... for they have their own thoughts - Multiworld India

2005 Goa, India33GURVEEN KAURResponsibility for the children and the protectionthat they need as they grow is on us. Each child is aunique being. Each child has to be unconditionallyaccepted as an individual with limitations and strongpoints.With regard to responsibility I would like to startwith an unconditional acceptance of every childgiven all the limitations and also the potential theycan achieve. One of the problems of the schoolingsystem is that it is making a deliberate attempt toleave out, to screen. It often comes in the way ofchildren achieving their unique potential. The schoolcan be a place which can be very problematic.We must have centres where we learn therelationship with the children without forgetting thatwe are adults. Where is it that I should provoke andwhen must I exercise restraint so as not hinder thechild?AMINA KANJEEI believe that knowledge is there within the child inthe brain. Human being uses only 5% of his brain. Theteachers can create strong links that will help thechild to make the connections between the knowledgewhen it is scattered. So it is just the bridge thatwill help the child to link the internal knowledge tothe outside world. If a teacher acts like a bridge inthe child’s life then he or she can support the childto learn in its own way. I am looking forward tosomething new that will benefit the educationsystem and for my country Pakistan. This is one of mydreams.JINAN K. BThere is one thing which is called the experientialknowledge system and the other one which is calledthe non-experiential knowledge system and anythingthat is memory based is non-experientialknowledge system. Oral tradition is something that ispassed outside, it is always re-invention. Every childis rediscovering and every child has the potential tocreate. Every living being has the ability to re-createknowledge. Authenticity is very important. Usingyour body again, using your life again.MUNIRA AMIRALIIt’s not the degree that people have but the humanisticperspective. If everyone loved the otherperson then this place would have been a goodplace to live. But right now we are just moving awayfrom this concept and then fighting with each other.So I think the main aim of education is to createlove, to love each other.LILATAI PATILIn education circles everybody talks about motivatingthe child. What does this mean? – Does it mean:to encourage, to stimulate? Some one said that oneshould allow the world to enter the classroom andthe child would learn on its own.We too have competitions but we present ourchildren with not a certificate but a hand writtenletter of appreciation which does not state whetherthe child stood First, Second or Third but statesqualitative appreciation of efforts put in, an uniquenessin personality, a special trait or skill… We alsotake Shrujal Anand Varg (class) in other schools.We noticed children are by nature creativeintellectually, reflective and responsive to theoutside world. It looks like schools are meant to kill allthese and shut off this natural inclination.To summarize: Learning can happen when thereis full scope for creativity; children are encouragedto be creative without imposition and compulsion.The moment you accept creativity you acceptjoy. May be, one can call this meaningful education.Any understandingmust addressfundamentalquestions. It should reboot,rethink.Rebooting should notbe bound to anytraditions.– Jitendra Sharma