Education now and then…………
Around 3500 BC various writing systems
developed in ancient civilizations around the world , pictographic and
logographic script followed by cuneiform script that took many years to master
and only a limited number of individuals were scribes who were trained in
reading and writing. The surfaces used for writing were wax covered writing
boards, strips of barks from trees ,thick palm leaves that were punctured with
a hole and stacked together like the pages of a book.
In India during the Vedic period
1500 BC to 600 BC ,the epics Mahabharata and Ramayan formed a part of ancient Indian Education
.During this time the students would memorize the content uttered by Gurus, the
students would go to their Guru’s house at the age of five and would return
home after completing their studies by the age of twenty four. The society in
no way interfered with the Guru –Shishya teaching learning as the system was
fully residential the student not only learnt what was taught but also observed
his teacher. The teacher-taught shared a personal relation between them, during
this period they would learn the art of using weapons according to their
ability ,others would learn ‘Shastra’s’. Vocational system of education was
also prevalent then.
This system of education upheld the
dignity of labour where the students were involved in some manual work such as
collecting fuel, tending cattle, cleaning, washing etc.
During the Medival period education
depended on state support it was by and large dominated by religion. ’Pathshala’s’
imparted elementary education where emphasis was laid on reading, writing and
arithmetic.
The modern education system came into
being by the 19 th century,it had great impact on the Indian society –in a way
that our culture , tradition, knowledge
and values seem to get affected.
The present system of education has become formal
and is imparted in a structured environment by a trained certified teacher who
is a subject expert .It can be categorized as pre-school, primary, secondary,
higher, vocational and special.
The concept of Public schools has taken over
our traditional education system, the use of electronic education technology
has also become dominant. Universal Primary education is an International
millennium goal .Digital Technology has impacted us at work, home, school and
college, all these computing devices –from laptops to personal computers to
tablets to smart phones are dismantling knowledge and transforming the role of
a teacher to that of a facilitator .
The post modern stage of education will
firmly follow the dictum ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’-we see the future full of data
base of e-books ,satellite broadcast class rooms, electronic meetings and
distance learning .Students will be connected to experts all over the world.
Students will meet their teachers and mentors virtually, collaborate and learn
together ,with provision of simultaneous translation available for those who don’t share a common language.
Learning will take place as per the need and interest of the students –it could
be in a hospital, farm ,factory or museum. Learning will be independent of age,
electronic tutors will cater to the needs of students ,these virtual tutors
will be sensitive to the mood, anxiety and confidence of students, the future
class room with a huge digital screen will be loaded with the feature of smell
and feeling……
But will that mean that we do away with
schools and colleges ? ……….Parents will still want their wards to be in the
company of other children in a caring educational environment where they learn
to care and share…….
Dr Rekha Mahajan
Professor
Jims Institute of Education,
JEMTEC
Greater Noida
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