“Education is the premise of progress.” This is how Kofi Annan, the first Secretary-General of the United Nations and a revolutionary thinker and change-maker, described education in his book ‘Basic Facts About the United Nations. So, what can be a better way to start this discussion than to take his words and see how much it applies to education as we know it today!

“When I was your age…” isn’t this one of the most common things we hear our elders say to us? Well, as time goes by and evolution does its magic, society changes. It changed for our parent’s generation and is changing even for us. So, now that you are a parent yourself, you’ll find yourself comparing your childhood to your child’s more often than you would like. Right from their tech-driven school lives to their somewhat confusing love for computer games, the rate of change is perplexing and yet fascinating.

While a decade doesn’t seem like an awful amount of time, thanks to rapid technological advancements, the rate at which education in India is changing is simply astonishing. Did you even realize we are already closer to 2022? That’s how fast time flies by when you are busy living life (or fighting a pandemic, for that matter)!

When it comes to education, change is not only welcome; it is, in fact, a tool for reformation. As the world around you and your kids change, it is only fair that the school curriculum also changes. It is the only way to empower them with the skills and knowledge they need to conquer the consistently changing and advancing world.

At The Tribhuvan School, one of the top schools in Mustafapur, we understand the importance of restructuring our curriculum and pedagogy to keep the students up to date with the needs of the changing times. This is why we have always focused on adapting to the latest and top-of-the-class education technology, and creating a holistic learning framework for our students has always remained our priority. Our mission is to teach our kids to fly high while still having a deep connection to traditional Indian values. And we work relentlessly towards creating empowered citizens with limitless aspirations and abilities.

So, in this blog today, we’ll talk about the past, present, and future of education, how the new National Education Policy is spearheading a sea of changes in the education landscape, and how far we have come from when we were school students to now when our children are. Happy reading!

The Story of the Education System in India – The Past, Present, and Future

The one thing that differentiates India from many western countries is our rich history of education and knowledge. Right from the days of the Indus Valley Civilisation, India has been a frontrunner in showing the world the importance of education. The famous Nalanda University was the center for excellence way back in time, attracting scholars from all over the world. If we talk about the present-day situation, India is one of the best places for school and university education, emphasizing knowledge and practical learning over everything else. On average, India welcomes more than 50,000 international students every year, in addition to the 37 million Indian students who study in schools and colleges across the nation.

At The Tribhuvan School, one of the Best Cbse School in Patna, we believe it is important to appreciate India’s glorious history to take cues and reform the current state of affairs. After all, history does repeat itself. So, read on to find how much education in India has changed over the centuries.

The Glorious Past of Education in India

Let’s go back to the time when your great-great-grandfather was probably a student.

India’s association with structured education (where a guru passed on his knowledge to his students) predates history. There are four main periods – Vedic, Brahmanical, Mughal, and British and each of them influenced the socio-political fabric of the society, including education.

The concept of boarding schools started way in the Vedic period, where parents would send their children (usually boys) to an ashram or Gurukul where they would live and study with their gurus and other children. What we call holistic education today first started in this era, where children would learn about martial arts, crafts, the Vedas, and other essential life skills at the Gurukul.

Modern education, as we see it today, came around the time when India was a British colony. One of the better things that our colonizers gave us was the gift of schools and higher learning institutes. They also removed the archaic gender bias and laid the foundation for women’s formal education in the country.

Present-Day Education in India

Now let’s come to the current situation when your kids are a part of the education system.

In just the last decade or so, there has been a tremendous shift in technology. The Dotcom revolution that started in the early 2000s has practically transformed the very fabric of humanity. Thanks to the advancements in the telecom and transport industries, we live in a world that is a global village. What was once sci-fi is now very much a reality. As we use voice assistants like Siri to help us perform chores, Artificial Intelligence has become an inevitable part of our lives.

All these changes, plus the current predicament we face in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic, have brought a wave of change in the schooling and education scenario in general. Smart classrooms, digital classrooms, no-book policies, experiential learning – these are just a handful of things that your kids come across almost every day that the last generation surely didn’t.

