Education system needs healing after Covid disruption: Padma Shri Pushpesh Pant

Shimla, October 3

Noted academician and historian Dr Pushpesh Pant called the past five years “disastrous” for the education system while speaking at a special seminar for school principals on ‘Innovative Pedagogy and Effective Teaching Learning’ here today.

The event was organised by The Tribune in association with Chitkara University. Dr Pant was the lead speaker in the seminar, which was attended by the principals of the reputed schools from the city and nearby places.

“Disastrous five years”

Elaborating on his “disastrous five years” comment that took many by surprise, Dr Pant spelt out several reasons for his strong assertion.

To begin with, he dwelt upon the Covid-19 disruption and the impact it had on teaching-learning process. “The children got used to smartphones and internet like never before during this period. It has had a serious impact on interpersonal communication skills of the children,” said Pant, adding that the exposure to these gadgets needed to be curbed for various reasons.

And even as the memories of Covid-19 interruption are fading way, Pant felt the changes forced by the pandemic are not going to fade in the near future. “Some schools have got into the habit of offering online courses. To me, online learning is the biggest fraud unless a mature adult is opting for it,” he said, adding that the educators would have to figure out how to live with technology and make its best use in teaching and learning processes.

“Parents will have to shoulder their share of responsibility in the education of their child. They can’t leave it entirely to the schools,” he said.

Pant said the government’s narrative to reduce everything to the lowest common denominator was also not helping the cause of innovative teaching-learning process.

“The narrative like there is no need to teach English, the talk of uniform syllabi and teaching students from Class I to V in their mother tongue isn’t helping. Diversity can’t be killed. In an attempt to shake off the colonial hangover, we can’t throw out the baby with the bathwater,” he said.

“Apart from changing the syllabi frequently, important chapters are being omitted from text books. For example, students will now read less about Mughals, role on Indian National Congress in high school. What kind of knowledge of Indian history will these students have if they do not opt for social science in Class XI and XII?” asked Pant. He identified the use of multiple choice questions as another ill afflicting our education system.

“It’s ruining our education system and the government should step in to stop it,” said Pant. Summing up his talk, Pant said the schools would need to be innovative in their own ways.