As per 2018 report by Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) under Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India has the largest population in the world in the age bracket of 5 – 24 with over 250 million school going students.
There is a huge demand supply gap in the sector which presents a large number of opportunities in the space.
However the discourse around education has primarily been associated with building the intellect, assuming that the overall development of the child is a byproduct of the same.
Figure 1: A picture by Robert Collins on Unsplash
An individual is shaped by two things-intellect and inherent personality. However with the rigorous academic engagements and no formal education around the inherent personality in schools, fear becomes the driving factor behind learning and character development of a child takes the back seat. In the fast paced world of multiple engagements, increasing competition, distractions from technology & extremely busy routines of our children, they struggle to manage own life.
The schools, colleges, independent organizations and startups in education space in India are primarily associated with building the intellect assuming that life skills like time management, effective communication, mind maps, emotional intelligence, stress management etc. are being taught elsewhere.
There is an urgent need of inculcating the social and emotional skills to lead a healthy and productive life.
Figure 2: A picture by Himanshu Singh Gurjar on Unsplash
Our education needs to grow much more than just making them intelligent. The ever fast changing times need them to be on their toes with patience all the time.
Unless problem solving is a part of their thinking methodology, how do we create great entrepreneurs?
Unless they know the importance of collaborative learning, how do we shift the results from great to extraordinary? Unless they know how to stand up for the right thing, how do we find exemplary leaders in them?
Unless they know how to manage their own finances, how do we find great business acumen in them?
Unless they know the art of Learning & Unlearning, how do we find flexibility in them.
These topics are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many many more. One important point to note here is that these topics can never be learnt with one sided delivery, each topic needs an experiential learning for an indelible impression in the minds.
Fortunately or unfortunately, every name in the list of top startups in education space is dedicated to providing access to quality study content or personalized learning or quizzes or tests. Not that it is not required, but the problem lies in the fact that there are very very few working towards building the right Value System & EQ of a child. And the results of the same are quite evident. News like Blue Whale Challenge, Ryan International School Murder case and many teen suicides only strengthen the point.
There is an urgent need to create an environment of emotional development alongside the IQ building of children where they experience self-awareness, self-sustainability, self-integration and a drive to learn to lead a healthy and productive life.
A good value education and training to deal with various life situations accompanied with an aware and strong support system at home, we need to empower children with the ability to prevent/manage the perils of hopelessness, distractions & negativity.
A strong mind coupled with emotional well-being definitely transfigures into a strong, happy and impactful nation. After all it all starts from the mind. If we can channel it in the right direction, every success follows.
Authored by Khushboo Goel, a post graduate from IIM Lucknow who has worked in Philips Lighting India as a Supply Chain Manager before diving into Entrepreneurship in education domain through her organization THE HUSH TREE. As an education enthusiast, she loves associations with teaching, holistic child development and identifying different methodology to better the state of education in India.
