present day education system

Born to modest parents, Dr. Surya credits his qualities to his mother, Kamala and father, Srinivas. His contribution to the world of education is innumerable. Being associated with a majority of colleges in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana State and Tamil Nadu, he has naturally aided the society's growth. In excess of 700 undergraduate colleges and 300 graduate colleges were covered under his mentorship. Dr. Surya not only guided them to the right career path but also fostered in building confidence and reappraising their strengths to gain better clarity of themselves. A Doctorate in Education and Leadership from International Economics University in Malaysia, Dr. Surya’s objective is to exploit various resources, including advancing technology, to gain a broader reach to students, not just in the Southern part of India but the country as a whole. Along with his team, he aims to achieve change via a collective commitment to transformational learning for the global community. Students are encouraged to envisage a better tomorrow through the right mentorship. No opportunity is a waste while trying to connect with students and their families in person. This, in turn, has helped numerous students re-consider the plethora of opportunities available and how they can change the dimension of their lives, be it their personal or social space.

According to Dr.Surya, “Being specialized is being able to sell oneself to the niche market opportunities”. With every interaction, Dr. Surya ensures to ask the students about the importance of education in their lives. Mostly, it is merely a discussion about short term goals, be it earning for family commitments or gaining respect in society. From these answers, students are provoked to re-imagine themselves as solutions to greater challenges. The students get to ask questions that probably they wouldn’t have in the initial discussion. Undoubtedly, a way to induce a reconstructive thought process, and unquestionably the need for time to the little exposed students and their families. Dr.Surya is helping families re-evaluate the true essence of education by not letting them confine to the traditional systems but open-up to the world of opportunities, where they can learn to be free and take up life as a whole. Published By: Anwesha Paul Published On: Jun 2, 2022 --- ENDS ---

History of the American education system

There is now—and has always been—a direct correlation between education and wealth in the United States. In the beginning, even basic education was reserved for the children of the rich, and college was a finishing school for the next generation of the aristocracy. Over time, the culture changed and education became something that was recommended, then eventually required, for all children. COVID-19 widened student achievement gaps largely along economic lines, and stands as a searing reminder of educational disparities still pervasive among American students. Today, the 15% of students who don't graduate high school likely fall into the lowest-earning demographic in American society, with median weekly wages of $592, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Using sources like news reports, government data, and historical records, Stacker developed a list of 50 moments that helped to define the history of American education. It is, of course, an incomplete list. Volumes have been written just about individual Supreme Court cases that redefined the American classroom. What follows, however, is a chronology of the events that connect colonial Puritan homeschooling to online homeschooling in the age of the coronavirus.

Since knowledge is power, education has always been a source of controversy. The storylines of race, gender, economics, religion, culture, geography, and politics drove and were driven by the history of education. Along the way, generations of children learned their ABCs and times tables from teachers they would remember for the rest of their lives.

As of January 2019, there were 130,930 K-12 schools in the United States . The total includes 91,276 public schools, 32,461 private schools, and 7,193 charter schools. Nearly 51 million children get their education at those schools and another 1.69 million were being homeschooled—a number that likely climbed dramatically amid the pandemic when, even a schools reopened, many parents and guardians opted to keep their children learning from home.

Keep reading to learn 50 major moments in the history of the American education system.

1635: The first school opens in America’s education capital

On April 23, 1635, the Town of Boston opened the Boston Latin School for the sons of the ruling class. It is the oldest school in America as well as the country's first public school. Nearby Harvard University became America’s first and oldest school of higher education the very next year.

17th century: Homeschooling is the norm

Despite the creation of the Boston Latin School, the concept of classroom teaching remained a novel concept for years to come. In most of the Puritan Northeast during the 17th century, virtually all children who were educated learned to read and write at home.

17th century: The rich take interest in classrooms

In-classroom learning was a privilege reserved almost exclusively for boys from wealthy families of European ancestry as more schools were constructed in large, 17th-century towns. Virtually all girls and nonwhite boys were excluded. Only about 10% of colonial children went outside the home for any kind of organized education.

17th century: Religion is the basis of education

Instead of academic pursuits like math and science, early schools focused on concepts like morality, family, and community. The most important subject of all, and the one that guided the teaching of all others, was religion.

1690: A new book sets the standard

Benjamin Harris in 1690

published a beginning reader called the “New England Primer.” It went on to sell more than 5 million copies and remained in use for more than 100 years into the 19th century. It combined the study of the alphabet with religious coursework, including Q&As in topics like sin and punishment.

1775: The Revolutionary War changes everything

Parents and teachers in colonial times used primers and readers that were mostly imported from England. That ended with the Revolution, when a new need for homegrown educational aids would eventually lead to the development of textbooks. The struggle to control the content and distribution of those textbooks would lead to epic political, social, and cultural battles that continue to this day.

1783: Webster emerges as a visionary

Lexicographer, teacher, author, and dictionary innovator Noah Webster also pioneered early textbooks. Published in 1783, Webster’s “A Grammatical Institute of the English Language” was used in schools for more than 100 years and sold 100 million copies. The most popular book of any kind of its era, it has never been out of print.

1799: The education color barrier is broken

Washington and Lee University in 1799 admitted a man named John Chavis, the first known instance of an African American attending college in the United States. In 1823, Alexander Lucius Twilight became the first person of color to earn a bachelor’s degree when he graduated from Middlebury College. Mary Jane Patterson became the first African American woman to earn a degree when she graduated from Oberlin College, a center of the abolitionist movement, in 1862.

1801: Blackboards grow up

Before 1801, students used individual slates for chalk writing and teachers didn’t have a way to present lessons to an entire classroom. That year, James Pillans, a geography teacher and headmaster at the Old High School in Edinburgh, Scotland, introduced the modern blackboard when he mounted a large piece of slate on a classroom wall. A West Point instructor named George Baron was the first to use a wall-mounted blackboard in the U.S.

1820s: A literary icon changes the pencil game

Graphite was discovered in the 1820s in New England, but it was of inferior quality and smudged too much to be good for writing. Enter naturalist  Henry David Thoreau , who—prior to becoming an author—worked in his family's pencil factory and was instrumental in developing a graphite hardening technique that served as the precursor to the classroom-staple #2 pencil.

1828: Dull pencils get some help

French mathematician Bernard Lassimonne in 1828 patented the world’s first pencil sharpener. The familiar hand-cranked classroom version debuted in 1896.

1828: Webster chronicles the language

Noah Webster steered and recorded the linguistic transition from British English to American English through his series of dictionaries. He spent decades compiling and defining 65,000 words while undoing the British aristocracy’s influence on spelling and pronunciation. When he was 70, Webster in 1828 published the “American Dictionary of the English Language,” the new classroom standard and one of the best selling books of all time.

1836: McGuffey publishes his readers

Like the “New England Primer” in the 17th century and Webster’s instructional masterpiece in the 18th century, the “McGuffey Readers” defined American education in the 19th century. Scots-Irish Ohio teacher William Holmes McGuffey’s readers sold more than 120 million copies between 1836 and 1960 and continued to sell tens of thousands of copies per year after that. Found in classrooms everywhere for more than 100 years, it was the #2 best-selling book in the 19th century after only the Bible and remains one of the best-selling books of all time.

1837: The ‘common school’ movement takes hold

In 1837, Horace Mann became the Massachusetts secretary of education and quickly began reforming the state’s inconsistent and scattershot approach to schooling. He advocated for publicly funded “common schools” led by professionally trained teachers that were open to all children through at least elementary school. Mann’s common schools would become the basis for the modern public school system.

1850s: The South falls behind

The antebellum South did not have an educational infrastructure anything like that which existed in the North. Much of that was cultural: Before the Civil War, the Southern tradition was for parents to educate their children, teach them morals and values, and prepare them to enter Southern society. Meanwhile, it was illegal to educate slaves. Southern leaders were additionally suspicious of primers and readers, the vast majority of which were published in the North and often encouraged students to question the institution of slavery.

1852: School becomes a must

Well into the 19th century, it was up to the parents to decide if their children went to school—if they happened to live near one that would take them. In 1852, Massachusetts became the first state to make formal schooling mandatory for all children, followed a year later by New York. In 1918, Mississippi became the last state in America to pass compulsory education laws.

1850s: School’s out for summer

There’s a common misconception that the traditional summer break comes from farmers relying on their children to chip in for the summer harvest. The reality is that rural and city kids went to school year-round until urban centers became so densely packed that summers were unbearably hot for the metropolitan elite. Summer recess policies began emerging only when rich urbanites demanded it so they could whisk their kids away to their country homes during the hottest months.

1857: Teachers get organized

Education associations from 10 states in 1857 formed the National Education Association (NEA) to “unite … to advance the dignity, respectability and usefulness of their calling.” The NEA was for men only until 1866, when women were taken on as members. In 1910—10 years before the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote—the NEA elected a woman as its president.

1850s-60s: Curriculum controversy

School curriculums have always been a source of controversy—but never more so than in the subjects of science and history. That controversy ignited a raging blaze in the mid-19th century when Charles Darwin published “On the Origin of the Species” in 1859 and the American Civil War became the bloodiest conflict in history. From then on, geographic location largely determined whether students learned biblical creation or evolution in biology class and whether slavery was taught as the central cause of the Civil War instead of states’ rights and Northern aggression.

1867: Education grows up

President Andrew Johnson in 1867 established the first Department of Education, a predecessor to the Cabinet-level agency that emerged more than a century later. In response to concerns about the department’s influence over local schools, it was scaled back to the smaller Office of Education the following year.

1896: School segregation begins

In 1896, “all men are created equal” lost out to “separate but equal” when the Supreme Court voted 8-1 to uphold Louisiana’s segregation laws in public transportation. The standard set by Plessy v. Ferguson soon spread beyond trains to public schools. Classrooms—like virtually every other social institution across the South—would soon be segregated by law instead of just by custom.

1900: The standardized test era begins

The earliest coordinated efforts to track student progress began in the late 1830s, but the widespread use of standardized tests first emerged at the turn of the 20th century. Between 1900-1932, 1,300 achievement tests hit the market, as well as nearly 100 vocational tests, high school tests, and standardized measurements of athletic ability.

1901: Colleges get picky

Around the same time, colleges began requiring applicants to take standardized tests as part of the admissions process. College entrance exams were first proposed a decade earlier in 1890, but in 1900, the College Entrance Examination Board was established and made it official.

1910: School structure changes

The one-room schoolhouse dominated education through the 19th century. There, a single instructor taught children in first through eighth grades in the same class at the same time. By 1910, that model had all but disappeared in favor of the six-three-three system, which called for six years of elementary school, three years of junior high, and three years of high school.

1916: Teachers join the working class

In 1916, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) union was formed and joined the American Federation of Labor (AFL). It fought for things like higher wages and better working conditions, same as all the other unions that were springing up at the time, but also for academic and intellectual freedom. That freedom would be threatened time and again, most notably during the communist witch hunts of the McCarthy era.

1925: The Scopes ‘Monkey Trial’ highlights a division

In 1925, education found itself at the center of an epic battle between science and religion that dated back to the time of Charles Darwin and that still reverberates today. That year, a 24-year-old teacher named John Thomas Scopes was arrested, tried, and found guilty of breaking Tennessee law by teaching evolution in school. The subject of the Oscar-nominated movie “Inherit the Wind,” the “ Scopes Monkey Trial” was a media sensation and a pivotal moment for the ongoing fundamentalist-modernist rivalry in education.

1930s: Schools decline during the Depression

With millions of Americans out of work, property tax payments—and therefore school budgets—plummeted during the Depression. Schools fell into disrepair or were closed, teachers were fired or had their salaries reduced, and the children who did attend were often hungry and/or traumatized by difficult home lives. With legions of Americans on the road looking for work, a generation of schoolchildren became transients.

1944: G.I. Bill brings college to the masses

College was mostly reserved for the wealthy prior to World War II. But the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944—known as the G.I. Bill of Rights—allowed millions of returning servicemen to pursue an education instead of entering the workforce. At peak enrollment in 1947, veterans made up 49% of college admissions and by the time the original G.I. Bill ended in 1956, 7.8 million World War II veterans—nearly half of the 16 million who served—had participated in education or training.

1944: But not all the masses

Although the G.I. Bill’s language was race-neutral, most colleges and universities excluded nonwhites either by policy or by practice. It didn’t matter that the federal government would have paid the tuition for Black veterans who were never going to be admitted to a college in the first place. Just as redlining did for the G.I. Bill’s other great promise—guaranteed home loans backed by the VA—racial realities on the ground kept many Black vets from enjoying the benefits they earned through their service.

1954: School segregation meets its match

In 1954, NAACP lawyer Thurgood Marshall successfully argued that even in the rare instances where resources were distributed equally to Black and white schools, segregation itself taught inferiority to Black students and favored white children. In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that separate is inherently unequal and declared segregation in American schools to be unconstitutional.

[Pictured: Nettie Hunt and her daughter Nickie sit on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court after the high court's ruling in the Brown Vs. Board of Education case on May 1, 1954.]

1950s-60s: Education gets a boost

Two major events triggered large increases in education spending in the early 1960s . First, the 1957 launch of Sputnik and the ensuing space race fueled spending in science and technology education through the National Defense Education Act. Second, President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty included major funding for poor students and schools at all levels across the country.

1950s-60s: Classrooms become battlegrounds

After Brown v. Board, schools became battlegrounds for integration and the Civil Rights movement in general. The National Guard had to quell school integration riots in Tennessee, paratroopers from the 101st Airborne had to shepherd the Little Rock Nine to their classes at Central High School in Arkansas, and trailblazing students like Ruby Bridges and James Meredith became icons.

[Pictured: Nine Black students attending Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, are shown leaving the school under the protection of National Guardsmen on Oct. 9, 1957.]

1962: Prayer in school ruled unconstitutional

The modern culture wars can largely be traced to the Engel v. Vitale Supreme Court decision in 1962. The court ruled 6-1 that the longstanding practice of schools adopting an official Christian prayer and encouraging or mandating its recitation by all violated the First Amendment’s religious establishment clause.

1962: The school voucher concept is born

In 1962, Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman published “Capitalism and Freedom,” which outlined his proposal to give poor children government vouchers that were redeemable for tuition at private schools. He argued that free-market forces would eliminate underperforming schools and allow good schools to thrive while giving needy families a choice. It was the beginning of the school voucher program, which remains highly controversial today.

1963: Education gets a second language

English-only education was the standard either by custom or policy throughout the first half of the 20th century. In 1963, Dade County, Florida, adopted the first bilingual education program to accommodate its enormous increase in Cuban immigrants. It became a model for the modern English as a Second Language (ESL) program.

1963: The trades get formal training

In 1963, President Johnson signed the Vocational Education Act. The legislation dramatically increased funding for non-college training and education in the trades, particularly for in-demand jobs. Later amendments would extend funding to specific demographics like women, minorities, and people with disabilities.

1965: New legislation expands access to college

President Johnson also signed the Higher Education Act of 1965, which expanded funding to colleges and universities. It was specifically designed to improve access to higher education for middle- and low-income families and to support smaller schools with fewer resources.

1971: School busing becomes a painful solution

By the 1970s, schools across the country were still segregated, often because neighborhoods were segregated and kids went to whichever school was closest to home. In 1971, the Supreme Court approved the strategy of busing children to more distant schools populated by students of the other race. It was a traumatic time that revealed widespread racism in major Northern cities, most notably Boston—the birthplace of school—where a series of ugly and violent protests erupted.

[Pictured: Accompanied by motorcycle-mounted police, school buses carrying Black students arrive at formerly all-white South Boston High School on Sept. 12, 1974, the first day of federal court-ordered busing.]

