In my personal view, the best phase of our life is our childhood. I recall an old hindi ghazal, where the lyricist says, that you can take my wealth and every other phase of life, but please return my childhood.

I fully endorse this view. I loved childhood because, as children, we are unbiased and are willing to learn from all situations and fail without fear. We are willing to experiment and try out new things. We are never conditioned ,by the family or society around us.

As we grow up into an adolescent and then to an adult, we are mindful of what people around us ,will think of our behaviour and actions. We tend to behave ,as what others would expect of us rather than what we believe ,is the best for us.

As a child, I have enjoyed every phase of my school. The teachers were always willing to share their knowledge and wisdom ,without expecting anything in return. The best of teachers were role models for us ,to follow and we were keen to interact with them ,every day of our lives.

My own kids loved going to school because learning was fun and playing with classmates and friends was ,unlimited learning in interpersonal skills. If the school closed for vacations or for any unforeseen circumstances, they would generally complain about it. They would be very keen to get back to school ,at the earliest.

But, today, I find some kids, who hate going to school. I was keen to understand the basic reasons for the same and how we can address them. Children do not find fun ,in the learning environment in schools. Knowledge is drilled down the throat ,as if it’s a necessary evil. Teachers do not adapt learning techniques ,to the specific learning capabilities of a child.

Children are taught to be competitive ,both by teachers and parents and also by the society ,at large. Instead of learning from one another, they tend to out beat each other ,to stay ahead in the academic race. Society encourages comparisons, in every phase of life. Our parents tend to compare between siblings and neighbourhood kids ,and so it extends to society.

A child does not get the freedom in the school or home environment, to explore and discover their special strengths. They are compelled to follow what their parents or teachers think ,is best for them. Worse, if you are good in academics, parents and teachers even guide you on what is good for your career.

A creative child is typecast by the family and society and is not allowed to learn ,what they best like to. Some children love books while others learn from experiences and some may learn from others. It is best for teachers and parents to understand the learning styles of their children and adapt their teaching skills accordingly ,rather than the other way around.

I feel sorry for the creative and introvert children of today, who tend to be cast as non competitive and non social as they do not follow the rules ,defined by their teachers and parents. Any display of creativity or aloofness, is considered deviant behaviour.

It is time to challenge and change the educational system. We need to enable kids to learn ,by creating the most exciting learning environments ,at home and in schools. Teachers and parents need to spend time and understand the learning preferences of their children and accordingly create suitable learning environments around them.

Let us get back to an era, where children will again ,love to run back to school ,as it is exciting and fun to learn and play. They not only learn best in such environs but also learn life skills by playing and even fighting and resolving conflicts with their friends and classmates.

Let us together make learning fun for kids today and in the future.

S Ramesh Shankar

30th sep 2024