In many states across India, children are just about to begin their new session. On the occasion of new beginnings, hopes run high for children.
Piyush Singh Chauhan, Vice-Chairman of SR Group says, "As we begin yet another session in the hope of carrying out best practices in our schools, can we take a moment to reflect on the state of primary education as a whole in the country? If we do that, we'll realise that there are various issues in small and big states that need to be addressed at the grassroot level. As administrators of successful schools, it's our responsibility to think about these issues and present ways to solve them."
Some problems highlighted by Chauhan regarding primary education are -
The collapse of values in primary education
Chauhan says, "If you ask teachers or officials about the biggest challenge for improving value-learning outcomes, they will probably point to the numerous gaps in the system. Primary education is very important for children. This is when their brains are malleable and should be instilled with values and ethics that will not only make them good humans but torchbearers of change in the future. After all, that is the idea of education. Let's take inspiration from Japan. Their children do not have a syllabus to follow till their primary years. Japan spends its major revenue and primary teacher resources in teaching students the values, ethics and morals necessary to lead a kind, compassionate life that benefits the society at large. Value based education gives a positive direction to the students to shape their future and even helps them to know the purpose of their life. It teaches them the best way to live that can be beneficial to individuals as well as the people around them."
As a way forward, Chauhan draws from his experience and says, "Almost all children in the 6-14 age group in India are enrolled in school. In the coming school year, we must undertake concrete steps for putting India’s children on the path of achieving the full potential of their values and ethics. Each state must publicly declare their learning goals and articulate concretely their plans for achieving overall virtue and value learning for students. Such primary education also helps the students to become more and more responsible and sensible. It helps them to understand the perspective of life in a better way and lead a successful life as a responsible citizen. It also helps students to develop a strong relationship with family and friends. It develops the character and personality of the students.”