Crammed in stuffy classrooms, faced with pressure to perform well, and fed on a diet of boring and rote-based studies which nourish neither the soul nor mind, students in most Indian schools never get to see what life is and enjoy its simple pleasures (“Tyranny of the classroom”, Aug. 30). There is scant attention paid to ensuring that the student is well-grounded in the basics. He pays the price for this much later. This apart, there is a greater need today to revive the teaching of moral, social and environmental sciences. All fond hopes of innovation, entrepreneurship and the much-vaunted ‘demographic dividend’ will come to naught if the academic course pursued by a student after spending so much money does not give him the self-confidence and the skills to face the world.
C.V. Krishna Manoj,Hyderabad
None of our teaching and learning processes is linked to the aptitude of the pupil. I can cite the example of my son who has an ear for music. Even though his Trinity College of Music examiner said he had a future in music, I wanted him to become an engineer and had my way knowing how the system is. I can cite another example. In a school I was in, which was run by an automobile firm, the administration’s move to stream class 10 students who were interested in automobile engineering into the industry paid off. The result was a group of contented young people.
Rajakumar Arulanandham,Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu
Today’s student is unaware of the vast scope of his interests for lack of tools within the system that can tap his talents. If imparting employable skills is not possible to such a large section of the young, then there is a need to show them the various options that they have.
Saumy Dixit,Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh
