Sunday, July 15, 2012

Mug Up, Puke! Education, Is It?


‘Avoid irrelevant and unnecessary details’; the first thing we, generally, get to read when we look at our question papers. This statement has to be the most irrelevant and unnecessary when it comes to our education system. Teachers, usually, in the orientations say that they want the concepts to be clear and they give a damn to the scores and the grades.  But, what happens in reality is all they want the students is to mug up the notes and book words and puke everything, except the page numbers, on the answer sheets.

This is, probably, the way our teachers were taught and that’s how their teachers were taught. It has been our system since we don’t even know when and it will be there till we agree to change it. I don’t ever get this system. Why do we need to learn the things by heart? Why is mugging up the subjects more important than understanding them? Why do we need to know the exact words of the book? Those were said by the people who have long gone. Yes! They need to be honored but is quoting their exact words the only way they can be respected?  Why can’t acknowledge them by just understanding their views? Why do we need humans for this purpose, weren’t parrots enough?

I never found a teacher, in these many years, who was good with his/her students with just understanding what he/she was teaching. They always need the exact words; the words either said by them in the notes or by the old writers in the books. Why can’t we just get out of the old system and renovate the policies?
We will never progress unless we give the students their fair space. Give them the time to think, to research and bring in their own ideas. Learning everything by heart and producing it all exactly the way it is, from introduction to conclusion, cannot help us move ahead. There have to be better ways to do it. Let the student know what he/she is capable of. This is like tying somebody’s hands and motivating him/her to fight. Let the student float around. Let him enjoy the subject. If he will be capable of doing it, he will keep in; if not, he should let it go. But, let the student decide and know of his capacities.

Grades can never measure the intelligence of a student. The capabilities of a student are beyond those assignments and the exams. Why are only those successful in exams that are capable of mugging things up instead of those who have a better understanding? The teachers have to understand the fact that the students need a practical approach and a better understanding when they step out of the premises of the school and the university.

Our education system has been plagued by these faulty policies. It’s been years that things have been like this. But, it’s time that we change them now. The students cannot be ignored when it comes to making the policies about them. They, themselves, should realize that this sort of a system of judging them can get them marks and degrees but won’t be helpful for long. It is better being ‘learned’ than being a plain degree holder with no understanding of your field.

You Can View The Similar Post At Students of Pakistan

13 comments:

  1. Well written. I must say, what you've written is what I sincerely believe in. I mean enough of this same old system. This is stopping our country to progress! Since my school, I have always received 'average' grades because teachers fail to gather what they should in the first place. Those cramming the stuff, always end up having the best grades. And you are right. Why should students be judged based on their grades? I personally know students who can't even remember things once they are done with the exams, but still, get 'top' grades. Ha!
    I think this needs to change. Well done. One of your best posts, hands down. Keep writing :))

    - Peace and harmony.

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  2. An eyeopener, remind me of Bill Gates saying, "I failed in some subjects in exam, but my friend passed in all. Now he is an engineer in Microsoft and I am the owner of Microsoft." Grades doesn't matter and even the study, I personally believe parents & teachers role in educating the young is to understand them, inspire & motivate them so they should believe in themselves to achieve their motives on basis of their natural ability and curiosity. I've seen under-rated people with bad grades surprising their elders & teachers and some even at very big stage.
    Kudos to you for highlighting yet another burning issue of our society, hopefully someday we'll have a well organized system in place in our country and rest of the world.
    Keep sharing beautiful faith of yours and be blessed always! [Aameen]

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  3. I feel its also on the part of Parents. We usually push or kids into Competitive world too early that their only concern left usually is getting good grades. Whereas in this world's pie they seldom have to compete their class fellows.

    In this way we promote meanness among kids on contrary we must be promoting sharing & collective evolution rather than grades at least at school level to start with.

    Moreover capacity building of educators is very important. Schools should be made to conduct regular training for their teaching staff.

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  4. Well done sara.An amazing post.I think the judges of our written material are afraid of accepting the new thoughts and they stick to the old concepts n still are of the view that their emphasis is the understand not just remembering the encyclopedias.
    Our policy makers are not qualified enough to think about these issues and even dare to change the established ones...

    They even used to say"degree to degree hoti hai,jaili ho ya asli.... hahaha

    keep it up

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  5. Saraaaaaaaaaaaa... you've got to be more regular!

    Blog posts such as these deserve to be out there.

    Keep writing, lazybones.

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  6. Sara,

    You are absolutely right. The picture said it all. We restrict mental growth by such practices. Hope situation changes soon.

    Take care

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  7. excellant sara ... i realy appreciate ur intellectual appraoch in bringing forward such bold concepts n helping others in improving their intellect as well as mentality ... i truly agree with u that one's intelligence is not sumthing which can b measured up with ur grades or marks its ur callibre that matters .. uv done a gr8 job .. hats off :)

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  8. The so called race for marks and fear of 'first na aay to tangen torh don ga' thingvhas created the fuss. We only want to get rid of exams in fact education in any way.
    The purpose of educate is to create a human ot of a simple being but with our current system we are pushing them towards the point whre cheating is only option because what they think is not important to the exam checker.

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  9. Agreed. The problem with my students is the weak English sentences they write. It fails to explain to me what they are trying to write. I believe that creative writing should be practiced from an early age. At primary level. That should help Kids put what they're thinking into words.

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  10. Stephen Lu on this issue 'Today's students are tomorrow's future in the world of business, science and arts. To send a student out into the world unprepared is the opposite of what college strives to be.'
    Good Job Sara !
    this could be another award winning entity :)

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  11. Nice thought provoking piece of writing. Picture of the blog is true reflective of the grim situation of educational institutions of Pakistan. Biggest problem of our education system is that our basics are not right. Our basic education techniques don’t enhance thinking abilities of our students making them just excellent muggers. So the only way forward is to make our basic education system strong and innovative which can produce thinkers.

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  12. true.....
    realistic but not applicable in our country in our own student life but wish such good hopes and best system for the future generations.

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