage of students is very less.
Why should a class 4-5 student be burdened with 8 subjects? Why should the student be burdened with copying from blackboard, completing notebooks, mugging up answers? Where’s the learning? Ask a student of class 8 what he/she had learnt in class 6 and I bet most of them won’t remember. Why? Because they mugged it up just for the exams. The bags are heavy, there are many teachers who just become teachers for the heck of it without having any interest in teaching or are incapable of handling students. Few teachers handle a class 4 student and class 8 student in a similar fashion!
Of course, there are international schools where the curriculum and the style of teaching is different, less burdening. But most students still go to the regular SSC, ICSE and CBSE schools in our country. Sports and extracurricular activities in higher classes are not encouraged by many parents as they feel its a waste of time for their children as there is no surety of career in those fields. Board exams are given more priority.
The parents are under pressure. If their wards do not perform well, they will be left out in the rat race. They will not secure admission in good colleges and won’t be able to make a great career. I am myself the mother of two growing-up children with one child being in 12th this year. My daughter wants to concentrate more on athletics and sports but somewhere balancing studies, homework, classwork becomes hectic for her. There are lengthy answers to be remembered, difficult equations to be solved, redundant Hindi grammar to be studied. Isn’t it too overwhelming for the students?
All I want is the esteemed educators to overhaul this education system. I know there are many teachers and educators who are relentlessly working towards it and it will take time, still I hope there comes a time when the parents and students feel less burdened and the children can say unanimously “I love studies.”
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