If a good principal were to need a definition then we think Annapurna Emani would fit the bill, and rightly so! She’s the quintessential principal – attired in an ethnic cotton saree, bespectacled, soft-spoken and genteel; with twinkling eyes and a kind smile (makes us want to go back to school again); and an underlying subtle but steely resolve that shows the probability of surfacing as and when the need arises.
A principal of the Jassver English Medium School in Vizag since 2004, Annapurna Emani is backed by a rich 20-year stint in teaching at Timpany School. Having ‘lived and breathed’ education at close quarters, she shares her views with MetroMela on the present-day education system in India and provides (she modestly hopes is) an insight into what could maybe help in making the life of a student better.
The problems?
India’s educational system is at an age of cut-throat competition that lacks ‘application’ and focuses more on the quest to get the right ‘scores’. Consequently, the purpose of imparting knowledge to create ‘learned’ adults is being lost. Children are no longer encouraged to use their ability to absorb, think and retain what they have learnt. The answers are spoon-fed and the child memorizes them mechanically, because at the end of the day the child has to get good marks in class. The parents (left with no choice) demand and the schools (left with little choice) provide the apparently ‘right’ kind of education that’s driven towards scoring the highest marks. Both are hapless against a socio-economic and political system that remains unmoved; and the poor child is forgotten, lost in this conflict.
Today, children are constantly being bombarded with homework and endless tuition, and in order to face this kind of hammering, they ultimately ‘switch’ off and subconsciously start to lead the life of zombie. Playtime too is virtually non-existent in their lives, and they end up losing out on a healthy childhood and so much more. Of course, there are exceptions and these, although just a handful, are heartening to see.
Solutions, yes
So we need to think of students as ‘children’ first, and then take the healing process a step further. Make ‘lessons’ age-appropriate. As adults, there’s only so much that one can take in, so imagine the plight of a six-year-old child who’s been told to grasp large concepts. Teachers too can try to make learning interesting, by involving students either in live enactments (if it’s a lesson in English) or in a healthy debate (for say a class in History). Whenever feasible ease off the pressure because, alike adults, children are entitled to their moods. So give them that much-needed break in class once in a while.
Furthermore, a shift towards a change in the educational system can begin at the basic elementary level. Say, for instance, we have these simple examples where little ones are told to ‘write’ sentences pictorially and not repeatedly; and where they are encouraged to ‘experience’ the touch and ‘feel’ the color of a fruit rather than being told to tediously write the word ‘fruit’. In doing this, we would be sowing the seeds for a learning that’s ‘enjoyable’ and not a mundane ‘task’ to be completed. This would go a long way in nurturing healthy minds for a healthy nation.
It’s a long haul, but there’s a beginning to be made somewhere, and MetroMela hopes that the wheel of relearning has already been set in motion, thanks to Annapurna Emani’s concerted efforts.
Posted on: Nov 11, 2008
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