1972: Title IX squashes the athletic boys club

Title IX was a great achievement for civil rights, women’s rights, and equality in education. Part of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title IX banned discrimination based on sex and opened doors for girls and young women to participate in the same school athletic programs as their male counterparts.

1974: The charter school concept emerges

In 1974, UMass Amherst education professor Ray Budde proposed a model that allowed private schools to receive public funding if they entered into state-sanctioned charters. To this day, charter schools remain controversial, with their detractors saying the model robs public schools of funding and its supporters saying it offers academic freedom and choice. In practice, the performance of charter schools is wildly uneven since the framework varies so much from state to state.

1975: Special education has its moment

Although real efforts at increasing access to education emerged in the early 1960s, the modern special education movement began in 1975. That year, two pieces of landmark legislation launched a movement: The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Because of the legislation, millions of children with special needs who would have otherwise been shut out now attend the same public schools as their peers.

1976: For-profit colleges trade degrees for dollars

Although education had been for sale since colonial times, the for-profit college industry as it exists today started in 1976 with the founding of Phoenix University. Back then, just 0.2% of college students pursued degrees at for-profit institutions but today it’s more than 12%. Most for-profit colleges are run by large, publicly-traded corporations, many are not accredited, and shady operators often overcharge students for worthless degrees.

1977: The paddle remains

In 1977, the Supreme Court upheld the use of corporal punishment—spanking, paddling, or other punishments that inflict physical pain—in schools as constitutional. Despite the fact that corporal punishment has been banned in military training and as a criminal sentence, 19 states still allow teachers and administrators to physically beat students. Where it is allowed, it’s almost always used disproportionately on boys, disabled students, and especially on African American students.

1979: Education gets a Cabinet agency

By the end of the 1970s, the radical changes and growth in education had become too immense for the Office of Education to manage. In October 1979, the Department of Education Organization Act created the DoE as a Cabinet-level agency.

1980s: Big banks see dollar signs

Historically, higher education was mostly free thanks to philanthropic efforts and large grants distributed to the states. That began to change in the 1970s as the federal guarantee system was eroded, enrollment rates soared, and rising tuition costs forced prospective students to seek private loans to pay for college. Wall Street stepped in to fill that void, and today, tens of millions of students and graduates owe a combined $1.6 trillion in student loan debt.

1999: A tragedy changes mindsets

The 1999 Columbine High School massacre left 12 students and one teacher dead and gave rise to the era of school shootings. The tragedy brought the age-old and long-tolerated issue of bullying—like the kind suffered by the pair of outcasts who became murderers at Columbine—was brought to the forefront of the national discussion.

2000s: Schools get police officers

After Columbine, armed, uniformed police officers began replacing hall monitors as the issue of school security took center stage. As school resource officers became standard, stories emerged of children being hustled through the criminal justice system for childish misbehavior that might have warranted a trip to the principal’s office before. The term “school-to-prison pipeline” emerged and—just like corporal punishment—minority students became much more likely to be turned over to law enforcement for in-school infractions.

2002: No Child Left Behind defines a generation

No Child Left Behind was the name of President George W. Bush’s signature education legislation that governed K-12 education from 2002-2015. The law aimed to hold schools accountable for the performance of their students—the yardstick used to measure success, however, became a source of heated controversy. Its detractors believed that the law’s focus on standardized testing forced educators to “teach the test” instead of just teaching—or risk their school being penalized.

2018: Texas relents

Because of its sheer size and number of pupils, Texas gained an outsized influence on American education as it became a national hub of textbook publishing and distribution. The powerful and conservative Texas State Board of Education had enormous sway over what was included and excluded from those textbooks, with subjects like evolution and historical race relations causing controversy well into the 21st century. In 2018, Texas finally relented and amended its curriculum to acknowledge that slavery—not states’ rights—was the central cause of the Civil War.

2020: America revisits its Puritan roots

Change usually takes place slowly over time, but 2020 delivered some of the most immediate and drastic changes ever experienced in America’s education system. From kindergarten to college, schools were thrown into turmoil, teachers learned how to be online educators, and administrations scrambled to come up with coherent policies. For moms and dads across the country, however, the coronavirus forced a return to the earliest Puritan schooling model—parents teaching their children at home.

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• Education /

Modern Education: A Significant Leap Forward

• Updated on  
• Nov 25, 2022

The advancement of human civilization is significantly influenced by education . Since the beginning of time, the way that people learn has changed significantly over time and continues to do so as a result of developing technology. However, thanks to the internet and other digital technology, online learning environments are becoming more popular than traditional classrooms. The spatial restriction of a physical classroom has been entirely eliminated by the current educational system, benefiting a wide variety of pupils simultaneously throughout the world. We shall shed some light and talk about Modern Education in this blog.

This Blog Includes:

What is modern education, traditional education vs. modern education, which one is better, need for modern education, what is the purpose of modern education, modern education in india, traditional education and modern education, traditional education: tried and tested, modern education: a welcome change, the wheel of modern education, smart education: the advent of online learning, grading & assessment in modern education, the three main ingredients for effective modern education, modern education: a sample study, why finland’s schools outperform most others across the developed world, benefits of modern education, disadvantages of the modern education system, challenges faced by modern education system, modern education speech.

Modern Education is the latest and contemporary version of education that is taught in schools and learning institutions in the 21st century. Modern education doesn’t just only focus on prominent academic disciplines of Commerce, Science and Arts but also aims to foster critical thinking, life skills, value education, analytical skills and decision-making skills in students. Modern Education also makes use of the latest technology such as mobile applications, audio and video platforms like YouTube, Podcasts, E-books, Movies, etc. to educate learners and make the learning process more engaging and interesting.

We have all been educated in a teacher-centric classroom, a system where the teacher is in upfront and the students are seated in nice neat rows, listening to the lecture and taking notes. This system has been, and to some extent, still forms the core of our education system. Schools have relied on it for decades, and have only recently undergone major changes. Living in the 21st century, technology has become an integral part of our everyday lives. None of us can deny that it has brought about nothing short of an overhaul of our world, and more importantly of our educational system. From chalkboards to whiteboards and now to smart boards, technology has become our main source of research, knowledge, and teaching. This blog is going to shed some light on the modern education system and how it is replacing traditional methods of teaching.

Both traditional and contemporary education is connected to and distinct from one another. There was a point in our nation’s early history when there were no schools. The education or information is passed down to the children from their ancestors. At the time, this expertise was primarily concerned with survival abilities. The people who lived in jungles received their education from their predecessors, who demonstrated to them how to build tools, use animal skins for various uses, and hunt for sustenance. They received instruction on their rites and practices. Their respective beliefs were discussed in class.

They imparted moral lessons to them through the tales of their gods and monarchs. In India, the monarchs used to send their sons to institutions known as gurukuls. They learned how to wield various weapons, how to defend themselves, and how to assault their adversaries at these gurukuls. Additionally, they learned the fundamentals of governing an empire . These kinds of schools weren’t intended for the community. The royal families were the only ones who had access to it. The expertise that their parents possessed was passed on to the other children in the empire by them. The value of education grew across the nation as the democratic government was created in the next years. Schools were opened where any kind of student could come and learn. Modern education was established at this time.

Both types of education have their own place and importance in society. We cannot categorise education as good or bad. Traditional education was good in its time, and modern education is good in its time. Actually, it depends on the individual. It all depends on what the individual wishes to learn. Traditional education is unquestionably better for learning about one’s customs and religion. Modern education, on the other hand, is beneficial to those who wish to learn about science or mathematics. Both types of education are equally important. Our culture is frequently associated with traditional education. And it is beneficial, if not essential, to learn about one’s own culture. Everyone should know their religion’s stories and beliefs, as well as their traditions and culture. Similarly, it is critical to keep up with the world in terms of modern developments that are taking place today. This expresses the significance of modern education. Modern education is required to keep in touch with the rest of the world and to understand what is going on.

