Discovering the Rich Culture and Education System of India: A Student's Perspective

People in our modern culture have come to understand that education equals opportunity and hope for the future. They understood that for mankind to grow, education, the promotion of creativity and curiosity, and the quest for knowledge are all essential. Children are urged to fulfill their potential today. Teachers are more competent. Thankfully, the traditional brick-and-mortar classroom is a thing of the past. All of this has significantly changed India's educational culture.

India's educational culture is currently through exciting times. Certainly, computers, projectors, the internet, and other modern educational technologies are helpful. The greatest amount of simplification has been applied to everything. Every facet of existence has been studied in relation to science and technology. The incredible knowledge that the Internet provides has no end. Today, not only our planet but the entire universe is accessible.

The Rich Cultural Past

Equally fascinating is the history of India's educational system. India used the Gurukula system of education in the past, whereby everyone interested in learning went to a teacher's (Guru) home and asked to be taught. When a person is accepted as a pupil by the guru, they live with the guru and assist with all household chores. Everything the child desired to learn, including Sanskrit, sacred texts, mathematics, and metaphysics, had to be taught by the guru. Instead of just memorizing facts, the entire learning process was directly connected to nature and living.

The Changes Over the Years

The Indian educational system changed thanks to the British. During the colonial era (1757–1947), government universities grew in Bombay (Mumbai), Calcutta (Kolkata), and Madras (Chennai). Several Non-Governmental and Private schools were also founded by Western Christian missions to offer opportunities for elementary education in addition to the Indian Universities and Governmental Colleges. As the British and other newcomers arrived, women's education gained traction. In private girls' schools, subjects taught in the curriculum included Urdu, Persian, writing, arithmetic, needlework, and Punjabi Islamic studies. In addition, English was chosen as the medium of teaching because it was thought that learning English would enable Indians to communicate across international borders.

Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay first introduced the modern educational system, which included the English language, to India in the 1830s. Science and arithmetic were the only "modern" subjects allowed in the curriculum; metaphysics and philosophy were deemed unnecessary. The strong bond between the teacher and the learner was shattered as teaching became restricted to schools, breaking the connection with nature.

The Current Scenario

It is indisputable that contemporary education has helped people in India as a whole become more aware of societal issues. Thanks to recent technological advancements, information of any kind is now readily available and is even available at everyone's doorstep. The current generation is now considerably more knowledgeable than prior generations and is much better informed about advancements taking place throughout the world.

In contemporary India, there are four levels of education: primary, secondary, senior secondary, and higher education. The length of elementary school is eight years, while secondary and senior secondary education are each two years long. In India, higher education begins after completing high school, and post-graduate programmes typically last two to three years. To give pupils better educational possibilities, several colleges and institutes have sprung up around the nation. One of the things propelling India towards prosperity is the growth of the education sector.

Issues & Challenges

Free at all levels of education—primary, senior secondary, and college/university—India has seen spectacular development, but it cannot be said that this expansion has been accompanied by an improvement in educational quality. Except for a few minor adjustments here and there, the colonial pattern of schooling mostly remained unchanged.

Education has not advanced at all. Only 3.85 percent of India's GDP is allocated to education. Despite a little improvement in the gross enrolment ratio, around 8 million kids are still not attending school.

Numerous changes are required in India's current educational culture. most crucially, a shift in how individuals think. Parents and teachers shouldn't shame a student who is struggling academically by discussing their shortcomings in public. Children should be treated kindly and assisted in learning to improvise. More responsibility is required of parents. They ought to look at the special potential of their children rather than comparing them to other people or their siblings. Teachers ought to experiment with their approach. Never should societal conventions be used as an excuse to discourage a youngster. Not the child, but the conventions need to change.

The poor quality of the public education system in India is a major problem. Both the quantity and caliber of education that pupils receive in government schools are woefully inadequate. The low level of educational quality, coupled with shoddy facilities and insufficient pedagogical attention, is a defining characteristic of all government schools.

We hope the government implements the necessary policy changes to enhance the educational system because if it doesn't, disparities will become pervasive. The absence of changes will allow India's fundamental capacities to stagnate. Let's make a stronger case for a culture that values education to develop the vast talent pool in our nation.

For more detail about Sharda University visit www.sharda.ac.in

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