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| Thinking beyond the examination: The real motive of education | | | Dr. Vijay Garg
In this day and age, ‘education’ and ‘testing’ have become synonymous with each other. As a child steps into school, their learning journey turns into a race for points and grades. But is life’s success limited to words in answer books? It’s time to start thinking beyond the exam.
Getting out of the points trap It’s often assumed that the one with 95% is the smartest. But the reality is that a test only tests your memory, not your aptitude. Points: Reflect only the performance of a particular day. Skills: These determine how you solve real-life problems.
Culture of rote vs. deep understanding Our current system relies on the ‘rubbish” method. Students study year-round just so they can blow it all in three hours of testing. Beyond the exam: we need to focus on the why and how, rather than the what. Until students understand the depth of subject matter, that knowledge will not serve them in life.
Future skills The time to come is Artificial Intelligence and technological changes. Degree alone won’t work here. Students need to develop the following skills: Logical thinking: Difference between right and wrong. Emotional Intelligence: Managing Stress and Relationships. Adaptability: molding oneself to changing circumstances.
Fear of failure and mental health The overwhelming pressure of exams is increasing stress and depression among young people. We have to understand that a piece of exam paper cannot decide one’s future. We have examples like great scientists Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein, who did not do well on school tests but changed the world.
Exams may be a way of testing knowledge, but they are not the complete assessment of knowledge. A student who writes rote answers can score well, but will he be able to solve life’s complex problems? Today’s society demands young people who can think, question, find new paths and adapt to change.
One of the biggest pitfalls of exam-centered thinking is that it begins to take away from curiosity about learning. The student does not ask why ??, but rather thinks that the examination will come in or not The result is that the subject becomes a burden and learning pressures.
We have to realize that the real motive of education is personality building—not just getting a job, but becoming a responsible citizen. Successful in life is the one who has communication skills, moral values, emotional understanding and strength to overcome setbacks. These qualities cannot be measured in a question paper.
The role of teachers and parents in this change is extremely important. Children should be compared by interest, effort and progress not points. They should be assured that failing the test is not a failure in life. Play, art, writing, innovation and social work should be given as much prominence as math or science.
The new education policy signals a move in this direction, with an emphasis on skills, experiential learning and multidisciplinary learning. But more important than policies is the change of our thinking.
At the end of the day, testing is a stopgap and not a destination. If we just prepare children for exams, they will be afraid of questions. But if we prepare them for life, they will turn every challenge into an opportunity. So need to think beyond the—examination.
The ultimate goal of education is not just to get a good job, but rather to become an intentional and thoughtful human being. Only when we step out of the examination box and value curiosity, creativity and humanity will true development of the country be possible.
Dr. Vijay Garg Retired Principal Malout Punjab |
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