The Creative Adult is the Child who Survived

The Creative Adult is the Child who Survived

Recently, CBSE declared the results of classes X and XII. Students across the nation proved their mettle, especially in class X as 13 students scored 499/500. TV channels and newspaper reports were flooded with the photographs of children who scored more than 90%. This is an annual event which horrifies most of the parents and children rather than relaxing them, as some children are unable to cross a standard score, overshadowing the fact that these children might have done exceedingly well in other areas such as sports, arts etc.

I recently got an opportunity to meet an executive, working as Director Operations and out of curiosity I inquired about his experience at school and what could have been changed if he was in a position to do. He was very enthusiastically shared his experience.  He told that he actively participated in endless curricular activities at both school and university levels. He won many accolades in various sports activities and headed the student council at the boarding school. While giving the details of his marvelous accomplishments he did state something that left me baffled. He said that though he di very well in all the activities of the school but still was an average student. When asked why average and the answer was because he could not score 90% or above. I told him that he would have been average in studies but was not an average student. The question is why have we made marks only the measure of a child`s potential?

This is something that needs to be changed. A student’s calibre should not be judged on the basis of marks obtained in mainstream subjects. The overall achievements of a child makes him a complete human being. Here, I would like to share with you the theme of the annual function 2019 which was celebrated in the school during the same time when the results were declared. Although our students have scored tremendously well in the CBSE examinations, I would like to discuss their magnificent performance in the annual function. The event was titled “Sangam Manobhavo Ka” which manifested the importance of various emotions and the need to attain a balanced amalgamation of all the navrasas in our lives. It was a beautiful effort by the Headmistress, teachers and students to let people know that it is very important to have a balance of emotions otherwise life would be very stressful. It was a soul-stirring portrayal of Karuna, Vibhatsya, Veer, Shringar, Shaant, Hasya, Raudra, Bhayanak and Adbhut rasa on stage. The students could not only depict these emotions but also felt them deeply and lived them. The event commenced with a few students revisiting their school after having achieved great heights in their life. They meet their teacher and share with him the daily hustle and monotony of their lives which has left them unsatisfied and perturbed. The teacher takes them on a roller coaster of emotions which had been largely missing from their frantic, urban and social media driven lives.

It gives me immense pride to acknowledge the undeterred and passionate zeal with which the students made this event a grand success. Their dedication and diligence knew no bounds as the annual function neared and their flawless execution on D–day left everyone enchanted. What made the event euphoric for me was watching the students grow and transform in the course of 15-20 days as they prepared for the event. There were many groups and every group had different teacher and student managers to ensure the proper execution of the acts. It was so satisfying and amazing to watch the students taking the lead and managing things with unbelievable patience and immaculate management. Some of these students have had a hard time managing themselves in the classrooms quite often but with responsibility at hand they showed remarkable transformation. They not only learnt how to manage the groups but made sure that they come across as a good example for others to emulate. So, the question is what changed within these 20 days that transformed them.

The very first reason is the sense of trust that the teachers had on them. Once they realized that they could be trusted with something they made sure to give their 100 percent. They did not shy away from responsibilities which they were generally reluctant about in the classroom activities. From maintaining discipline to making sure that the participants have been informed about the practice sessions, from arranging the props to ensuring the placement of participants on stage as well as backstage, they were ready to take any responsibility. So, what was so unique about the event that made them active and earnest? Well, it was the creative and practical side of it. It was the freedom that it provided to them. They could not only decide things on their own but were also able to take lead and be creative. It was practical as well as emotional nature of the event which required students to actively explore their capacities.

When I talk about the performers, it’s difficult for me to find adjectives to appreciate their tireless efforts. Throughout the practice sessions they never complained of being tired and managed the classroom attendance as well. Some acts, especially the ‘Chhau and Tandav Dance’ required rigorous practice but the children did not relax till the time they perfected the dance forms. The way both these acts were showcased on the stage left the audience enraptured and they couldn’t believe that they weren’t watching trained professional dancers. The young generation which is often blamed for being insensitive and emotionless was able to touch the emotional cords of the audience. What induced this untiring zeal and dedication? Why were the students incapable of showing the same in the classrooms sometimes? The system of education is broadly text based which doesn’t give the students much scope to be creative on an everyday classroom level. Quite often they have to follow the lecture and learn on the set monotonous guidelines without getting a chance to explore or initiate learning. They are seldom made to realize that they are responsible for their academic growth. This makes them reluctant and disinterested.

Here, let me mention circular no Acad-12/2019 dated 08.03.2019 issued by the Academic unit, where the CBSE has mandated that all schools affiliated to the Board to focus on art integrated education, aside from art education being a compulsory part of the curriculum in classes 1 to 10. The intension is quite clear; education has to be made creative. Creative education is when students are able to use imagination and critical thinking to create new and meaningful forms of ideas where they can take risks, be independent and flexible. Instead of being taught to reiterate what was learned, students learn to develop their ability to find various solutions to a problem. Coming up with various out-of-the box solutions is known as divergent thinking and ART could be one way of cultivating this skill.

“The increasing interest in creative education is due to the need for more critical thinkers in business science, politics and every subject to be able to solve complex problems. This soft skill of creativity has been identified as a competency for a successful enterprise in the future. When students have more say in their education, they become more engaged which helps facilitate learning. Research has found that there are many benefits for students using art and creativity in education. It makes learning more fun for students where they can learn faster and can increase their performance; students’ dislike for science, mathematics, and social studies can be diminished and a significant improvement can be brought in student achievement.” (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

According to the World Economic Forum’s The Future of Jobs Report, ‘creativity’ is one of the top three skills required to thrive in 2020. This is a profound prediction when understanding why the creative arts are important in education. So, the need of the hour is to assimilate art and creativity in any possible form in classroom teaching of every subject so that students can take interest and explore their full potential.

This annual function was indeed, such an artistic and creative attempt where students took the lead to convey a beautiful message, “Mahatvapurna hona acha hai parantu acha hona zyada mahatvapurna hai”. This dialogue would ring in the minds of the audience forever and I hope they would be able to value this message given by the future leaders of our country.

I would like to conclude by advising all parents and students that marks only are not the measure of your potential and never consider yourself average just because of that because you are good and top in many other fields. Celebrate your efforts and not necessarily the result because efforts stay with you for life and not the result as the same keeps changing.