By Iqbak Kaur
“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”—John Dewey
The educational system has undergone significant development. One of the earliest formal education systems in India is the Gurukul system. Despite the ideas and knowledge that may have evolved, the fundamental structure has not changed.
Earlier the students used to go to the Gurukuls. In a similar vein, students of today attend schools in order to take classes in a variety of disciplines.
The focus of traditional education is on culture and customs, and traditional teaching techniques place more emphasis on memorizing abilities. Whereas future trends in education focus on helping students develop and hone their skills.
Nowadays, the top Gurgaon Schools are adopting advanced technology and improvised methodologies for education. The problem-based learning (PBL) is an excellent method being adopted in the education field. Rote learning is being replaced by inquiry/project-based learning.
The trend of education in Gurgaon is towards imbibing students with various skills and abilities. The classrooms are now becoming student-oriented.
There are various trends and predictions for the future of education:
Individual learning plan: To create learning plans and opportunities to accommodate learners of different learning styles and abilities. The top 10 schools in Gurgaon are adopting customized learning strategies. The activities are planned in such a way that the primary focus of education is to cater to the needs of all learners with different abilities. In the process of teaching and learning a new concept, various strategies are introduced, and learners have the right to use the strategy to solve any problem.
Holistic Development: The prediction for education is not limited to academics only but it is about the holistic development of the learner where the social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development of the student is taken care of. The best schools have adopted a Problem-based learning approach. The main focus is to enhance the skills of conflict resolution, social-emotional development, and decision-making skills along with the curriculum. Learners get various opportunities such as Student-led conferences, Project culmination, and exhibitions, all in order to sharpen their skills.
Depth of Knowledge: According to expert educationists, Rote learning and cramming should be replaced by more hands-on activities and learning by doing to sustain the learning.
In the coming future, it’s predicted that schools will embrace Benjamin Franklin’s famous words:
‘Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn’
The best schools have the vision to not restrict the learning only to recalling, naming, and defining but also the application of the knowledge in real-life scenarios. The PBL schools are rapidly growing and becoming an inspiration for many schools to adopt a more experiential learning approach.
Skills enhancement: The future of education is not only bookish knowledge but also life and career skills and cornerstone skills that comprise collaboration, problem-solving skills, critical thinking, conflict resolution, resilience, and decision-making skills.
Inclusive schools: Sentising the learners, making them respectful, inculcating, and imbibing the values at a young age is becoming the trend. Top schools have an inclusive environment. The values of empathy, acceptance, being respectful, openminded, and kindness are instilled from a very young age.
Project-based Learning (PBL): recent research shows that when students have intrinsic motives for learning — when they engage not for external reward but because they find the activity itself interesting and gratifying — they become more likely to attach meaning to their work, explore new topics, and persist in the face of learning challenges. The prediction for education is that PBL will become a global trend and an important part of education. Schools in Gurgaon have adopted the Problem-based learning approach where students are active participants in their learning and development. They get many opportunities to use their voice and choice to decide the project names, driving questions, inquiries, and end products. PBL is a multidisciplinary approach where students collaborate, solve problems, and conduct surveys and interviews. They are involved in case studies and research. They also investigate real-life problems and brainstorm and implement the best possible solutions. The approach in education encourages learners to become lifelong learners and change-makers.
Global Collaboration: Soon in the near future, education will not be restricted to one region or country. To gain knowledge of diverse cultures, festivals, and people and to create a change globally, Collaboration will become a crucial part of education. For now, only a few renowned schools collaborate with various schools in other countries across Europe, Australia, and the US, in order to learn more about culture, communities, flora and fauna, climate changes, and weather. The conversation is not only restricted to the conversation but they also brainstorm ideas and strategies and join hands together to create a positive change around us.
At Vega Schools’, we strongly believe that most of the good schools will adopt Project-based learning. The schools will be learner-centered. Learners will be encouraged to do research, and hands-on activities, and learn by doing instead of rote learning. The role of the teacher will be to facilitate. The teacher, learners, and approaches will be more flexible. The main motive of the education will be to create happy, mindful, and inquisitive learners and change makers.