Jagpreet Singh,
Principal, The Punjab Public School, Patiala, Punjab
We cannot go about preparing children, when the teachers themselves are not prepared, and the management is undecided about having a change in the school
A young child coming to school is under tremendous pressure, there is pressure from teachers, parents and peer groups. We talk of providing space for learning to a child.
But what type of space are we talking about? Are we talking about physical space, virtual space, or the space in which he can think on his own?
The modern schools have to apply innovative methods while educating the children. We need to ensure that the children are prepared enough for making the transition from traditional thinking schools to personalised creative schools. A child cannot be granted space overnight; it has to be done through a slow and gradual process. If we try to rush through this, we will not have the right kind of outcome.
Today’s child is also supposed to be an original thinker; he cannot only live on the thought provided by the teacher. He gains his knowledge from many different sources. Teacher is not the only provider of knowledge. Nowadays we are seeing a huge impact of IT in the schools. What we really need to figure out is whether the space can be utilised to support learning and meet the needs of a range of learners.
We need to prepare the school management, the staff, and then children. We cannot go about preparing children, when the teachers themselves are not prepared, and the management is undecided about having a change in the school.
