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