Destiny of a nation is shaped in it's classrooms.

Nations are built on the foundations of the blood and sweat of it's leaders, economists, scientists, doctors, teachers, ordinary citizens, who get to play significant roles in the process of nation building. And the responsibility for writing down it's destiny and taking the nation forward in the holistic development process, is laid in the shoulders of today's children who move on to become the future of a nation. 

Today's children become tomorrow's scientists making innovations in the field of research, they become doctors providing medical aid to one and all enhancing quality of life. They become architects, creating updated infrastructure for their nation. And all of these are prepared when a nation provides the right amount of environment , opportunities and prospects to these children. With environment here means, education and learning, for which a child goes to school, which is rightly regarded as the temple of learning. Thus it becomes the responsibility of schools and classrooms to carve the personalities of children, shape their future, and transform them into assets for the nation.

India, since ancient times has been the "Guru" of the world in terms of learning with it's world class universities like Nalanda, Taxila and Vikramshila. These hubs of education not only attracted students from all the corners of the nation but also invited people from China and Java. Diverse courses were offered to students here, they were guided in fine arts, medical science, astronomy, politics and art of war. The Guru-Shishya parampara (Teacher-Student tradition) where a sacred relation used to develop between a student and his master in the process of embodiment of knowledge had glorified the process of learning since Vedic times.

It was because of the impartation of rational and scientific education that India could produce geniuses like Aryabhatta, Varamihira, Charak etc who successfully placed India high on the pedestal of knowledge.

While talking about how education helped shaping India's destiny, and not mentioning about "Shantiniketan model of learning" would be an injustice. The brainchild of Rabindranath Tagore, it started off with just 5 students and an equal number of teachers. Tagore himself was a drop-out who believed that the walls of classrooms somewhere restricted the growth of a student's abilities and thinking. Thus, Shantiniketan was the right place where despite of the ambiance of a formal learning at a school, the place provided enough freedom to the students to explore their true potential, realize their obligation towards larger civic community. Artists from all the corners of the nation where invited to stay there and expand their wings. It is because of these steps taken back then, that Bengal's craft and folk culture is well preserved today too.

In the words of Malala Yousafzai, "One book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world." This clearly highlights the significance of education and the role of a teacher and a student in shaping the course of not just a nation but the whole world. Coming from a place marred with violence and terror, this young lady rose into prominence when she voiced for the basic human right of education. For she knew, the power of education and knowledge that these tools are capable enough to bring peace, harmony, dignity and opportunities.

As it's said that the "destiny of a nation is shaped in it's classrooms", bringing Finland's example becomes quintessential. Finland today stands head to head with European giants like France, UK ad Germany. It has the 4th largest knowledge economy in Europe. All this has been possible because of its widely appreciated model of education where schools not only impart educational services but social services too. Schools there focus not just on holistic development of students but on professional development of their teachers too. The sense of respect for teachers that's diminishing in present times, is well upheld in Finland. It won't be wrong to regard it as a modern day "Shantiniketan" which is an inspiring model for other nations.

Coming back to our nation, we find India developing by leaps and bounds in all the spheres be it medical science, economy, technology or architecture. Medical Tourism is a fast growing sector in India with Kerala and Tamil Nadu emerging as medical hubs. India today is the fastest growing economy and is steadily moving ahead to become a world leader. In the sphere of science and technology too, it is touching new heights, from developing cost effective Chandrayan to launching 104 satellites in one go. Could this be possible without yesterday's students who emerged to become today's successful professionals? The answer is a straight no. 

But the picture is not as bright as it appears. There are several loopholes existing in the education system which has disastrous impact on the future of the young children as well as the destiny of our nation. The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) revealed that learning level in Indian schools is "pretty disappointing". Only 48% of 5th grade students could read 2nd grade books. The Right To Education Act (RTE)which was much anticipated to provide quality, free and compulsory education to children from 6-14 years of age couldn't do much to improve the standards of education. Not even one institute could make it to the top 200 in the list of Rankings of World Universities . Then there are some infrastructural bottlenecks too, like unavailability of playgrounds in schools, that restrict physical and mental growth of students. Lack of functional toilets because of which girls shy away from going to schools and this is regarded as one of the major reasons for drop-out ratio being high in India. If achieving universal enrolment in primary levels is worth applauding then the drop-out rate being as high as about 18% is also worth worrying.

According to National Crime Records Bureau's data, every hour, one student commits suicide in India. The reasons for which could be many but prominent ones could be ill-management of stress, pressure, lack of guidance and counseling. Public spending in India on mental health is lower than what Bangladesh spends on mental health. The culture of rote learning, competition and lure of marks has somewhere seized the rational and logical development of an individual. This picture was certainly not visioned by the teachers at Nalanda and Taxila or Tagore, who had centered learning around scientific and critical thinking.

What India needs to do is follow a two fold approach. One is to look into its glorious history where even with minimal resources, India gifted the world with important contributions and findings. The digit Zero, Plastic surgery, decimal system are all India's blessings to the world. The need is of revival of Indian education system, develop again the scientific temper which is also a fundamental duty, so that young minds can strive towards excellence in all spheres so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of achievements. The other is to adopt the best practices from around the globe and incorporate it with the Indian System. For instance, Japan though being a low resource base nation made rapid industrial developments because of its innovative educational practices.

These should be well coupled with the implementation of the recommendations of TSR Subramanium Committee, which talks about increasing budget outlay on education to 6% of GDP, making pre-schooling for children till 5 as a right and inviting top 200 universities to open campuses in India. One laudable measure is the Compulsory Education (Amendment) bill, which gives a chance to untrained teachers to train themselves for their jobs because skilled and trained teachers will bring out the best from the students as a skilled potter makes furnished pots. Another significant step is the launch of SWAYAM where professors from IITs and IIMs will provide online courses to the students. If India is shifting towards Digital India, why not bringing digitization in the sphere of education and learning and making it more interactive?

 

Classrooms and schools have always been regarded as our second homes and gurus (teachers) have always held a place even higher than our parents. It was the classrooms only that made Mahatma Gandhi a successful barrister. The first lessons of truthfulness, honesty and non-violence were also learned by him in the classrooms. It was in the middle of a class that Dr. Kalam got the ambition to become a scientist, which made him the missile man of our nation.

 

If simple policy, infrastructural and institutional reforms are taken up, then India will raise not just scientists and doctors but also "humans" with high values and morals which is a necessity in today's times. And then, it won't be an exaggeration to say that India can produce many more Gandhis and Kalams who'd become the torch-bearers for the society and wash away vices, crimes and ills from the face of the nation and write its destiny with equality, justice, benevolence and harmony.