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2013-12-03

On education and it’s possibilities












On education and it’s possibilities


Once upon a time, there was a school, and a girl went there.  And she’d sit in class, and listen and doodle and after some years, she’d be in a mess.  And after some more years, she would sleep in class……  (She did win a Arab Regional-Mathematics-Olympiad when she was in Std. XI, and an All-India-Rank-3 for her admission to M. C. A.), but then she was just naturally brilliant, gifted by God, as everyone is, in some way.

Anyway, that was all that was presented to her, every day.  She’d go to school, listen and learn.  How was she to know there was more…? 

There would be games period, probably once or twice a week, when she would run and play and sweat and enjoy herself, and feel free. 

There was music class when the whole class would file into a room, and a master would play the piano, and they’d all sing either “Waltzing Matilda” one year, and for a guest appearance by another famous performer, they’d sing “Jana gana mana” (which is the National Anthem, informed by the guest-performer that it should be sung in about 53 seconds, or something like that….’twas many years ago).

So the point is, there is more to life than academics.

Present your children with vistas to be explored.  Sure they go to school.  And sometimes they need to go to special music or games or tuition classes after school……  Who has the time for that….? Why not just fit into the regular class timings. 

And besides, the country needs representation at all fields of work and play.  The Olympics needs people too…..  So do the Asian games….


It’s not really fair to expect children to sit and read when their package in life is something else.  Sure, there was a time when academics became really important, and still is….. 

But some students are gifted in so many other ways…..  Why put their noses to the grindstone when they’re actually just waiting to spread their wings and fly?  Or run and play all day….  Or maybe sing and shout….  Or maybe swim or dive….  Or maybe play cricket or football….  Or maybe cook and eat…..  All these are career options too. 

It’s not fair to expect a child to learn something for 10 years and then change direction and expect them to become something else.  A child who expects to learn Medicine, will not be able to sustain the blow after XIIth standard, of being expected to go for Engineering…..  They might just curl up and do nothing properly….  But maybe even the dream of doing Medicine is just the advertising – if they did actually try Medical college, they might find they are confronted with dead bodies for dissection (oh yuck!), and after some time live bodies with blood and fluid (oh yuck again).  Who in their right mind would willingly do something like that…?  Well, apparently there are some people, but um, not me…..

So the thing is, the advertising might be great, but not factual. 

The wish to help somebody would probably be better placed in running a gym, where people can exercise and be in good health and strength (of course, without supplements, lest they look like pumped-up-chicken). 

So another way to help people would be to actually feed / give / inform them about good food so they stay in good health.  (Let me do that here – any herb with seed, shrub with seed, tree with fruit with seed in it (Genesis 1), and any animal that has both cloven hoofs and that chew the cud, anything that moves in the waters which has both fins and scales, and birds which, well, are not vulture, raven, crow, eagle, etc.  (Leviticus 11) – chicken, turkey, quail etc. appear to be good to eat).

And then of course, they’d need somewhere to let off that energy, with a lot of force to start with, and then as they become good, maybe a little more quiet, but more vibrant.  Who knows ….




So let us start a new curriculum in school – which presents a more comprehensive and factual view of life to children.  More games, more music, more art classes, more drama, more subjects for the first year, in Class I, and then they can choose a stream in Class II, and then follow that for a few years, and then further specialize something in that for the next few years, when it becomes Class XII, and then they can specialize in it for the next 3 – 5 years in college.  And then they can keep doing that for as long as they wish.  It will be something that they know and can do….


And of course, there should be the option to change – someone who didn’t have language in Class XI and XII (as in CBSE) and who joins B. Sc., will need to study a language paper, and then might try Hindi, and decide the level is too high, go to Sanskrit class and decide the Hindi they already know has the same words as in Sanskrit, but with different meaning, and so get confused, and then go to French, where they’re just starting the class, and so all is learnable.



Details;
For example, someone who likes to run and play and who options for the Sports-Curriculum, could learn the theory and history of a game for 40 minutes, have an interval of ten minutes, and then a practical games period of that game for 40 minutes, followed by a wash.  Then the next “Theory-and-History” of another game for 40 minutes, a 10 minute interval and then another Practical session playing that game for 40 minutes and a rest for 10 minutes.

