All’s well that Starts well – Education System In India

Education Systems are no more as simplistic as they used to be a couple of years ago. Today, the times have changed leading to an astounding surge in competition and complexities in education. Aspirations of students have risen along with tremendous parental and peer pressure. Everybody strives for a better lifestyle with prestigious degrees and extravagant employment opportunities. Even if we gauge the scenario at the level of educational policies and curriculum, the authorities want to instill a system that is advanced and in sync with the global standards of education.

Indian system too, aims to practice methods that will enable a student to undergo a recurrent and rigid training. The training is masked with three stages of learning. First is the teaching, followed by examinations and lastly ranking students in terms of their performance.

The entire system has undeniably turned out to be stressful for students. Through the years, parents and teachers witness innumerous cases of mental health issues faced by students that are associated with their schools. These can be tension, palpitations, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, etc. These issues can also be feelings of isolation, disappointment, low morale, loneliness, stress, bruised self-esteem and self-confidence, etc.

This pressure-laden environment at schools and homes require children to feel at peace for them to be able to focus. Therefore, starting a new day at school must be marked with a session of meditation. Everyday must begin with students spending some minutes meditating. This small step will undoubtedly, reap unbelievable results. Various cognitive and physical yoga pranayams too can be practiced for the mental and physical fitness of students.

The outcomes will include better results, refreshed minds, enhanced learning capacity, greater concentration levels, improved mental stamina and much more. Schools must also practice strategic breaks between continuous periods so that students are prevented from losing interest in learning. Continuous and long lectures cause mental fatigue and high exhaustion of energy in students. Hence it is essential that students must be allowed more frequent short breaks or a couple of long breaks during a day.

A holistic development approach must also be looked at. The basic goal of the holistic development curriculum should be to:

1. Introduce the child to education beyond the classroom through Indoor Sports, Outdoor Sports, Performing Art Activities and Team Work
2. Expose the child to varied activities facilitating the development of kinesthetic and spatial skills
3. Identify the inherent capability of the child in selected areas and provide specialized training in those areas

Provide a platform for the child to excel in the area of his choice and represent the school in inter-school and state level competitions.

A few initiatives by educational institutions, can save hundreds of students from succumbing to education related stress. It will nourish their minds and personalities while providing them with an enriching learning experience, leaving behind imprints of academic pressure.