The education delivery at the school and colleges is going through some disruptive changes globally, thanks to COVID. This semi or complete overhaul was long coming, and we better use this opportunity to sharpen newer ways to deliver education by enabling technology and Internet.
A few thoughts:
– no more big schools with many classrooms – a good lab infrastructure, a few class rooms with good media capability with a huge exam hall, some vocational training rooms, administration rooms and a big playground is what one should have going forward.
– no more standard time for education – may be a shift system, each shift catering to a bunch of classes to be the norm
– Hybrid system to begin with – definitely possible in all metros of any developing countries as well, where students come to school twice a week and other three days have virtual classrooms. Very similar to how the future workplace would look like.
– a great digital library membership for all students – get all reading materials online
– Skill based training – incorporate vocational courses like carpentry, automotive repairing, electrical technicians etc. from middle or high school. All Do It Yourself sort of programs – DIY
– Exam systems to be totally changed – constant evaluation through the year. Work out the ‘cheating part’ to deliver intermediate exams and tests online and have final tests and exams at school. Make the exams open ended so that students get to apply what they learnt. This is the time to enable this.
– Evaluation tests replacing all competitive tests across the country (esp. India) for Engineering, Medical, Law, Applied science, Management or any other profession which is good for both government and private colleges admission. Takes away the stress from the students. This has to be enabled so that private colleges do not impose more tests for admissions
– Admission to central universities first and then state government colleges and only then to private colleges – this should be sequence so that private colleges do not try to fleece the students to join early before they get better colleges later. Very rampant, misused and waste of hard earned money of parents. During the competitive evaluation, have students give 10 preferences of where they want to get admissions – both government and private.
– enable all teachers to be able to deliver education online in a consistent form.
– Have core subjects and one or two electives that students can choose from middle school.
– Promote home schooling and issue guidelines for the same
No more big campuses, much lesser stress, hybrid physical-virtual classes, constant evaluation through the year, and admissions streamlined. This can be done even starting 2022.