Each game thus gets (50 minutes + 50 minutes = 100  minutes) a day.  And 2 games in the morning session = 200 minutes = 3 hours and 20 minutes, and another 10 minute interval.
And then lunch time.
And then another (50 minutes + 50 minutes = 100 minutes a day) – 2 game sessions in the afternoon.
And then the school day is done.

So basically each session is
(40 minutes theory-or-history + 10 minutes rest
40 minutes Practical + 10 minutes rest)

Chosen subjects (Choose any 4)
Academics
Music

Art
Games
Subject 1,
Subject 2,
Subject 3,
Subject 4.


Class I:
Class
Session
Subject
First set of years
1
Subject 1 - Maybe Academics

2
Subject 2 - Maybe Music

Lunch


3
Subject 3 - Maybe Art

4
Subject 4 - Maybe Games

Go home and wash.

Choose 2 out of the 4 subjects opted for in the first set of years



Second set of years
1
Subject 1

2
Subject 2

Lunch


3
Subject 1

4
Subject 2
Choose 2 out of the 4 subjects opted for in the second set of years



Third set of years
1
Subject 1

2
Subject 1

Lunch


3
Subject 1

4
Subject 1









Category
Possible subjects
Academics
Mathematics

Science

Social Science

Language

History & Civics


Music
Piano / keyboard

Guitar

Singing

Drums


Games
Walking

Running

Badminton

Swimming

Tennis


Indoor games
Monopoly

Cards

Chess

Carroms

Badminton


Art
Abstract art

Geometric art

Painting

Drawing

Colouring




Academics subjects
Mathematics
Science
Social Science
Language
History & Civics
…..

Music
Piano / keyboard







Session
Subject
I set of years
1
Subject a

2
Subject b

Lunch


3
Subject c

4
Subject d

Go home and wash.

Choose 2 out of the 4 subjects opted for in the first set of years



II set of years
1
Subject a

2
Subject b

Lunch


3
Subject a

4
Subject b
Choose 2 out of the 4 subjects opted for in the second set of years



III set of years
1
Subject a

2
Subject a

Lunch


3
Subject a

4
Subject a





So if music is chosen,
then


Session
Subject
Each year
1
Keyboard

2
Guitar

Lunch


3
Vocal

4
Drums





This way, the student can learn every note in every music piece for every offered instrument.  So there is sufficient material in the existing syllabus to occupy the music student with one grade for a year.

This is an option for those who wish to study music full time.  There are many children like this.  They may be good at music, but not at academics or other things.  Especially children who are academically-challenged may be musically-brilliant.....  Of course, they should try because who knows if their talent is in music or in sports or agriculture or iron-ore....

Then after they finish this preliminary education, they can apply for college education in music.

The fees can be same as for academic-schools.

Or maybe, just introduce a music time in academic-schools, where the entire school has music in that period.  Then students from each class can attend the Grade class of the grade they have reached.  Thus, the Grade 1 class could have students from Std. I through Std. XII.
The Grade 2 class would have other students from Std. I throught Std. XII, who have passed the Grade 1 exam.
Similarly, students from Std. I through Std. XII who have passed the Grade 2 exam can all collect in the Grade 3 class session.
Grade 4...
And then Grade 5 and onwards....

So to present each theory class, a recording of the theory presentation should be made.
Then during the theory class, there should be a teacher (called a "facilitator") who will play the recording, which should have pauses in between, and answer questions from the class.  This will simplify the presentation of the topic and uniformalise it since it can be presented by an expert in that subject.  And one recording serves all.

Those who show aptitude can then be invited to attend music school full time, where they have music from morning to evening, as mentioned ;


Session
Subject
Each year
1
Keyboard

2
Guitar

Lunch


3
Vocal

4
Drums





So the student can try this, and continue as far as they are able to go.  And when they need a change, they can take a year off and try sports....
Or something else....
Or just rest for a while till they're ready to start again.




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