The Dangling Fate of Education

Quite often, I hear my parents exclaim,“This generation is woefully tech-savvy but undeniably innovative with making things easier.” And no matter how much they long to go back to their good old times, they are now an eventual consumer in this data-driven world.

Sometimes, I am convinced that ‘evolution' has had its fair share of developing the human brain to an extent where it can master the art of producing a whole new intelligence and then willingly surrender to it. Undoubtedly, it has become difficult to name any particular economic sector without a considerable technological intervention. 

Same is the scenario amongst most of the educational institutions which are increasingly moving their knowledge transmission processes onto the more quicker, smarter and real-time A/V group-interface platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams etc. 

According to the trending statistics, ‘Google’- one-stop destination to all the queries, ‘Alexa’-a loyal partner to complete the school assignments, ‘YouTube’-a resort for missed lectures, to name a few, are some top recommendations of the millennials nowadays. This is when I begin to question, ‘Which information floating on seamless webpages of internet is reliable? Which apps and websites are authentic? What if my browsing activity is taken an unethical advantage of? What if plagiarism supersedes originality of my content? 

Maybe, the failure to tackle more such conflicting issues like these is why, I cannot find a suitable replacement for my teachers who are morally obliged to open curiosity doors in young minds with timely direction to feed their potential. Perhaps, virtual learning can be exciting and enriching but inevitably, it is a concept that is far removed from the natural process of a child’s growth that compromises him/her an exposure to live in a practical world, a chance to learn in disciplined walls of schools, among peers of different backgrounds and from the varied life-experiences of his/her teachers.  

In the unforeseen hours of pandemic that the world is struck today with, it is unarguably technology that is coming to rescue the abrupt stop on education facilities which can no longer be provided physically. But, what one has to take into account are some other serious consequences. 

For instance, I often notice my younger brother paying real attention in his online school lecture only to avoid the scary eye of his teacher, reflecting the view that, online teaching platforms independently cannot suffice the credibility and measurement of knowledge intake by every single student.

Furthermore, talking in technical terms, the growth of Human Capital Formation is central to adjudge the level of competency of an economy. Thus, completely modernising the social infrastructure of the economy to put income and employment levels at stake causing a tremendous risk of surge in ‘Jobless Growth’ (increase in GDP without corresponding increase in job opportunities) is an idea that especially the labour-intensive nations cannot trifle with.

Moreover, a huge proportion of population across globe, comprises of teachers employed in primary, secondary and tertiary education sector whose service is an important contribution towards the pyramid of gross national product which cannot be eliminated. 

Henceforth, I am of an opinion that even though technology is not always forgiving, it can widely supplement but not substitute for the most significant human resource of any country that is, ‘Teachers’

Which is why, we can also expect that a tricky educational business is likely to emerge in the years to come wherein a large percentage of teaching faculty and working professionals upon suffering pay-cuts or retrenchment, will have to depend on upcoming technologies and associate themselves with newer teaching techniques to help them reach the target group of enthusiastic learners and facilitate money-making in the comfort of their homes!

 ~by Agrita Arora