BENGALURU: I wish ChatGPT were there when I was young. I had countless questions about the world, but the education system made me feel foolish for asking them, said Sonam Wangchuk, an engineer and education reformist, while highlighting how the modern Indian education system leaves no room for curiosity for students to explore.
Speaking to parents and children at the Earthlore Academy, a Montessori school on Saturday, Wangchuk mentioned that with its rigid focus on memorisation and a one-size-fits-all approach, the education system has very little room for curiosity or exploration.
“While every child has the potential to thrive in a natural, organic learning environment, one that aligns with their innate abilities, the current system often fails to support children in this way, making them feel as though their learning struggles are their fault, rather than recognising the need for a more adaptable, inclusive approach to learning,” he said.
Parents should nurture their child’s curiosity by providing timely resources and support. Denying them opportunities during critical periods of interest can lead to frustration and rebellion later which pushes them to take extreme actions. “Education should be intuitive and flexible, driven by the child’s needs rather than societal comparisons,” he said.
Emphasising the same, Gitanjali J Angmo, Sonam Wangchuk’s wife and the founder of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh said that India has become so westernised that we now treat factory-style education as ‘normal,’ which moulds people into workers for a system driven by industrial revolution principles.
In contrast, the Indian system of education was more about finding one’s true-self and never a 9-to-5 job or the work-life balance we often talk about today.
“Today, the so-called mainstream education we follow has been heavily influenced by Western ideals. Ironically, what the West considers alternative is similar to what was once mainstream in India - education rooted in real-world experience, without the focus on memorisation or projects that are disconnected from reality,” she added.
Previously, learning was real and immersive - children engaged in tasks essential to their lives rather than hypothetical projects, Gitanjali highlighted, adding that this natural method allowed students to thrive without memorization or rote learning. Why cannot we reclaim this system? she questioned.
Wangchuk, a sustainable innovator, who also inspired Aamir Khan’s character Phunsuk Wangdu in the movie 3 Idiot, highlighted sustainable housing and mentioned that compared to any other city, Bengaluru, after Ladakh, offers a favourable climate and a rich culture of earth-based construction.
He highlighted that the housing sector is currently the largest contributor to pollution, surpassing even automobiles. Conventional materials like concrete and steel are highly energy-intensive and environmentally harmful, he said.
“Building with soil has immense potential but is overlooked because it does not benefit corporations or governments. Unlike steel or concrete, soil is universally available and cannot be commodified, which explains the lack of promotion or training in soil-based construction,” Wangchuk added, emphasising that despite half of India living in mud-built homes, yet no educational institutions teach these methods.
Addressing concerns about rain and durability, Wangchuk mentioned that it can be addressed with simple techniques, such as constructing strong roofs and foundations and cited examples of soil-based homes in high-rainfall areas like Austria and France, offering natural insulation and moisture regulation.