The second Teacher’s Day in the midst of the pandemic, and with classes held mainly online got teachers a deserved thumbs up from Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant as he hailed them for doing ‘exceptionally well’ under the circumstances. For the teaching faculty that had to quickly change from classroom teaching to imparting classes online, it was not an easy change, but they have managed admirably, and for that they do deserve to be commended. But along with complimenting them, the Chief Minister also entrusted teachers with another task, and that was to be career guides to the students, for he felt that teachers are the best counsellors and guides.
The Chief Minister was absolutely right when he said that a revolution in “education” and “career” would be required to make Goa Sawayampurna (self sufficient) by its 75th Liberation Day. We are in the 60th year of Liberation, so the 75th is 15 years away, and with the National Education Policy that is in the process of being implemented, this may just be possible as the National document focuses on preparing students to face the challenges of life, rather than merely providing them with theoretical knowledge as is the current practice. However, the success of the system and the policy will depend on the existing faculty delivering what the education policy elucidates. For that it is the teachers who will have to be first trained to be able to implement not just the policy but the idea behind it.
The Chief Minister has spoken of a revision in the curriculum, and that a committee has been constituted to study vertical mobility of students and revise the syllabus, which will be oriented towards State-centric careers. The reason for this is that during his interactions with youth, especially the rural youth, the Chief Minister was made aware that they lack career guidance, are left without career choices, and this resulted in him initiating the study of vertical mobility and curriculum change. A good initiative as long as the committee is able to bring in the vision of a self-sufficient Goa, where the youth get careers and not just jobs, where entrepreneurship is rewarded and where the youth stop yearning for a government job as is happening now, where even persons employed in the private sector do not give up their hope of getting drafted into government service.
Goa’s education sector definitely requires a complete transformation and this can occur only if the government is serious about making the changes. Mere statements will not yield results. Last year, when teaching turned online, teachers had no choice but to turn to the Internet to reach out to their students. There was no time for hesitancy or to find flaws in the changed teaching system, as would otherwise have been done. The shift was mandatory and the teaching staff rose to the occasion.
The mobile phone that was banned from schools became the new classroom. Teachers and students embraced technology and academics continued without the waste of a year. If only such smooth transition could happen at all times. However, teaching will shift back to the classroom and some States have already opened schools again. In Goa, colleges have been permitted to begin offline teaching. Teachers will go back to face-to-face interaction with students and the use of technology in teaching will reduce. Outside the classroom the use of technology will increase, and that is what students have to be prepared for. Career guidance is indeed the key in education. It has to be promoted.
