My first Magazine Skilletts October | Page 20

Indiaoptedout5yearsagofrom thePISA( ProgrammeforInternationalStudentAssessment) testthatmeasureslogicandintelect. Thiswasduetotherealizationthatourstudentsthroughoutthecountrylearnmorethroughrotelearning, thangenuinelyacquiring knowledgeandcouldn’ tevenstandachanceinastandardassessmenttest. Thebestway toincreasethequalityoflearningisbydissipatingthegapbetweenlearningbypractice andacademiclearning. Untilwegetintoreallife, mostoftheconceptsarejusttheoryand“ terms” forus. Thisshouldchangefrom theschoollevel, wherenow studentsmerelypass anexam explainingintheorywhatthe“ terms” theylearnorbymarkingifthesentences relatedtothem aretrueorfalse. Nocommercestudentneedtomakeastatementofbank balancefrom anincomeexpenditurelistwhiletheylearn. Theconceptoflearningtoday issimilartousinganatom bombtokilamosquito, astheyknow whatthetermsarebut havetheleastknowledgeonhow topracticalyusethem inlife. Alwehaveisanartificial constructandwebelievethatthisishow thingswork, whichisexactlythereasonwhywe arestilathirdworldcountryinEducation. Itisonlysomepowerbeyondusthathelpsus keepgoingandnotoureducationsystem, becauseitisnotproperindoingwhatitneeds todo. Ifwedistinguishpracticallearningfrom educationwearemakingeducationholow. Whichispreciselywhatisgoingonaroundus. Mostofusevendonotknow whatorwhy aredecimalsusedorhow doesgeometryhelpsusinourdaytodaylife. Wearealdiferentlyabledindiferentsubjectsbecauseourjobsdon’ tgodemandingbeyondthem.

TheideathatKeralaisahighlydevelopedstateisbecausethepeopleinKeralahavea goodlevelofliteracyandthereforewilonlyaim forhigheducationandhighstatusjobs. Skilswon’ tbeincludedinthecurriculum asitisconsideredfitonlyfora21yearold. It shouldcometouswhenwearesixyearsold, Sothatwewilnotlackskils, evenifweare tolatertakeupwhitecolarjobsorintelectualspost.

Whywehavenodemandisbecausewehavenotbrandedskilingwel. Usemedia, celebritiesoranyothermethodstopromoteandbrandskiling, tomakeSkiling“ Cool”. Look aroundandquestionyourselves. InASAPwhencontractsaregivenout, how manycontractsaregivenoutforskils? None! Butwhatisstoppingus, wedefinitelyneedtheirservices. Whyhavewenotreachedouttotheskilingcenterstosaythatforarecognitionthey wilbegivenSkilmarkorgradepoints?

07 Takingskilingtothenextlevel