In 1929, India saw the establishment of the Central Board of Secondary Education while it was still under British rule. Two decades later, the country gained independence, but never thought that its education system would remain in the clutches of western, and “modern” education. Forgetting our roots, our culture and the essence of our education, the youth of our country is at stake. With no sense of direction when we enter the real world, youngsters are studying subjects that have brains packed with formulas, dates and names that they will never be using in real life. All this while they aren’t aware of basic life skills, the best ways to keep themselves healthy, or go about their own legal systems. For a developing country, is this the youth we want to raise?
NATURAL SCIENCES and ART
First and foremost, NATURAL SCIENCES and ART such as ayurveda, yoga, dance, etc, should be taught to the young students of high school. These natural arts and sciences are the key to healthy and fruitful living, and during the British Era, were stripped away from us. These sciences ensure that people are physically and mentally healthy. Arts like dance and painting bring a lot of pleasure and ease a stressful mind. On the other hand, physical aspects like yoga and ayurveda help us in living physically healthy lives with little or no medical intervention. By teaching the next generations about these natural sciences and arts we will not only pave our paths to a healthy and self-aware state of living, but also bring back the dignity that we have lost to false modernization.
LIFE SKILLS and SURVIVAL SKILLS
Although we live in a civilized world, yet it is true that every moment of our life is beset with challenges. Hence, the second subject that should be made compulsory for high schoolers should be SURVIVAL and LIFE SKILLS. Some basic skills such as how to write a check, how to file taxes, explore the way our bodies work, our sexuality and identity, the deadly diseases, the need for treatments and much more should form the topics under this subject. These challenges should be handled with guidance from proper sources. This knowledge is desperately needed to prevent financial exploitation, unhealthy decisions and misinformed choices. By taking this simple step, a population of efficient, guided, self-assured individuals can be raised to lead the entire nation towards glory.
LEGAL STUDIES
Lastly, the judicial system, in not only India but around the world, is a huge part of our daily lives, much more than we realise. Yet, we are not aware of its proceedings. From the vehicle you drive to the school you go to, or even the products you buy, everything has some legal work behind it. Without the awareness of our own rights and provisions, an individual is nothing but a sheep following its master. Get out of the herd! In fact, stop raising a herd. Towards this purpose, the education system needs to introduce LEGAL STUDIES as a basic program in high school. Knowledge about one’s position in society along with how society is supposed to work, is very important for a meaningful existence.
Till now, the real world is largely different from the textbook world, and only if we introduce practical subjects like Natural sciences and art, Survival and Life Skills and Legal Studies, will we be able to bridge the gap between textbooks and the real world. It is up to us whether we wish to raise our youth to raise the world, or let it deteriorate generation after generation till there is one with no future!
Writer : Kriti Gupta (Check Kriti’s blog)
Grade : 11 (Year 2023)
Place : Ambala, India
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