Need Of Hour: Balance Education, Technology With Core Skills

Technology has become a part and parcel of modern day education today. But how much of it should be deployed and how much of free-hand must be given to the modern day student. Diverse views came to the fore as this topic invoked wide reactions among the esteemed panel members, mostly heads of their reputed schools spread across India.

Participating in the discussion, Shashi Banerjee, Principal, Shiv Nadar School, Noida, stressed upon the need to be focused on "design and programming". "Everything can be simplified to lowest common denominator that is 'curriculum'. You need a design – have tool-kits to data mine, to collaborate and co-create,” Banerjee said. Agreeing with this point was Vinesh Menon, CEO, Education & Skilling, Government Services, Vibgyor Group of Schools who was also conducting the panel discussion. He pointed to the fact that technology was making it's mark in every aspect of education today and it needs to be absorbed fully.

Presenting an alternate view, Madhav Deo Saraswat, Principal, The Scindia School emphasized on the point 'Priority is the Person.' "So much is happening around he world, we might miss the essentials. While providing a structure to our curriculum we are not only conscious of our students livelihood but also as a future responsible consumer," he said. Speaking on the importance of building skill-based education in the rapidly technological advancement, Amit Verma, Director and CEO, Makebot, shared, “This is a generation of millennial's and we need to know what is best for them.” “What this generation is looking at is what challenges them and as an education leader we try to emphasize on bending skills.”

Giving a holistic perspective, Vasavdutta Sarkar, Principal, Vega Schools, said that knowledge was beyond books and his school encourage students to go out, connect with the world and to do research. “We have open learning spaces, movable chairs, and shiftable walls – anything required to make schools better,” he said.

Skand Bali, Principal, The Hyderabad Public School, addressed the challenges amidst technological developments, “There is much more than delivery of lessons that goes into a classroom. Equal importance is to be given to soft skills and mental toughness along with technology.” “We as an educator have to be very careful when we walk the path of technological revolution," he added.

These education experts were presenting at the BW Education School Leaders Enclave.

Navneel Maji

BW Reporters The author is Jr Copy Editor with BW Businessworld