For us, at The Tribhuvan School, one of the Best Cbse School in Patna, it is important that parents are actively involved in their kid’s school life. We understand that even though there are a lot of differences in how school life was there two decades back and how it is now, but still parental engagement is crucial for ensuring that kids grow to their full potential. Studies have also revealed that healthy parental engagement has several long-term benefits in child development. We thus conduct regular parent engagement programs to help parents get used to the latest learning techniques with ease.

The Future of Education in India: Special Feature – National Education Policy 2020

Now that we’ve covered the past and present, let’s move to the future of education in India. While there are several focus areas, one thing that comes strong and clear is that educational technology will be the star! At The Tribhuvan School, one of the top schools in Mustafapur, technological integration is a core focus area for us. We keep updating ourselves with the latest educational technology so that our students get a world-class education.

Here are some compelling facts to back this statement:

• Digitalization is the way to go forward – 99% of Indians feel there should be more digitalization in higher education. Compared to 29-65% in other countries, a whopping 74% of Indians think educational technology is an excellent initiative to make education more accessible and affordable for the masses.

 

• Positive outlook towards Indian education – A significant number of Indian parents and students are happy with the quality of education they receive at schools and colleges. They are also confident in India’s educational policies and feel that they will serve well in the future. India ranks better than many other countries at the level of satisfaction.

 

• Need for continuous and directed transformation – While Indians are happy with the current state of education, they do not negate the need for transformation. 70% of Indians think it’s important to continually review and upgrade pedagogy and curriculum to help teachers be more in sync with what’s new in education.

 

The New National Education Policy, 2020 – Defining the Path for Future Success

The new National Education Policy, NEP 2020, is the result of all the changes that happened in the last decade or so. This new policy is a step towards India’s goal for 2030 for sustainable development and transformation into a global hotspot of knowledge.

The four main pillars of the NEP govern the bulk of the reforms:

• More access to primary and higher education
• Improved quality of education in Government and private schools
• More affordable education for all
• Increased accountability on the part of students, teachers, and other stakeholders

Salient Features and Highlights of NEP 2020

• The new policy brings ‘learning by doing’ or experiential learning to the center stage. When children learn something in this framework, they can better retain the information and apply it in everyday situations. At The Tribhuvan School, we design our lessons to include 70% practical training and only 30% textbook-based learning.

 

• Focus on STEM-based learning and introduction of coding and other relevant computer technologies from Class 6.

 

• Blended or hybrid learning modes are the only way forward. The sudden onset of the pandemic showed us the importance of digitalizing education. Schools like ours that already had a digital learning module (in addition to classroom learning) easily transitioned when the Government announced lockdowns.

 

• Even when the pandemic is over, blended learning (digital + physical) is likely to remain the norm. The new education policy emphasizes this greatly. At The Tribhuvan School, one of the top schools in Mustafapur, our smart classrooms and Learning Management Systems enabled us to transition into blended learning smoothly.

As more and more schools adopt these new features, India will be one step closer to its 100% Foundational Literacy and Numeracy goals in an inclusive manner. And we, at The Tribhuvan School, are proud to be a part of this change!

So now, when we have covered an overview of the past, present, and future of education in India, let’s go back to our question, which part(s) of your kids’ school life surprises you the most? What is it that is different from how your own school life was? Is it how many projects they have to do, or is it how friendly their teachers are?

Here are our top 10 picks. Read on.

Schools Then and Schools Now – 10 Ways Your Kids’ School Life is Different (and Better) than Yours!

If you think about it, 20 years is really not that long a time. But things have changed a lot from when you were a school student to now when you have a school-going kid at home. Although some fundamental changes happen between all generations, the amount of change and the rate of change is particularly phenomenal for our generation versus the current generation of schoolgoers. A lot of it is because of the massive technological developments that happened in the last 20 years of the Dotcom revolution. And we, at The Tribhuvan School, firmly believe that how well parents adapt to the changing educational scenario defines how well they can support their children in their school work. We encourage our parent community to up their technology game and try to be at pace with their kids.