The academic curriculum needs to be modernised not simply to keep up with the times, but also to better educate students about the rapid breakthroughs in technology. Becoming flexible to changing times, helps students become skilled at employing both conventional abilities and technical competence with equal ease.

The existing educational system does ordinary people an injustice by limiting their potential, making it impossible for them to handle the intricacies of both private and public life. Since there are many different issues facing mankind in today’s competitive world, the educational system must be made adaptable enough to educate pupils for this dynamic environment .

Here are the key purposes of modern education:

• To foster essential life skills, critical thinking, decision-making skills and analytical competencies in its learners.
• To facilitate a positive approach towards diversity, inclusion, compassion and a sense of responsibility in students.
• To create a fun and engaging learning process.
• To incorporate educational technology to make the learning environment more experiential with a key focus on real-world applications of concepts.
• To ensure that learning and education reach every corner of the world whether through physical classrooms or online learning.
• To build an equal relationship between the teacher and learner and foster the curiosity of students and teach them to inquire and ask questions rather than the passive traditional approach.

The Indian education system has its deep roots in ancient oral learning as well as the Gurukul education system which later was transformed into formal education by the British. Here are the salient features of modern education in India:

• Modern education in India was brought by the British colonisers in the 1830s along with the English language which is credited to have been introduced in India by Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay.
• While metaphysics and philosophy were earlier studied at Nalanda University, the new modern education system brought by the British focused on academic disciplines like Science and Mathematics.
• As India became free from the British, basic education was made compulsory, especially for 6-14 years of age with schools constructed all across the country.
• The modern-age education system of India in the 21st century is constituted of a new approach to learning from online education to skill-development courses, digital learning platforms, a grading system as well as the use of educational technology in the classrooms and a newly introduced New Education Policy !

Notes on Modern Education

Want to study the importance of modern education and how it is different from traditional education? Here are some important study notes on Modern Education:

Teaching styles have changed significantly over the years. The traditional way of imparting education primarily employs recitation and memorization techniques whereas modern education involves interactive methods for effective learning. The following paragraphs elaborate more on both approaches.

The conventional education method focuses more on teaching and passing on information and knowledge to learners. It focuses more on recitation than on anything else. For example, students are made to sit in silence while one student after another would take turns reciting a lesson until each one had been called upon. The teacher will listen to each student’s recitation who is expected to learn and memorise the assignments to the word. Traditional education methods rely heavily on replication-based assessment in practical and written exams as well. However, how traditional teaching methods were utilized more than ensured that students were rewarded for their efforts, used class periods efficiently and exercised clear rules to manage student behaviour. Traditional methods are based on established customs that had been used successfully in schools over many years.

Why is modern education important? Modern education significantly differs from the traditional methods of teaching and is widely practised in schools today emphasising more on science and technology. Progressive modern education focuses more on the student’s needs rather than assuming that all students are at the same level of understanding. It is activity-based comprising of questioning, explaining, demonstration and collaboration techniques. Embodied in the BEd Syllabus , this form of education teaches imaginative, creative thinking and visualization. 

Amongst the core features of Modern Education, Online Education has become a quintessential part of the learning process and pedagogy in the contemporary age. Offering an immense scope of learning anything, anytime and anywhere, the Internet has become a vast pool of knowledge welcoming people of all ages to furnish their skills and expand their expertise in different fields of study. Further, online learning is just a constituent of Smart Education which utilised technology to facilitate an interactive process of teaching and learning. The importance of technology in education is imperative today and you can learn anything and anywhere just with the help of a functioning network connection and a smartphone, tablet or computer.

Apart from the approach to teaching and learning, another unique aspect of modern education is the introduction of a grading system that focuses on providing students with certain grades rather than marks to eliminate the quantification of a student’s knowledge about a subject. While marks were the major element of assessment in traditional education, modern education has brought forward a grading system which is a better way to provide students with an overview of their knowledge and understanding of different subjects. With this advanced marking pattern, students are relieved from the scoring pressure and teachers are also able to highlight the areas where a student needs to work more on and where they can focus on helping the student perform better.

Modern education comprises various learning and teaching methods including the popular ‘space learning’ wherein students are encouraged to quickly switch through activities. It is a learning method in which the condensed learning content is provided with a 10-minutes break for physical activities. For example, students would be provided with 15 minutes of PowerPoint presentation and then allotted 10 minutes of sport. This method aims to improve their learning abilities. It is claimed that physical exercises help brain cells to create a connection that they need to remember the course. Furthermore, it has the additional benefit of allowing people to relax.

Modern education is aided by a variety of computer technologies, the internet, and projector presentations to make studies interesting and interactive for students. It encourages students to engage with the real world, and analyse everything that happens in different life spheres. Students are taken to respective sectors and industries where they witness the practical application of concepts they learned theoretically. These methods help improve the quality of education and improve the engagement of students effectively. 

Also Read: Importance of Value Education

In particular, the advantages of modern education can be summarised as:

• Modern education is a dynamic way of learning enabling students to learn a lot faster. The interaction between students and teachers helps students understand better.
• Enabling students to participate in physical activities to improve their efficiency is another advantage. Modern education allows students to do a lot more than just learn and helps them become more social and interactive. 
• Cocurricular activities, recreational activities, drama and art in education help students to become creative, industrious as well as the patient. This is one of the factors that make students look forward to schooling. 
• Modern education comprises screening classes and lectures which are scheduled at specific timings, this helps to make students punctual and consistent. 

Lack of interpersonal interaction: Courses taken online are self-paced. It is challenging for the students to build relationships with their peers. little to no face-to-face interaction and little social engagement.

The likelihood of becoming distracted: The likelihood of becoming distracted is quite high for students who are less focused and lack motivation. The students wander off course and end up doing something different.

Learners get isolated: since they don’t engage with the outside world, which increases the likelihood that they may feel lonely and alone.

1. Conformity:

Employees are required to abide by a set of rules to accomplish corporate goals or targets, which may limit their freedom and creativity.

2. Loss of Responsibility:

The people feel less accountable for the general expansion of the business as a result of the development in the specialisation. Even though their employees are not receiving the required training and development, it has been observed that firms frequently blame “ globalisation ” for all of their problems.

3. Lack Of Proper Communication:

There is frequently poor communication between various sectors

and teams as a result of overcomplication and shortened deadlines, which has a detrimental effect on the company’s overall performance.

Good morning to everyone in this assembly. I will discuss my opinions regarding the Indian educational system in my speech. People with more education may be easier to drive but harder to lead. Additionally, it makes governing simple but enslaving difficult. It is true that a man is just marginally better than an animal without education. Therefore, true education is the development of the mind, and it is necessary for living a happy life.

Education in India at the Present Time It is true that the Indian educational system is not the greatest. It is fairly monotonous and ineffective due to the lack of revisions and upgrades. Students are not very interested in their education. The issue of student’s lack of enthusiasm for learning is caused by a variety of issues.

People hold the traditional educational system responsible. The system has created a very reflecting image of education and study. Education is more about inquiry than it is about working hard to pass exams and assessments. But it seems like the existing educational system is a hardship.

Lack of computer-based education Only concentrating on books and paperwork is the part of our educational system that is the most onerous. I just want to know why schools don’t eliminate paper from the educational process! In the modern world, computer-assisted methods should be used to provide education. The entire educational system should be automated for all tasks.

Indian Education System Improvement By imposing unnecessary constraints and rules, schools and instructors risk distorting the joyous pursuit of education. Teachers need to entice students with the allures of education, learning, and acquiring information.

Teachers must explain to the students the excitement involved in the process of transmitting knowledge. Classroom instruction must be more entertaining than dull.

Our administration has implemented a number of programmes to address the flaws in our educational system. Consequently, it is a fantastic start. Although education has advanced significantly, much more work needs to be done in the near future.

Conclusion Therefore, if we want to protect our independence, it is absolutely necessary. Our nation has seen how a small number of Englishmen governed this area for more than a century. This resulted from the absence of a real educational system. This should never happen again, and the only way to prevent it is to have an ideal school system. The real education system would enable us to control our fate.

