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Monday, June 17, 2013

Education Systems-Indian or Western?


My 2.10 year old daughter already has been to both. She was in an Indian preschool for about 10 months and even got a report card with grades to mark her growth in playgroup and was promoted to Nursery. She already was taught 1-20 and A-Z and some assorted nursery rhymes as part of curriculum Everything was chalked out and measured.
Now she goes to an early education centre in Auckland where there is no set curriculum. The children her age cannot say their ABCs or count upto 10 but they know their table manners and how to use their spoons and forks. At 2 , they know to say their ‘Thank you’s’ and ‘Sorrys’ and ‘Pardon me’ in appropriate situations without fail.They know to wear their clothes themselves and use the toilet themselves. (Obviously, not all! But most! I am also sure most Indian children might also know. Mine doesn't :P)

I am too much rutted in the Indian Education system and I believe it works. The pressure and stress is a bit too much. But I think its majorly because of population rather than the curriculum.
Already the boards have taken measures to relieve a bit of stress in the system which is a welcome change.

A child is like a sponge in his/her initial years. THere is so much they can grasp in these years. So when the western education system advocates no formal education till they turn 5 or 6, it makes me apprehensive. I being to wonder . A five year old studying in India , would be way ahead in terms of education then my daughter. I am not  being competitive here.  I just feel that my daughter would miss out on knowledge .

But there is no point of the dilemma now. She starts ‘Early Education’ today. She would learn the social skills first , additions and grammar can wait :)

4 comments:

  1. I wonder if there is a better balance. Not everything can be taught, but there is a higher capacity for learning at this time, like you mention. I was under the impression, though, that the potty training was taught at home.

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  2. I observed the same Sirisha! The kids outside India, atleast US and NZ where I have been to, are much better behaved in terms of social manners. I believe in moderation - so a bit of both worlds would be nice. In India we do not stress on the importance of good manners, being independent and the likes. Those might help in raising an empathetic next generation!!

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  3. Interesting to hear your fresh-eyed perspective Sirisha, and yes I absolutely agree that manners are not a big deal at all here in India. It really surprizes me especially if even basic stuff seems to not be taught or pointed out when necessary, we have become scared of "scarring" our children and tend to bend over in the other direction a bit too much :(.

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