Here we have for you a list of the top 10 things that are different now than in the ‘90s:

1. Teachers are friendlier than ever before

Gone are the days when coming face to face with the maths teacher would bring chills down the spine of the students. Children today love their teachers and respect them because of this love and not because they are afraid of them.

At The Tribhuvan School, one of the top schools in Mustafapur, our teachers and other school staff work relentlessly to become role models and friendly figures in our student’s lives. When teacher-student relations are positive, it helps bring out the best in both of them. Modern schooling systems encourage healthy mental development of the pupils, and friendly teachers play a vital role in that sense by nurturing a positive learning environment in school.

2. There are no blackboards in classrooms!

The one thing that parents would associate the most with their own school days is definitely the quintessential blackboard and chalk box. The way there were blackboard monitors (and there used to be fights to be one), and how the teacher would sometimes throw a little piece of chalk to wake the person sleeping at the last bench are some unforgettable memories of school life back then. But sadly, there are no blackboards in schools anymore.

While you may think it is a bad thing, it is not actually. Not only were blackboards and chalks a potential health hazard for students and teachers, but they also limited the scope of learning substantially. In modern schools like The Tribhuvan School, one of the top schools in Mustafapur, smart classrooms with state-of-the-art Audio-Visual projection systems have revolutionized the way children learn.

The whiteboard is still there (with a whiteboard monitor), but the bulk of learning has shifted to digital technology. Smart classrooms help in delimiting knowledge by opening up the internet world. And as you know, if you search well, the internet has endless information on any topic.

3. Homes are the new classrooms

While this may be a recent development as a COVID-19 workaround, the fact is that digital classrooms are here to stay. When you were a student, the classroom and maybe the tuition at the teacher’s house were the only two places where you had to study besides your own home. If there was a curfew or you couldn’t go to school for any other reason, it was automatically a holiday.

Can you imagine not going to school for an entire year but still having to study every single day! But thanks to the advancements in educational technology, children today know that a nationwide lockdown doesn’t automatically mean a holiday.

Setting up a home school is no big deal, and all that you need is a stable internet connection and a computer. At The Tribhuvan School, one of the top schools in patna, we use advanced Learning Management Systems to conduct online classes for our pupils. All the information is available at one place, and parents do not have to scramble through different devices or platforms to fetch class notes.

4. E-textbooks are mainstream and freely available

One of the fondest memories of the old school days is probably the time you used to visit bookshops to collect your new session books. Wrapping them, putting on labels, and arranging them neatly on your study table was like a rite of passage that marked the beginning of a new session.

Imagine if you had only a couple of physical books and the rest e-books? Life as a kid would be a little different, wouldn’t it? Well, e-books and online learning resources are standard for kids these days. Even the famous NCERT books are now all available online for free! You don’t have to hunt down an old book from a senior or search the ends of the city to get that rare publication. It’s all there online, and it’s free for use. Can’t complain there, can you?

There are numerous benefits of reducing the use of physical books other than easy accessibility. After all, the weight of the school bag has always remained a significant point of concern for parents and doctors globally because of the many back problems they cause. E-books have helped to alleviate this issue entirely. At The Tribhuvan School, one of the top schools in patna, we have a no-book policy for junior classes and senior classes. We use a blend of both physical and digital books to provide the optimum learning environment for our students.

5. There are so many more projects to do

Do you remember the dreaded summer vacation projects that would always pile up for the last seven days of your vacation? While you had to do projects only during vacations, schools today use project-based learning as a core teaching method. One of the most significant changes in these 20 years is the renewed interest in holistic learning (much like the gurukuls of the Vedic times). At The Tribhuvan School, we follow a holistic learning framework and emphasize the overall development of our students and not just academic excellence.

One of the core principles of holistic education is to encourage learning via doing. It is also experiential learning and has a world of benefits for the child. So, yes, students have to do many projects (even have something called a maths lab), but it is one of the most scientific ways to teach a particular concept to a child.