Thus, we hope that this blog on modern education helped you gain some modern perspectives on new methods of learning and teaching. We at Leverage Edu , believe in pushing your potential and bringing out the best in you. If you’re planning to pursue higher education and need assistance, get in touch with our experts and start your career today! 

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Very well explained the modern education system how it will change and how it will work in a positive manner. You can also go for interactive training rooms. If you want your employees to enjoy the initial on-borading days, then head on to automation services provided by lightomated to build interactive training rooms. They use best quality and standardized products like hi tech audio sytems, speakers, remote controlling, etc

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The U.S. student population is more diverse, but schools are still highly segregated

Sequoia Carrillo

Pooja Salhotra

The U.S. student body is more diverse than ever before. Nevertheless, public schools remain highly segregated along racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines.

That's according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). More than a third of students (about 18.5 million of them) attended a predominantly same-race/ethnicity school during the 2020-21 school year, the report finds. And 14% of students attended schools where almost all of the student body was of a single race/ethnicity.

The report is a follow up to a 2016 GAO investigation on racial disparity in K-12 schools. That initial report painted a slightly worse picture, but findings from the new report are still concerning, says Jackie Nowicki, the director of K-12 education at the GAO and lead author of the report.

Why White School Districts Have So Much More Money

"There is clearly still racial division in schools," says Nowicki. She adds that schools with large proportions of Hispanic, Black and American Indian/Alaska Native students – minority groups with higher rates of poverty than white and Asian American students – are also increasing. "What that means is you have large portions of minority children not only attending essentially segregated schools, but schools that have less resources available to them."

"There are layers of factors here," she says. "They paint a rather dire picture of the state of schooling for a segment of the school-age population that federal laws were designed to protect."

School segregation happens across the country

Segregation has historically been associated with the Jim Crow laws of the South. But the report finds that, in the 2020-21 school year, the highest percentage of schools serving a predominantly single-race/ethnicity student population – whether mostly white, mostly Hispanic or mostly Black etc. – were in the Northeast and the Midwest.

School segregation has "always been a whole-country issue," says U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., who heads the House education and labor committee. He commissioned both the 2016 and 2022 reports. "The details of the strategies may be different, but during the '60s and '70s, when the desegregation cases were at their height, cases were all over the country."

How The Systemic Segregation Of Schools Is Maintained By 'Individual Choices'

The GAO analysis also found school segregation across all school types, including traditional public schools, charter schools and magnet schools. Across all charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately run, more than a third were predominantly same-race/ethnicity, serving mostly Black and Hispanic students.

There's history behind the report's findings

Nowicki and her team at the GAO say they were not surprised by any of the report's findings. They point to historical practices, like redlining , that created racially segregated neighborhoods.

And because 70% of U.S. students attend their neighborhood public schools, Nowicki says, racially segregated neighborhoods have historically made for racially segregated schools.

The 50 Most Segregating School Borders In America

"There are historical reasons why neighborhoods look the way they look," she explains. "And some portion of that is because of the way our country chose to encourage or limit where people could live."

Though the 1968 Fair Housing Act outlawed housing discrimination on the basis of race, the GAO says that in some states, current legislation reinforces racially isolated communities.

"Our analysis showed that predominantly same-race/ethnicity schools of different races/ethnicities exist in close proximity to one another within districts, but most commonly exist among neighboring districts," the report says.

School district secessions have made segregation worse

One cause for the lack of significant improvement, according to the GAO, is a practice known as district secession, where schools break away from an existing district – often citing a need for more local control – and form their own new district. The result, the report finds, is that segregation deepens.

"In the 10 years that we looked at district secessions, we found that, overwhelmingly, those new districts were generally whiter, wealthier than the remaining districts," Nowicki says.

Six of the 36 district secessions identified in the report happened in Memphis, Tenn., which experienced a historic district merger several years ago. Memphis City Schools, which served a majority non-white student body, dissolved in 2011 due to financial instability. It then merged with the neighboring district, Shelby County Schools, which served a wealthier, majority white population.

This Supreme Court Case Made School District Lines A Tool For Segregation

Joris Ray was a Memphis City Schools administrator at the time of the merger. He recalls that residents of Shelby County were not satisfied with the new consolidated district. They successfully splintered off into six separate districts.

As a result, the GAO report says, racial and socioeconomic segregation has grown in and around Memphis. All of the newly formed districts are whiter and wealthier than the one they left, which is now called Memphis-Shelby County Schools.

Why Busing Didn't End School Segregation

"This brings negative implications for our students overall," says Ray, who has led Memphis-Shelby County Schools since 2019. "Research has shown that students in more diverse schools have lower levels of prejudice and stereotypes and are more prepared for top employers to hire an increasingly diverse workforce."

The GAO report finds that this pattern – of municipalities removing themselves from a larger district to form their own, smaller school district – almost always creates more racial and socioeconomic segregation. Overall, new districts tend to have larger shares of white and Asian American students, and lower shares of Black and Hispanic students, the report finds. New districts also have significantly fewer students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a common measure of poverty.

Is India’s Modern Education System Heading in the Right Direction?

Ancient education in India was based on lifelong study of theology and philosophy. And one of the most visionary elements of our current system comes from the ancient Vedic age. Till date, the Gurukul tradition is remembered for its superior features and excellent educational standards, wherein, education was imparted through gurus/scholars or sages. Students were taught the way of life through the teaching of the Vedas.

And they lived away from their families throughout the duration of their formal education. From ancient times to the pre and post-independence era there has been a tremendous change in the education system. Today, with the innovative alternatives like virtual schools , the schooling system has been revamped.

This article will cover all these essential elements to explain modern education system in India. Let’s explore more about the features of our modern and ancient education system along with innovative advantages of online education. 

What are the Main Features of Traditional Education System of Ancient India?

India’s conventional education system was more about the inculcation of values . It aimed at the development of one’s personality through the knowledge of topics that were relevant in practical life. Even in the modern era, many stakeholders believe in incorporating the values of ancient Indian education within the present system. Because the features of our conventional system are impeccable to promote discipline. And shape the lives of students with cultural understanding.  

Another striking feature of this system was the emphasis on the individual’s social development . There was a lot of importance attached to the transmission of knowledge (including traditions, beliefs, and religion, etc.)

The biggest drawback of this education was the discrimination basis of the castes or the segregated communities within the society. Education was a privilege that was meant to serve only the higher caste people.

What is the Importance of Traditional Education in Ancient India?

Despite the drawbacks of limiting access to education for the upper sections of society, the importance of traditional education cannot be undermined.

The best part about the traditional education system was the focus on leading a disciplined life. Students were taught the dignity of labor. And the development of morality (ethics) helped them to be productive members of society. Value inculcation, character building, and ethics were the focus areas.

The traditional education system is often applauded for its stupendous quality. But it also had some challenges.

Challenges Faced by Traditional Education System in Independent India

The greatest challenge of the traditional education, system was the limited scope of exposure. The masses were deprived of availing the benefit of formal education. And students who had access studied in a highly controlled environment. There was hardly any flexibility in the teaching and learning process. And the structure remained rigid (unlike modern education in India which offers alternatives like online schools ) for all students with varied learning needs.

Moving on, let’s now scrutinize the aspects of the modern education system.  

How Does the Modern Education differ from Traditional Education?

The modern education system in India post-independence era has evolved with an all-encompassing approach. And the aim of modern education in India is to provide equal educational opportunities to the masses. With the implementation of the RTE in 2009, education became a right for all children between the age groups of 6 to 14 years. This inclusiveness and accessibility of the modern education system makes a common space for all students despite any background, caste, creed, or financial status.

The greatest difference between the ancient and modern education system in India is their scope. There has been a remarkable improvement in gross enrollment rates because of the universalization of education in modern times. The chart below shows the enrollment rates from 2009 to 2020.  

