Rote has not yet rot!!!

A recent WIPRO-EI study had some shock waves in store for the initiated and the scholastic. The shot in the arm was the finding that even the so called elite schools opt for rote learning. If this is the status of the high brow schools then the image is sure going to be bleak for the lesser schools where our country’s majority study.

The study also highlighted that some children showed a disturbing insensitivity to social issues such as gender equality and religious/cultural diversity. This clearly shows that the hedonistic youth of today alone cannot be blamed for their stoicism towards social and environmental causes. The cradle of their development, the school, has totally failed to seed the much needed social sensitivity and responsibility in to the child’s psyche.  Who should be blamed for this decadence in quality education? Are the present day parents able to fill the gap? The insouciance seen all around gives a nay.

Some of the other findings of the ‘Quality educational study’ by Wipro and Educational Initiatives (EI) point towards the lack of critical thinking, creativity and application in such a system. This can have a toll on their rational thinking and discrimination capacity to differentiate between good or bad in social and ecological issues. Signs of bias were also noticed among the students that may grow over time into dangerous prejudices.

In a county where hierarchy rules and youth and women are subdued entrenchment of social sensitivity can lead to fatalities. If the child is denied of a source from where he/she can tap social consciousness the future of such a state is in quagmire. It’s high time we root the rote out of our school/college curriculum.