Steps to improve our education system

The present economy is knowledge based economy and it is envisaged that the next economy will be idea based. This motivates us to invest in education of our future generation. I feel if primary, secondary and higher secondary education is properly taken care of, not much reform is needed in higher education. Here are some suggestion supplement our current educational practices for enrichment.

                                                              

·         The participation of children (10-17 years of age) from valley in National Children Science Congress should be encouraged. The event should be publicized properly.  In fact district and state level Children Science Congress should be organized regularly to prepare and select the child for national level event.

·         Teachers should be incentivized to participate in National Teachers s’ Science Congress. They should also be motivated to become members of teacher organizations for lifelong skill enhancement.

·         Schools should be encouraged to open science clubs and affiliate their clubs to VIPNET of Vigyan Prasar.

·         Learning through museums, science museums, energy education parks and technology parks should be encouraged. National Council of Science Museums should be approached for opening state and district level science museums.

·         Creative learning through Origami and Philately should be encouraged. Philately workshops, seminars, exhibitions, stamp design contest and congress should be organized at grass root level with the help of local philately bureau.

·         Experts like Arvind Gupta (arvindguptatoys@hotmail.com) and VSS Sastry should be invited to conduct workshop on activity based learning and teaching mathematics through Origami. The workshop should be recorded and regularly telecast on DDK.

·         NCERT, Publications Division, Vigyan Prasar, National Book Trust and Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education should be requested to open their outlets in valley to provide standard text and other learning resources like posters, educational CDs and activity kits.

·         NGOs should be encouraged, supported and guided to develop mobile library and laboratory of demonstration experiments and science based models and toys to be sent to remote areas for promoting reading habits and inculcating scientific temper.

·         Talent search and nurture examinations like National Standard Examinations in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Astronomy (entry point + 2 level) should be given wide publicity. These exams lead to national and International Olympiad in these subjects. Till date only mathematics Olympiad is conducted in the valley.  The teachers who get these exams conducted should be felicitated.

·         Career counseling cells should be opened in all educational institutes from higher secondary to degree colleges and universities to orient parents and students to think beyond the typical medicine or engineering careers.