Another noteworthy difference between traditional education vs modern education is the expansion of educational opportunities and the modern trends in education. Fully online schools are one of the biggest advantages of modern-day education. These platforms are the real face of modern education in India. And allow non-traditional learners to be a part of mainstream schooling. This form of education also adds value to the teaching and learning processes. And it is certainly more interesting and practical for students.

Some prominent Advantages of Modern Schooling, for Indian students :

• Active Learning

Modern schooling is all about involving or engaging the student in the learning process. This means that the student does not receive instructions passively. Instead, he/she interacts, questions, clarifies, and shares inputs throughout the learning duration.

• Global Exposure

This digital age demands globally competitive individuals. Today, Indian students need global exposure to survive in this competitive world. Our modern education system focuses on preparing students for the global workforce. And alternatives like online education can be additional support to accomplish this goal.

• Meaningful learning

In the present times, modern schools focus on making instructions/content more meaningful for students. This helps in improving the overall conceptual understanding of students. And they also tend to retain the information for a longer time.

Let’s take a look at the striking advantages of online education over the ancient ways of teaching and learning.

Ancient Education VS Online Education

In this information age, our education system has moved ahead from the mundane chalk-and-talk methods. The world has embraced online learning as a new and convenient method to continue or complete education. In the past few years, this industry is booming with a massive revenue hike year on year. The number of online students (enrolled in online schools or institutions) is also increasing at a stupendous rate.

Online education has an edge over traditional mediums in terms of flexibility, personalization, and reduced costs, etc. Let’s take a quick look at some facts that reveal the popularity of online education. And these figures speak volumes about the advantages of online education over traditional mediums.

Online Education in India- KPMG Report 2017-2021:

• The growth of online education market in 5 years was remarkable (from 247 US dollars in 2017 to 1.96 billion in 2021).
• The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) was 44%.
• The online test preparation category had a CAGR of 64%.
• Reskilling and online certifications weightage went up by 38%.
• Online supplemental education was another dominant category with a 39% market share in 2021.

Worldwide Online Education Statistics 

• By the year 2022, the global online education revenue is projected to reach 146.90 billion US dollars.
• The annual CAGR is expected to be 10.17%.
• The projected market volume of online education by the year 2027 is 238.40 billion.

Coming back to our main topic, it’s time to discuss more about ancient and modern education.

Ancient Education VS Modern Education in India

Ancient education was based on the integral elements of character development and the preservation of knowledge. It aimed at imbibing qualities like self-control. And the students were expected to stay pious in their student life. The subjects taught were grammar, astronomy, warfare, arts, economics, and law.  However, there was no or little relaxation with discipline.

Students were expected to follow the rules without any scope for questioning/negotiations. And upon the successful completion of the entire process, students thanked their gurus and gave them gurudakshina before leaving for their homes. While the ancient education system was quality oriented and stringent, modern education is quite different.

Modern trends in education are more about a structured way of promoting the holistic development of students. Students study a set of academic subjects and also indulge in extra-curricular activities in brick-and-mortar schools. For schooling options, a network of government and private schools are operational across the country.

How many private and government schools are there in India?

Modern India has seen the growth of the private education sector other than the government schools. As of 2018 , India had over a million government schools. The count of private schools at the same time was 460 thousand.

What is the Importance of Modern Education with schooling alternatives?

Modern education is a one-stop solution for challenges like overpopulation, teacher quality, and inclusion, etc. With the modern approach to the teaching and learning processes, our system has become more resilient to combat challenges. Today, we are able to impart high-quality instructions in an online learning environment with lower teacher-pupil ratios. Similarly, one-size fit all approach of new-age learning has also improved the accessibility of education for differently-abled students.

Modern-day education has also eliminated challenges like academic stress and made learning fun for students. It has also improved the features of traditional learning by introducing new and engaging ways of imparting instructions.   

The modern education system has some unparalleled advantages. But does it mean that the traditional system is totally obsolete?

Let’s figure it out!

Which among the Traditional and Modern Education is more Effective?

Our modern-day education is certainly more accessible for students. And therefore productive for the students. It has a lot of elements that are beneficial for students. And is capable of individualizing the learning experiences as per the unique needs of the students.

Despite all these advantages, the value aspect still lacks in our current system. It is a great feature of our ancient heritage. And this legacy should be carried forward to improve the inculcation of ethics and morality in children. Some of the ancient subjects like arts and astronomy have also lost their importance in the hustle-bustle of this digital world. We must bring these elements back into our system.

And help our young generations to master age-old art forms. Lastly, the aims of education in the traditional system were better than the present times. Education then was a medium to develop as a person. Whereas today, most of the focus is on employability and survival.

Now that we have discussed traditional education VS modern education, let’s jump to the challenges in the current times before we wrap up.

Challenges Faced by Modern Education System In India

None of the education systems are totally perfect. And the same holds true for the modern education system as well. With all the innovations of the new age-mediums, our system still needs to combat challenges like school violence, bullying, drop-outs teacher quality. Despite the global measures, children in many countries experience issues like bullying (at least once in a couple of months). India too has a number of these traumatic events reported all-round the academic year. In fact , a survey shows that almost 42% of kids face some sort of harassment in schools.

School drop-outs are another big reason that defeats the purpose of numerous educational policies. The Hindustan Times states that only 70 out of 100 Indian students finish school.

Final Thoughts

From the age of the Gurukuls to the world of immersive learning and online schooling, the journey has been both tremendous and rewarding. Our values are rooted in our ancient systems, and the modern-day advantages allow us to eliminate the barriers to learning. A healthy blend of innovative technology along with a touch of the best practices of ancient India will help us to be resilient and support students with character building.

Let’s give our students the best of all education systems. And help them to unleash their innate potential to the fullest!

___________________________________________________

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What are the differences between traditional education vs online education? Traditional education was more about teacher-led instructions and inflexible learning. On the other hand, online education allows more individualized instructions and helps students to thrive as per their pace and learning style.
• What is Modern schooling? Modern schooling aims at the holistic development of students through better teaching and learning mechanisms. It supports skill-building and prepares students to be active contributors to society. The selection of pedagogies and instructional delivery makes education more personalized for students.
• What are the features of modern schools? Modern schools are highly student-centric and aim to develop a love for learning in students. Unlike the outdated methods of traditional schooling, these schools follow a planned approach to make education fun-filled and meaningful for the students. Teachers facilitate the student’s learning. And these schools also add elements of technology to improve overall student engagement.
• What are the main features of Traditional education system? Traditional education gave more importance to rote learning and lectures conducted by teachers. There was an emphasis on memory-level teaching. And students were not given many opportunities to interact with the teachers.
• How modern education differs from traditional education? Modern day education system has evolved to be more student-centric and convenient for learners. With options like online schooling, students can decide their own time, space, pace, and style of learning. All this was hardly possible in the traditional education system.
• Who introduce modern education in India? Modern education system in India was introduced by Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay in 1830
• Online Education: What is it & How Does it Work in 2023
• Virtual School in India
• Online Classes: Everything to know About
• Importance of Language Skills for Students
• Top 10 Most Literate States in India 2023
• Top 10 Online Learning Platforms in India 2023
• 5 Solid Ways to Improve the Education System in India

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Current Education System

Looking for advantages and disadvantages of Current Education System?

We have collected some solid points that will help you understand the pros and cons of Current Education System in detail.

But first, let’s understand the topic:

What is Current Education System?

The current education system is the way schools teach students today. It includes classes, tests, and homework to help kids learn new things and prepare for their future.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Current Education System

The following are the advantages and disadvantages of Current Education System:

Advantages of Current Education System

• Access to diverse knowledge – Schools and colleges offer a wide range of subjects and skills, helping students learn about different topics and cultures.
• Encourages critical thinking – Students are taught to question, analyze, and solve problems, which helps them make better decisions in life.
• Builds social skills – In classrooms and on playgrounds, children and young adults learn to interact with others, share, and work as a team.
• Prepares for future jobs – Education systems are designed to give the necessary tools and training for various careers, helping students to get ready for the working world.
• Promotes lifelong learning – Through classes, projects, and assignments, the importance of always learning and growing is instilled in students, which they carry throughout their lives.