6. There is a shift from passive to active learning

When you were a student, there was a good chance that you dozed off in at least some of your classes while the teacher had her back to you, writing on the blackboard. Some children even mastered the art of sleeping with their eyes wide open! Incidents like these were so common that it gave birth to the famous line, “Hey you, last bench. What was I talking about”!

While it seems like a funny thing today, it wasn’t all that cool back then. Was it? Traditionally, learning a lesson in school was a passive affair where one person (usually the teacher) spoke while others listened or at the max took notes. This is not the case today.

It is all about active participation from both sides and is called active learning. There are several benefits of active learning that range from a better understanding of concepts to higher focus in classrooms. At The Tribhuvan School, one of the top schools in patna, we create an active learning environment so that our lessons are interactive and fun and not just comprise a teacher reading from a book! Such a learning environment encourages children to have an open mind, ask questions, and think beyond what’s written in a book.

7. The fabled ‘tough love’ is no longer allowed

If there was one thing that was hated even more than the surprise tests, it was probably getting punished by teachers. The use of corporal punishments is strictly prohibited in schools today, and it is one change we can’t thank enough for! As researchers pointed out the long-term impacts of corporal punishment and humiliation techniques as ways to discipline a child, policymakers worldwide discouraged their use in schools.

Not only were these cruel on a humanitarian level, but they also caused severe emotional and psychological disturbances in children that stayed with them for a lifetime. To top it all, punishing a child often had the opposite effect on them, making them indifferent and stubborn. However, thanks to a global change in attitude, these are horrors of the past.

At The Tribhuvan School, we use reward-based positive reinforcement techniques to instill the right behaviour in our students. Our no-cane policy is strictly followed by every member of the school. We also encourage parents to use the same techniques at home to amplify the results in children.

8. Tests don’t feel as bad as they were 20 years back

Gone are the days when examinations meant 3 hours of non-stop writing. Today, schools use innovative ways to assess students that, frankly, don’t even feel like tests! The CCE system that evaluates a student’s performance all through the year (even includes their participation in school activities) is a great alternative to pressure-packed tests at the end of a semester. Continuous evaluation ensures that kids don’t overwork themselves before examinations and also helps them learn better.

As one of the top schools in Mustafapur, we, at The Tribhuvan School, use new-age assessment techniques like PowerPoint presentations, models, elocutions, art installations, etc., to encourage children to express themselves in unique ways. These techniques also prepare them for the outside world in the most inclusive way.

9. There’s a work-ex club for everything

When you were a student, there were a few basic clubs – music, dance, drama, and maybe an EVS club. However, children nowadays can a huge list of clubs and activities that they can participate in. These include yoga and gymnastics, maths clubs, public speaking, dance, vocals, instruments, no-fire cooking, art and craft, and so much more.

At The Tribhuvan School, we emphasize extracurricular activities and have proper clubs in place to enable our students to keep learning new skills each day and also have fun doing it!

10. Students appreciate individuality more

Back in the day, bullying used to be a major concern for parents. If someone had even the slightest bit of difference in their personality, most students would pick on them. Now, we all know how messed up the bully culture is. In the current times, due to the way children learn in classrooms, it teaches them how to accept and appreciate perspectives, and as such, bullying is not that big a problem today. Plus, most schools, including ours, have a no-bully policy in place to avoid any untoward situation. Right from a young age, children these days are taught in schools how diversity forms the essence of life, and thus, kids naturally grow up to be more compassionate, accepting, and appreciative towards individuality.

Summing Up

If you woke up one day in the body of a 13-year-old, there are good chances that you simply won’t recognize a school today! That’s how much schools and education in India have changed in just a couple of decades. Technologies like e-learning platforms have changed the very meaning of a classroom and made education more accessible, affordable, and personalized.

At The Tribhuvan School, one of the top schools in patna, we have embraced the change and made it an integral part of the learning journey. Here’s hoping this blog helped you revisit those golden years of your life as a student!