Creativity: A Skill to innovate
The education has been defined by the scholars and the philosophers in different ways but all reach to the same conclusion. Some say that it is the manifestation of the potential one possesses and others consider that it is a tool to prepare oneself for the challenges of life. I think in the life of a child, a very important role is played by the parents and the teachers or you may extend it to the family and the school. The two are expected to provide all space to the child to explore and imagine to the best of his/her ability . You will notice that in the ancient times, the children were sent to Gurukuls, which were almost the same as today`s boarding schools though there are some fundamental differences between the two.The reason was to expose them to different environment in which they are asked to do things on their own and without the support of any helper as they get at home today.
It is rightly expected by the parents and the society that the schools will encourage students to think and develop the habit of doing the things not as a routine work only but they should try to create something out of their thinking. But unfortunately what has happened in the last 70- 120 years is that information has become more important and the teaching -learning was reduced to teaching - cramming . Every activity in the school and also at home became examination oriented and learning new became the thing of the past.In the name of getting marks the children were forced to memorize what has been told by the teachers or written in the books. It has been noticed that so called guides and keys are made available to the students just before the examinations. By cramming the answers of some questions the students might get good marks but that does not make them to learn anything.
It has been years since any Indian won Noble prize in science or otherwise. If there are few names they are the ones who left the country and worked some where else. This speaks volumes about the kind of education we have provided to our students. No innovation, invention or research will be possible until our children are given opportunity to think, create and innovate. A new thing is not evolved in a day or immediately ,but it takes years to do that ,hence the students should be motivated if they do not get desired results quickly(difficult task in such a fast age).
In this schools can play a very important role because the students develop many skills during their stay in the schools. Though there are labs for the children but it is known to all how much time our children spend there. By the time they are in IX class(in some case even before that) academics becomes most important to all because of that more time is spent in the classroom and the tuition centre, listening to the teachers or tutors.The students hardly get any time to think or self study or explore themselves.Though innovations may be done the classrooms also but where is the time and the zeal in the teachers and the students?
It is high time that we come out of the traditional ways of doing things and allow our children to develop their skills and be the leaders in the field of research. The people in other countries do not do different things but do the things differently.An example will prove this point. The then HRD Minister had gone to Brazil where he was taken to an institute where very good quality of bulls was produced by the research scientist of that country. The minister asked the concerned person , how could they develop such a quality bulls? The person answered that the bulls were brought from India and by some innovations this quality bulls could be possible( This was shared by the Ex. Minister in the parliament on 23 March 2011). The question is that ,when the Brazilians could improve the quality of Indian bulls then why this could not be done in India?
Another important thing is research labs and their quality. This should also be understood that labs do not confine to the closed rooms only but any place which helps in learning and doing new things.
There are many schools and the teachers who are trying to help children to be innovative and creative.They are allowing their students to do simple things and experiments. One teacher took the concept of maths lab to the agriculture fields and other teacher allowed children to go out and do field study.
But a lot more is to be done. Education should not be marks oriented only and degrees should be delinked from jobs.Those who are inclined to do research should be encouraged to get into this field right from the beginning. Also some thing should be done so that our youth do not only believe in monetary gains. Money should not be allowed to become everything in the life.
It is rightly expected by the parents and the society that the schools will encourage students to think and develop the habit of doing the things not as a routine work only but they should try to create something out of their thinking. But unfortunately what has happened in the last 70- 120 years is that information has become more important and the teaching -learning was reduced to teaching - cramming . Every activity in the school and also at home became examination oriented and learning new became the thing of the past.In the name of getting marks the children were forced to memorize what has been told by the teachers or written in the books. It has been noticed that so called guides and keys are made available to the students just before the examinations. By cramming the answers of some questions the students might get good marks but that does not make them to learn anything.
It has been years since any Indian won Noble prize in science or otherwise. If there are few names they are the ones who left the country and worked some where else. This speaks volumes about the kind of education we have provided to our students. No innovation, invention or research will be possible until our children are given opportunity to think, create and innovate. A new thing is not evolved in a day or immediately ,but it takes years to do that ,hence the students should be motivated if they do not get desired results quickly(difficult task in such a fast age).
In this schools can play a very important role because the students develop many skills during their stay in the schools. Though there are labs for the children but it is known to all how much time our children spend there. By the time they are in IX class(in some case even before that) academics becomes most important to all because of that more time is spent in the classroom and the tuition centre, listening to the teachers or tutors.The students hardly get any time to think or self study or explore themselves.Though innovations may be done the classrooms also but where is the time and the zeal in the teachers and the students?
It is high time that we come out of the traditional ways of doing things and allow our children to develop their skills and be the leaders in the field of research. The people in other countries do not do different things but do the things differently.An example will prove this point. The then HRD Minister had gone to Brazil where he was taken to an institute where very good quality of bulls was produced by the research scientist of that country. The minister asked the concerned person , how could they develop such a quality bulls? The person answered that the bulls were brought from India and by some innovations this quality bulls could be possible( This was shared by the Ex. Minister in the parliament on 23 March 2011). The question is that ,when the Brazilians could improve the quality of Indian bulls then why this could not be done in India?
Another important thing is research labs and their quality. This should also be understood that labs do not confine to the closed rooms only but any place which helps in learning and doing new things.
There are many schools and the teachers who are trying to help children to be innovative and creative.They are allowing their students to do simple things and experiments. One teacher took the concept of maths lab to the agriculture fields and other teacher allowed children to go out and do field study.
But a lot more is to be done. Education should not be marks oriented only and degrees should be delinked from jobs.Those who are inclined to do research should be encouraged to get into this field right from the beginning. Also some thing should be done so that our youth do not only believe in monetary gains. Money should not be allowed to become everything in the life.
Dear sir,
ReplyDeleteI dont think that we should blame the system for not letting the kids creative( at one time when i was a kid i did but not anymore).
To be creative is to be different and to be different you have to stand against the system which is fairly difficult to do. and you have to be really very very self motivated to keep your stand because the system will always lure you to give in. and you have to be crazy and motivated enough to chase your dream and not to give in. So it is not something which could be taught in the classroom it is something that takes birth inside an individual. and that individual needs to intelligent enough to give fuel to that fire.
being creative that could be worthy of nobel price or something equally great demands total dedication and a point of view of a total rebel which i dont think one can achive with the help of anyone.
i think the only thing a creative mind needs to have is self motivation because this is one art that we are forgetting and if we can teach children to be self motivated they will turn out to be a lot better people then we see today and hell of the creative and strong minded individuals.
Steve Jobs said something about being creative and successful:
ReplyDeleteYeah. People say you have to have a lot of passion for what you’re doing and it’s totally true. And the reason is because it’s so hard that if you don’t, any rational person would give up. It’s really hard. And you have to do it over a sustained period of time. So if you don’t love it, if you’re not having fun doing it, you don’t really love it, you’re going to give up. And that’s what happens to most people, actually. If you really look at the ones that ended up, you know, being “successful” in the eyes of society and the ones that didn’t, oftentimes, it’s the ones [who] were successful loved what they did so they could persevere, you know, when it got really tough. And the ones that didn’t love it quit because they’re sane, right? Who would want to put up with this stuff if you don’t love it?
So it’s a lot of hard work and it’s a lot of worrying constantly and if you don’t love it, you’re going to fail. So you’ve got to love it and you’ve got to have passion and I think that’s the high-order bit.