Also check:

• Paragraph on Current Education System
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Disadvantages of Current Education System

• Lacks personalized learning – Many students feel the education system doesn’t cater to their individual learning styles, making it hard for some to keep up.
• Overemphasis on grades – Schools often focus too much on test scores and report cards, which can stress students and overlook their actual learning.
• Limited hands-on experience – Students rarely get to apply what they learn in real-world scenarios, which can make subjects seem irrelevant or uninteresting.
• Outdated teaching methods – Teachers sometimes use old techniques that may not engage today’s tech-savvy students or prepare them for modern workplaces.
• Not enough life skills training – The system doesn’t always teach essential daily life skills like managing finances or effective communication, which are crucial after graduation.
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Overview of Education in Malaysia

• Later version available View entry history
• First Online: 24 April 2022

Cite this chapter

• Meng Yew Tee 3  

Part of the book series: Springer International Handbooks of Education ((SIHE))

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This chapter provides a broad overview of Malaysia and its education system, connecting some of the key milestones from its historical development to the contemporary education structure in operation today. In its present state, the entire education system includes an array of subsystems for each education level to cater for more than 7 million students. The system is federally administered and governed through a highly centralized structure. Education access has expanded significantly since 1957. In 2018, early childhood, primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary enrolment rates were 85.4%, 97.8%, 95.3%, and 87.18%, respectively. Tertiary enrolment rates exceeded 40%. Still in the midst of expansion, the system is confronted with addressing challenges related to education provision for the hardest-to-reach children, substantive quality issues, and reviewing the politics and governance of its education system to be better prepared for the future.

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Useful Websites

Economic Planning Unit (EPU), Prime Minister’s Department Malaysia. https://www.epu.gov.my/en

Education Performance and Delivery Unit (PADU), Ministry of Education Malaysia. https://www.padu.edu.my/

Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. https://www.mqa.gov.my/

Ministry of Education Malaysia. https://www.moe.gov.my/en/

Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. https://www.mohe.gov.my /

National Occupational Skills Standards (NOSS), Department of Skills Development Malaysia. https://portal.dsd.gov.my/jpkv4/index.php/en/services/noss

OECD Education GPS: Malaysia profile. https://gpseducation.oecd.org/CountryProfile?primaryCountry=MYS&treshold=10&topic=PI

SEA-VET: Malaysia profile. https://sea-vet.net/malaysia

UNESCO Institute of Statistics: Malaysia profile. http://uis.unesco.org/en/country/my?theme=education-and-literacy

UNESCO-UNEVOC: Malaysia profile. https://unevoc.unesco.org/home/Dynamic+TVET+Country+Profiles/country=MYS

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Tee, M.Y. (2022). Overview of Education in Malaysia. In: Symaco, L.P., Hayden, M. (eds) International Handbook on Education in South East Asia. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8136-3_12-1

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Major Issues in the Indian Education System

The Indian Education System has its share of issues and challenges which need to be resolved to provide better and improved education to children, who are the future of the country. Over the years, a lot has changed in the Indian education system but still, there are many loopholes and problems which need to be resolved. 

In this article, we shall discuss in detail the issues and challenges with the Indian Education System and a few counter solutions to overcome these challenges. Also discussed are a few schemes which have been initiated by the Government for the improved education of students across the country. 

Aspirants preparing for the upcoming IAS Exam must carefully go through this article. 

Education System in India – Issues Download PDF Here

About the Indian Education System

A major shift in the education system can be observed from the pre and post-British rule till today in India. Initially, children were educated in Gurukuls which was later modified and the modern education system was introduced. 

After India became independent, the constitution committed six fundamental rights, of which one was the Right to Education. It allowed free education for every child up between the ages of 6 and 14 years. 

The education system is mainly divided into pre-primary, primary, elementary and secondary education, which is followed by higher studies. 

However, there are many drawbacks and loopholes in this system which if curbed can work for the overall development of the country. 

To know in detail about the Right to Education Act (RTE) , aspirants can visit the linked article.

Current Issues in Education in India

Discussed below are the current issues with the Education system in India:

• Expenditure on education – More funds should be allotted for the development of the education system in India. In the past few years, many beneficial steps have been taken in this direction and if the same is continued India may soon overcome the current challenges.
• Gross enrolment pattern – As followed by the UN must also be adopted by India.
• Capacity utilisation – The world now needs creative minds and the Government must encourage schools to boost the students and utilise their capacities to the max and not let their ideas go unheard.
• Infrastructure facilities – Better infrastructure must be provided especially in Government schools. Since the Government is now focussing on digital education, they must undertake steps to provide all necessary facilities in the Government schools and rural areas as well.
• PPP model – Well-designed PPPs can create models of innovation for the school system in India. Thus the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model must be taken into consideration.
• Student-teacher ratio – The number of students in search of proper education is way more in comparison to the teachers and faculty available. Thus, qualified teachers must be appointed to impart knowledge to the future of the country.
• Accreditation and branding – quality standards.
• Students studying abroad – Many students choose to study abroad because of these issues in the Indian education system. The concerned authorities must work on them and students must also choose to stay, learn in India and empower the country through their knowledge.

UPSC and other Government exam aspirants can also refer to the links given below for exam preparation:

Indian Education System Problems and Solutions

There are a few simple solutions which can help in overcoming the problems with the India Education System:

• Innovations required – India is moving towards digital education. This will help in budding the innovative minds of students and the youth of the country. This will bring a transformation in the Indian education system and the authorities and Government must encourage and boost the young minds to focus on overall development rather than just the book-learning.
• Quality of education – There is a major difference in the quality of education being provided in the rural and urban areas of the country. Steps must be taken to standardize the quality of education across India so that everyone can get equal and unbiased knowledge and opportunities to grow.
• Making education affordable – There are Government schools and educational Institutions which are affordable but lack in terms of infrastructure and quality. On the other hand, there are various private education institutions which demand high fees and have better infrastructure and equipment to study. This disparity must be worked upon and the Government must make education affordable and accessible for all. 

Schemes & Campaigns to Boost Education System in India

Given below is a list of Government schemes introduced to enhance the education system in India:

• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan – Launched in 2001 to promote ‘Education for All’, strengthening the existing infrastructure of schools and construction of new schools. To know in details about the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) , visit the linked article.
• National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level – It is a focused intervention of the Government of India, to reach the “Hardest to Reach” girls, especially those not in school. Read more at Elementary Education: Moving Towards RTE And Quality Improvement.
• Mid-Day Meal Scheme – It is one meal that is provided to all children enrolled in government schools, government-aided schools, local body schools, special training centres (STC), madrasas and maktabs supported under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). Visit the Mid Day Meal Scheme page to learn more.
• Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan – It is a flagship scheme aiming at enhancing secondary education and increasing the enrolment rate by providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance of every home.
• Scheme for Infrastructure Development in Minority Institutes – The scheme would facilitate the education of minorities by augmenting and strengthening school infrastructure in Minority Institutions to expand facilities for formal education to children of minority communities.
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao – The scheme to promote girl child education in India. Visit the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana page to learn more about the BBBP campaign.

Aspirants can get the detailed UPSC Syllabus for the prelims and mains examination at the linked article and start their exam preparation accordingly. 

Frequently Asked Questions about Indian Education System

What are some of the problems that beset the indian education system, how effective is the indian education system.

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"Refund" is a play by Fritz Karinthy that satirizes the modern education system. The play follows the story of Wasserkopf, a man who demands a refund of his tuition fees from his former school, claiming that he didn't learn anything during his 18 years of education. To prove his point, Wasserkopf asks to take an exam in all the subjects he studied. Despite giving ridiculous and clearly incorrect answers, the teachers accept them in order to preserve the reputation of the school. In the end, Wasserkopf is declared a distinguished graduate and is asked to leave the school. The play highlights the flaws in the education system, such as the focus on memorization rather than practical skills and the prioritization of grades over actual learning. It also suggests that the knowledge imparted by education may not always have practical relevance in one's day-to-day life.

