NIMCJ held its 41st Independent Mass Power (IMP) on 26th September’18 at St. Xavier’s College on the topic: ‘Present Education System: Is it Beneficial to Students’ which was also transmitted live on the Facebook page of ‘Independent Mass Power’ – www.facebook.com/impmasstalk/. IMP is an initiative of the students of NIMCJ for discussions on important topics at local, state, national and international level, and also entertainment, literature and many such areas. The agenda of the topic of IMP was fulfilled as it had the involvement and participation of the youth and students.
Education encompasses a wide area and its perspective varies widely on the components of an ideal education system! Through this IMP we strived to bring out the strengths, shortcomings, and improvements required in the present education system.
The panel comprised of Dr.Steffi Mac, Faculty of English Department at St. Xavier’s College as Subject Expert who shared her own personal experiences and brought out the important points on the topic during the discussion. The panel consisted of Manav Sumara and Amaani Vaniya from St. Xavier’s College and Saanica Wahal along with Prakash from NIMCJ. The event was anchored and moderated by Col Ravinder Singh. The Subject expert and Panelists in their opening remarks gave their thoughts on the present system. Dr. Steffi Mac in her opening remarks said, “Our problem is that we equate marks with knowledge, just like we use salaries to judge a person’s character”.
The ball was set rolling by the Anchor by opening the discussion on the entrance/ selection system for the colleges. Talking about the entrance examinations and how the students get enrolled in top colleges, the subject expert emphasized that the colleges design an entrance system as per their requirements. The discussion analyzed the pros and cons of the prevalent system and the stress experienced by the students in the process of seeking entrance to streams of their choice. The focus was on the concept of education and what education meant exactly! Education is basically imparting knowledge and making a person fit for the competitive world!
The discussion then rolled over to the analysis of syllabus structures, teaching methods, attendance, freedom to students to explore ideas, innovations in teaching methods, developing of social skills and managerial skills amongst students etc. And here came the contradiction that whether the present education system actually makes children suitable to face the challenges of a job. With panelists on both the side trying to bring forth their arguments, the subject expert had an important role to play. She talked about the topic from a faculty’s perspective and how the education system has evolved since times.
The panelists supporting the topic expressed their views about what the present education has to offer and how it has developed the critical thinking of people. They emphasized on the digital classrooms and the practical exposure that students in today’s world have access to. Not just this but about how the base has been made so clear that in future if nothing else work the knowledge you have gained in the formative years will surely enable you to come out with effective solutions.
The panelists against the motion were all on fire to bring out the contradictions and drawbacks that the education system is facing. From blaming the whole system as a process of Rote learning to how it is just enforced on you! The students in the audience also contributed to energy and enthusiasm.
The last portion of the discussion focused on the changes that can be brought about in the education system to make it more effective and beneficial to the students. This witnessed a lot of audience interactions and major points coming up about how it’s not just the normal basic subjects but there are sufficient innovative ways of learning which besides teaching should give exposure to the industry. With examples of people who have bagged success in the age of 12-13 years, the fact that education is evolving and has produced wonderful leaders for this country! It’s easy to blame, but how much do we pay attention to the classes we attend is also important! The session concluded with a summing up by Dr. Steffi Mac and highlighting the pros and cons of the discussion.
The Anchor concluded the event with a ‘Vote of Thanks’ to St. Xavier’s College for enabling the conduct of the event in their school and presenting of certificates by NIMCJ to the Subject experts and Panelists. A memento was also presented by NIMCJ to St. Xavier’s College as a token of appreciation and remembrance.
The feedback of the event was given by the students which can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/impmasstalk/videos/515388062206316/
