Affirmative Essay
- Education plays a significant role in shaping any country’s future and more so for a developing country like ours. Education must not be confined to textbooks or rote learning as it is essential that it contributes to all round development of an individual.
- Exploration of creative skills forms a very essential part of a child’s development. Sadly, these skills do not find a very respectable place in our education system.
- ‘Arts ‘always finds place at the bottom in the hierarchy of subjects with Maths, and Science occupying top place followed by languages and social sciences.
- Though as children it’s an instinct to dance, sing and paint but amidst all the schooling we are forced shift our focus. Little wonder then that the statement ‘Education kills creativity’ holds true.
- In India students are severely evaluated on basis of their performance in examinations especially at the state board exams held in 10th grade and then in the 12th grade. As the latter decides their future course of professional studies.
- Subjects like Speech, Music, Dance or Drama are not even considered while calculating that magical figure called ‘percentage’ by state board which will determine the child’s future and one leaves them behind as ‘extra’ curricular activities and moves on to participate in the rat race.
- The education system ensures that academic subjects are given so much importance so that children become good workers when they grow up the type who obey and abide the same way they did in school which explains the curfew on creative thinking.
- Every year after the state board results are declared one hears of student suicide – the unfortunate ones who could not bear the stigma of failure as is created by the society.
- This leaves us with many questions – ‘is the failed student really a failure?’, ‘Is the education system fair to everyone?’ if it can cost someone’s life year after year then it surely isn’t… It needs to be reviewed and requires strong remedial action. Leave alone creativity it does not even support a young life who could not sustain the burden of failing an exam.
- One might argue it is up to an individual to study hard and pass or to be matured to handle failure and all that comes along with it.
- But let’s not forget that the story does not end at achieving a ‘pass classes. As the ones who secured even a 97.5% may not get a seat in their preferred college because someone who earned few decimals more may get selected. I say, ‘may get selected’ because even he/she might lose his seat to someone with lesser marks but who enjoys reservation in some quota.
- If fear of failing is proving fatal as we understand from the example above then its unhealthy and calls for serious modification in the system from policy makers.
- The race which begins for marks while studying then transforms into a race for money in the ‘real world’ leaving creativity in childhood.
- The onus is on policy makers to devise an education system that produces creative thinkers who are not afraid to be original only then will education be truly successful in its purpose.