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. Why does Wasserkopf demand a refund of his tuition fees from the school?

Wasserkopf demands a refund of his tuition fees from the school because he has lost his job and is broke. He believes that he received no value from his education and wants his money back.

b. Why does Wasserkopf consider himself good for nothing?

Wasserkopf considers himself good for nothing because he lost his job and is broke. He believes that his education at the school did not prepare him for the real world and that is why he is struggling.

c. What did the teachers decide to do when Wasserkopf asked for a refund?

When Wasserkopf asked for a refund, the teachers decided to give him a re-examination to see if he really did learn nothing during his time at the school.

d. Why did Wasserkopf give ridiculous answers? Why did the teachers accept these answers?

Wasserkopf gave ridiculous answers during the exam in the hope of failing and receiving a refund. The teachers accepted these answers because they wanted him to pass the exam in order to preserve the school's reputation.

e. How does the Mathematics Master describe Wasserkopf’s character?

The Mathematics Master describes Wasserkopf as a sly and crafty individual who will try to get the better of the teachers by any means necessary in order to get his money back.

f. How did the teachers outwit Wasserkopf?

The teachers outwitted Wasserkopf by agreeing beforehand to grade all of his answers as correct, regardless of whether they were actually correct or not. This allowed them to pass Wasserkopf and avoid the embarrassment of having a former student fail a re-examination.

g. What is the final judgment on Waserkopf’s demand of refund?

The final judgment on Wasserkopf’s demand for a refund is that he has passed the re-examination with distinction in every subject, and is therefore entitled to the certificate he received upon graduation. The school principal tells Wasserkopf to leave before he has him thrown out, and the teachers congratulate him on his performance.

Reference to the context

a. Read the extract from the play given below and answer the questions that follow: “It’s possible I’ve changed. What the hell…! Your class records will show I’ve got a right to come here.”

i. Who is the speaker? Who is he speaking to? Wasserkopf is the speaker. He’s speaking to the principal of his former school.

ii. Why is the speaker say these words? The speaker says these words because he is dissatisfied with his educational records from his previous school, which he obtained eighteen years ago.

iii. Where is the speaker at this moment? The speaker is at the school’s principal’s office.

b. Read the extract dialogue given below and answer the questions that follow: “THE STAFF: (bowing, heartily) How do you do? WASSERKOPF: Who the hell are you? Sit down, you loafers! (He grins waiting to be thrown out) THE PRINCIPAL: How dare you –”

i. What is to be the response to ‘How do you do?’ The expected response to "How do you do?" is "I'm fine, thank you" or a similar phrase.

ii. Is Wasserkopf’s response polite enough to the staff? Wasserkopf's response is not polite at all. He does not greet the staff and instead insults them by calling them "loafers."

iii. How does Wasserkopf rebuke the staff? Wasserkopf rebukes the staff by speaking rudely to them and insulting them.

iv. What does the principal mean by ‘How dare you -’? The principal is expressing shock and outrage at Wasserkopf's rude behavior towards the staff.

c. Explain the following line of the play: “Because I didn’t get my money’s worth, that’s why!”

This line is spoken by Wasserkopf, a former pupil of the school, who is demanding a refund of his tuition fees from the school. He believes that he did not receive the value of the money he paid for his education, and that is why he is demanding a refund.

The reasons for Wasserkopf's dissatisfaction with his education could vary, but it is clear that he feels that he did not gain any valuable skills or knowledge from his time at the school. He may feel that the teaching was inadequate, or that he was not given the necessary support and guidance to succeed.

This line highlights the importance of ensuring that students receive a quality education that meets their needs and helps them to achieve their goals. It also raises the question of what constitutes a fair value for education, and whether it is possible to put a price on the knowledge and skills that students gain.

d. What is the theme of the play?

The theme of the play "Refund" by Fritz Karinthy is the value of education and the expectations that individuals have of the institutions and teachers that provide it. The play follows the character Wasserkopf, a former student of the school, as he demands a refund of his tuition fees because he believes that he received no value from his 18 years of education. The teachers and principal of the school are faced with the challenge of defending the value of their institution and the education they provided to Wasserkopf. Throughout the play, the characters engage in discussions about the purpose and value of education, as well as the responsibilities of both students and teachers in the learning process. Ultimately, the play suggests that education is a valuable and worthwhile investment, but that it requires effort and dedication from both the student and the teacher in order to be successful.

e. Sketch the character of Wasserkopf.

Wasserkopf is a former pupil of the school who has come to demand a refund of his tuition fees. He is a truculent and defiant character who does not hesitate to speak his mind or use insults. He has a confrontational and aggressive personality, as seen when he speaks disrespectfully to the staff and the principal. Despite this, he seems to have a sense of humor and a sense of mischief, as seen when he reveals that he was the one who tied a string across the aisle to trip the physics master. Overall, Wasserkopf is a rebellious and unpredictable character who is determined to get what he wants, even if it means causing a confrontation.

Reference beyond the text

a. The play is a satire on the present day education system. Do you think that our education system does not prepare students for life? Discuss.

The education system in Nepal has been criticized for being heavily focused on rote learning and memorization, rather than practical skills and critical thinking. This can lead to a lack of preparation for real-life situations, as students are not taught how to apply their knowledge in practical ways. Additionally, the curriculum often includes subjects that are not relevant to students' future careers or personal interests, leading to a sense of disconnection and disengagement from their studies. As a result, many students may feel unprepared for the challenges and responsibilities of adult life, leading to a lack of confidence and self-worth. In order to address these issues, it is important to reform the education system to prioritize hands-on learning experiences and practical skills, as well as to offer a more diverse range of courses that cater to the diverse interests and career goals of students. By doing so, we can better prepare our students for the challenges of life and enable them to succeed in their personal and professional endeavors.

b. Our education system focuses on memorisation rather than creative thinking. Do you think the knowledge imparted by education may not have practical relevance in one’s day-to-day life? Who do you blame for this?

Yes, I believe that the knowledge imparted by our education system may not always have practical relevance in one's day-to-day life. This is because our education system tends to focus more on memorisation rather than on developing critical thinking skills. As a result, students are not always able to apply the knowledge they have learned in real-life situations.

I think that there are several factors that contribute to this issue. One factor is the lack of practical, hands-on learning opportunities in our education system. Students are often required to memorise large amounts of information without being given the chance to apply that knowledge in a practical setting. This makes it difficult for them to see the relevance of what they are learning to their everyday lives.

Another factor is the emphasis on rote learning and exams. Students are often under a lot of pressure to perform well on exams, which often leads to a focus on memorisation rather than understanding. This can make it difficult for students to develop the critical thinking skills that are necessary for success in the real world.

In conclusion, I believe that the lack of practical relevance in the knowledge imparted by our education system is a result of a combination of factors, including the lack of hands-on learning opportunities and the emphasis on rote learning and exams. To address this issue, it is necessary to reform our education system to focus more on developing critical thinking skills and providing practical, hands-on learning opportunities.

c. Most of the students want to learn just for examination rather than knowledge. Do you think that certificate will help them in their future career?

It is not necessarily true that a certificate will automatically help a person in their future career. While a certificate may be a requirement for some jobs or educational programs, it is ultimately an individual's skills and abilities that will determine their success in a particular field. In certain industries, such as healthcare or law, a certificate or degree may be necessary to practice in a specific role. However, in fields like technology or creative arts, practical experience and demonstrated skills may be more valued than formal education. Companies like Google and Tesla, for example, place a greater emphasis on skills and experience rather than formal education when hiring employees. It is important for individuals to consider their career goals and the requirements and expectations of their desired industry when deciding on their education and training.