Overhauling Education WASEEM AZIZ Web.waseem@gmail.com For last few decades, in spite of being one of the most beautiful places on the planet, Kashmir has rot been so beautiful educationally. On one side there have been herculean advancements in sci- ence & technology and we have been talking about {nter-planetary travel but contrary to this we, in ‘Kashmir, have failed to uplift the educational stan- dards of our children, Although there has been ‘mushroom growth of government as well as pri- vate educational institutions but that has not been cof much help qualitatively. Not only government schools but private schools also have filed to come at par with the educational standards and strategies that are being adopted globally. Some of the core areas where we need to concen- 1 Teachers: Teachers are supposed to be torch: bearers for a society but fora long time now they have failed to deliver effectively. There have been lapses on both sides. On one side the govern- ‘ment has falled to uplift the stature of teachers and fon the other side teachers too did not fail to add salt to injury. It is important to mention here that teachers have been over-burdened and subjected to unnecessary tasks like Mid-day meals (MDM), col- lection of data by local administrations, conduct- ing surveys ete Being an optimist Iam of the opinion that « good teacher can always over-power these hurdles. While being interviewed, some $ years back, the interviewer asked me “What would you do and how ‘would you teach if you are teaching in «classroom with no teaching aids?” I smiled back and replied in no time “Sir, the best teaching aid in a classroom isthe teacher itself But a firm belief in such a con- cept is a prerequisite tobe a successful teacher. 2. Capacity-building and Teachers"Training Programmes: So many institutions are in place to ry out teachers training in our department but that does not seem to help at all. In the govern- ment sector Teachers’ Training Programmes have become more of an incentive earning programmes (as teachers are paid incentives for attending these training programmes) than a source of capac- fty-building. There is a dire and immediate need of revisiting the approaches and methodologies of, these programmes. Personally, I would suggest to utilizing the services of some professional consul- tancies or non-governmental agencies to cater this need than to spend millions without fetching any positive results. 3. __Skillbased/ vocational education: There Js a famous proverb, "Give a man a fish and you feed him one day, teach him how to catch fish and you feed him for a lifetime’. It s high time to put this proverb in to practice and start imparting skil- based & vocational education to children than to go for vocational-training afterwards, We ought to un derstand the difference between vocational educa tion and vocetional training Vocational education stands for imparting skill during formal education ‘while as vocational training isto impart a skill or {raining after completion of formal education 4. Innovation inveducation:Children as well as teachers should always let-to find alternative approaches to situations and problems. There can always be a better way and our way may not always be right. Tobe more creative and to let our children bbe creative we ought to come out of our habitual schedule and think out of box. Driving the children more curious makes them more creative, We have been lagging far behind in this aspect but its high time that we bring in innovation into education if we are to impart quality education, 5. Smart-Teaching:For a teacher it i as im- portant to know how to teach as to know what to teach, Content and methodology are lame without ‘one another. The teachers need to find ways and ‘means to keep the students involved and improve the learning curves of each and every individu al child. Teachers need to be icons of knowledge, ‘wisdom & understanding and ought to come out of long-standing conceptions of teaching. As teachers, wwe have to adapt to the globalization and techno logical advancements in education. To add to th initiative, I quote John Dewey “If we teach today’s students just like we taught yesterday’, we rob them of tomorrow” 6 Technology-Aided Learning:Technology Is one of the tools that can help us to improve our ‘education system as wel asthe learning curves of the students. Besides, teachers can make use of it to make the teeching learning process more effec tive and result-oriented. It can help the teachers and students in resource-sharing, timely updation, in-depth information, inter-personal interaction, joining online tutorials etc. ‘Technology-Aided Learning, instead of being optional, has become a need and necessity nowadays. 7. Content development: is highly dis appointing to see that there has been no work in this area tll now. In this context, our department should take a lead at the earliest so that the stu dents are benefitted and appropriate as well as helpful content can be circulated throughout the state. This content would include e-content as wel. Sharing ofthis content will achieve better results as result of availability of diversified material 8. Activity-based learning: We have come across some schools which have ad teaching-learning methodologies recently ‘one of the model schools, The College glowbagh, Baramulla (formerly Jabri been taking lead in this context. Teaches pput in place teacher-facilitated exercises 9. Revisiting the Student-Teac Scheme:For last one year in the depart bbeen wondering for it is beyond logic standing how allotment of teachers is d ferent levels in the department. A high allotted 10 teachers irrespective ofthe f fer the school is running from class 9th from 8th to 10th or from KG to 10th. Mi enrolment in the school is also kept at distributing the teachers among differen This area has been mishandled by the d till now in so many cases 10. Optimum use of resources:Whi to utilization of resources 1 would like to example ofa school which was highlight leading newspapers way back in 2015. The| cers were procured by the school but re used and sealed instore. Whatever ite i ture and resources we have is not bein properly, Structures are being constructe any proper planning and at times with ning. teachers; Whether its students inthe cl teachers, encouragement and appre: ‘good work always keeps them motivated ‘excelling further. Our department has able to adopt such a schema wherein go land their works would be appreciated wif act as reinforcement for them. 11, Appreciation and recognition : Tai) ieltireoce ofthe often ad partment towards te sights of the tech eet ce cal Of ch inference trom iy Ceprta Te FRASIELLOn one se fo pt ad Signed I takes month altogether nd on {ie the teachers, whlch cider me pald thelr salaries for more than {1 Fpeclveof the act whether a teacher I one of hl be pin oc Aepertneat ands oficial ora oth ers These ofl indifernceskep th ‘lente od In oe way or the oth Gemeechtieeeierierie tit a oftine Seen eerete fei tons have alva dreamt of develop CeETre e Urprting is ioral ‘yee. have eamt «day when oa rami ieee orl But thoo reume wont come tre lel oo Oflate poste change in rege and toward educa, thee ha been eal the coud butt is et to be seen i thi sh cats weal be ale to reach the shored