5 checkpoints for every Parent in School selection for their Child

• Why do we need School?
• What are the salient features of a good School?
• Who makes good School?
• How do you compare Schools?

School is the temple of learning. We have been saying that for a long time. But, is it true?

Parents send their child to a school for his overall development- physical, mental and emotional.

When looking for a school for his child, a parent will always want it to be the best. Best in terms of all aspects. But what are the five most important points that should be kept in mind while selecting the right school for your child-

• Environment- The school should have a positive environment which is very important for the growth of a child and his learning. The school should provide a healthy and learning environment where their emotional and physical well being should be taken care of. Big spacious classrooms, playgrounds to play and learn different sports, canteen, library, computer centre form the infrastructure  which holds the environment in them.
• Teachers-  The first and foremost reason to go to school is learning, learning to read, write, draw or do such other activities. A teacher is responsible for the child’s activities held inside the school. Qualified and dedicated staff are the pillars of the school. A dedicated and sincere teacher will motivate the child in all his endeavors. The teacher is a guide who supports the child at every step in the journey of education. A teacher will keep the curiosity  of learning and knowing more or gaining knowledge alive in the child.
• Curriculum- The heart of any institution is its curriculum. There is a set curriculum which should be matching the standards and needs of the growing society. Before the beginning of the academic session, a curriculum is set keeping in mind the vision, focus, objectives and student needs.

• Teaching aids used- There has been a lot of development in the technology in the last few years. Chalk has been replaced by (Marker) and the blackboard with whiteboards or even one more step ahead with interactive boards. Connectivity to the internet provides with the facility to gain knowledge from different parts of the world. Now the classes have become more interactive and lively with the use of these aids.

• Extra co-curricular activities- ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’, goes the common saying. So it's not only reading and writing that a child does in school but also other activities as sports, public speaking, dramatics, singing, dancing and so on. These activities contribute in personality development of the child. These also refresh a child’s mind as anyone of these may be his passion.

What do you think are the most important aspects of a school?

Where would you be very happy to send your child to get his education?

Pathguru : Knowledge should be Free & Flowing

Current Education System - Time to Change?

Modern Education System definitely needs a close look. Is it the best way to feed knowledge to our present and future generations?

• Is the education system correct?
• Have we commercialized education?
• Should there be any exams?
• Does it make good citizens or machines?
• Is there any alternative?

Well, if you are reading the above questions, then surely you have the answer as well. But, before answering any of these questions, let us go back to the times when we received knowledge from Guru.

In a system of Gurukul, there was no technology, but still students were subject matter experts. They were good citizens. Definitely there was a vast difference in the way of teaching, teaching aids, methodology.

The main teaching aids used in classroom were books, blackboard or chalk. Even the classrooms were not build within 4 walls. Live objects were used for practical illustrations. Something that was not understood was made easy by practical examples at home by parents.

Well, we don’t see those anymore.

Smart boards, interactive white boards, markers or tablets have come up as teaching aids in classroom. For live examples videos on youtube or google are used. It is good that technology development has given a lot of gadgets for our use. But only having gadgets is not enough. The main thing is how we bring it to our use. “If a child is given a pen in hand and not taught how to write, what use is the pen to him.” Similarly not just having the latest technology at our disposal will suffice the need of our education system. But we must utilise it to the maximum for our benefit. Certain changes need to be brought in the education system:

• Smart teaching-As discussed above, teachers should guide the students for how to make maximum use of internet for their queries not just a tool to google their answers.
• Focus on practical knowledge not on rote memory-After session is over, whatever is mugged up is left there and then. Emphasis should be laid more on skill based education.
• Acknowledge creativity, research and innovative methods-Learning the prescribed syllabus should not be the criteria to judge a child's performance. Acknowledge his out of the box thinking related to the topic.
• Education for living not just earning-Education does not only mean learning reading and writing. It contributes towards the overall development of a person. Preparing yourself to be an engineer or doctor should not be the only purpose of education. Count all the aspects of education and receive it in the true sense.

Before I conclude, I ask you again…

Are we providing the education to our children in the best possible way?

Or do you agree with me that our education system needs to be changed?

Share  your thoughts with Pathguru.

Knowledge free & flowing

• What is the source of knowledge?
• How to Experience knowledge?
• What does knowledge do?
• Commercialized or non-commercialized?

The pursuit of knowledge is never ending. The day you stop seeking knowledge is the day you stop growing.In life, whatever we do is the outcome of our actions based on our knowledge. All the great men have achieved success or have been able to do any inventions using their knowledge. When the bulb was invented were there any books pre written on it? No. But it was through his skills or applying knowledge that Thomas Alva Edison was able to invent the bulb. Just think had he not shared his invention with the people, would life have been so easy?

Always remember sharing is caring. The more knowledge we share the more we acquire it. Pathguru brings people closer and helps in sharing knowledge. There is no end to gaining knowledge and there's no age to learn. A person can be a learner at the age of sixty or can learn even from a four year old. There is no barrier for gaining knowledge. It should not be confined to your own self. The more we exchange our ideas, our views we get new results or new roads that lead to our end results. Whatever knowledge we have, we must share with others.

Exchanging ideas merely sitting in the comfort of your house? Yes, nobody is a guru or a shishya, it's just an exchange of who knows what or how can I help you? It is the flow of gyaan(knowledge) from one mind to another.

“Education” or “Knowledge”…? What’s your choice..

• What is the best way of learning?

• Education or Knowledge?               
• Teaching or Seeking?
• Mugging up the answers or Practical application of concepts?

Self learning or gaining knowledge thru personal experience is the best form of learning because there is no chance of forgetting in it. It is thru your own reasoning you figure out the answers to your queries.

Knowledge is acquired through informal experience whereas education is gained through formal process.

A child is born, brought up in the family by his parents , grandparents and also by his siblings when all contribute in his holistic development. A child learns many things before going to school for his formal education.This learning is not done as a formal training. Some things may be taught but there are certain things that he observes and learns, practically does and understands. This method of learning is what refers to gaining knowledge.

Formal education starts at the age of 3-4 years and is carried over a time of 16-18 years. During this time, learning of basic concepts takes place and maximum time a prescribed syllabus  is taught to the children.They read, learn and write but in this process the development of the brain does not take place as it should. On being given the answers, the brain does not do the reasoning. The questions when, why, what, where die even before coming to the mind.

There is more of theoretical learning in present day education system.

Is this the kind of education we want to give to our children where the mental ability and logical reasoning does not exist? Can just getting good marks without understanding give us the best doctors, engineers or entrepreneurs?Of course not.God has given human beings the brain which has the ability of thinking, analysing and performing.And this is called knowledge.

The guru imparted practical training to their shishya.

In India (Bharat), Gurukul was the centre of learning. Gurukul was made from two words-  guru means teacher and kul means home.The shishya (Student, seeker) had to stay in gurukul till he did not complete his course of learning.Today it has taken the form of teacher student and the learning centres are named schools.

What is the motive of discussion?

PATHGURU is not just a search engine but a guru who will enlighten your path.

Main motive of discussion here is to make the learner utilise his potential and his capability, the skill to do the reasoning and find the solution using his knowledge.

This is what PATHGURU does for the seekers. It's a platform where students from all over the places can get connected with each other through the medium of internet. They share ideas, find reasons, analyse which will helps them giving a wider perspective. The brainstorming session is the best way to yield better results.It does not apply the teacher student concept that you can learn any topic by searching it on the website and getting the pre written material on it. It serves you by bringing together people of same stream with different approach and ideas about the same concept. It is upto the user who may be a shishya, a guru, a job seeker how he or she gains knowledge through it.