E-Paper
Panel discussion on ‘Education: to draw from within’ held in Pune
Alka Vaidya, master trainer, Centre of Excellence, CBSE stressed the need for teacher training in moulding the Alpha generation
At least 100 school prinicipals and directors of educational institutes, representatives of government bodies, NGOs working in education and other subject experts participated in a half-day discussion on ‘Education: To draw from within’, organised by the Heartfulness Institute on Thursday.
Speakers at the panel discussion on ‘Preparing for the Educational needs of the Alpha Generation ’ and members of the audience discussed issues relating to challenges in education today, especially when it came to dealing with today’s generation of students, known as the ‘Alpha Generation’.
According to researchers, Generation Alpha, also known as the ‘children of millennials,’ is the first generation born entirely within the 21st century. This term was coined by Mark McCrindle, an Australian generational researcher in 2005.
Participants in the panel discussion included Alka Vaidya, master trainer, Centre of Excellence, CBSE ; Ashwini Kulkarni, executive director, City Pride School; Nivedita Shreyans, director, Pillay Group of Institutions and Abhay Vaidya, resident editor, Hindustan Times, Pune . The discussion was moderated by Anjali Bapat, a volunteer with Heartfulness Institute. Harshal Jawale, regional coordinator of the institute presented an overview of the various activities conducted by this international voluntary organisation which focuses on transformation through meditation.
Alka Vaidya said that while the school boards were doing their job in enhancing the academic standards of the school, there was a need for teacher training in moulding the Alpha generation.
“It has to come from the heart so that the teacher connects better with the students. A teacher with heartfulness can make all the difference. The old generation is a very much a part of this generation and finds ways and means to connect with the Alpha generation. We have to know about change and if we know about it then you must do it. When a teacher makes change in the life of even one student, you feel so great ,” she said.
Kulkarni emphasized on the need to go back to ancient education system ( Gurukul). She said this system was complete as it was connected to skill development, entrepreneurship and life skills. She said the present education system was created by the British to serve their interests and is not relevant now. “The Alpha generation is adapting fast to change. We must now focus on the depth of the curriculum and on how to learn rather than what to learn. There is a need to bring about lateral thinking and inter-disciplinary approach in connecting the current generation with actuality ,” she said.
Shreyans shared her experiences of relaxation and meditation under guidance from Heartfulness Institute. “We conducted the relaxation techniques on our teachers which was successful,” she said.
Abhay Vaidya in his opening remarks spoke of the deep influence that teachers have on students.
“What is missing in our society today,” he said, “is a sense of values.” He said that students were facing a lot of distractions because of tech devices and it is important for parents to spend more time with their children rather than leave them with their mobile phones and other gadgets.
All about trust
Heartful Education Trust experts maintain that the current system of school education is largely being nourished by their teachers. The result-oriented and exam-based system puts a lot of pressure on students to focus on academic results leading to a stressful life. While students make progress and become subject experts, most of them lack basic life skills. There is little time to focus on values and morals. A slow downfall in the moral standards of today’s youth is quite visible in the current society.
The trust believes in the mission to enable the teachers and students to live a balanced, purposeful and happy life through heart-based practices so that they are able to contribute to sustainable school reforms and community citizenship. Till June 2018, more than 100 teacher training programmes were conducted for 10,000 and more educators for over 500 schools.
