Responsibility On Teachers Are Bigger : Kulbhushan

How education can not be affected in this lockdown: An interview with Dr. Kulbhushan Sharma.

By Kanak Jha

 We had a small talk with Dr. Kulbhushan Sharma. We discussed about the positive and negative side of online education. We also talked about the changes we need in our education system. It was great experience for me. The way he answered my questions was very realistic.
Dr. Kulbhushan Sharma is a president of National Independent Schools Association (NISA), a national federation of state associations of budget private schools in India and Federation of Private Schools Associations, Haryana. He is also state president of Patriotic Forum of India and state working president of National Human Rights Protection Organisation and he is general council member of the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan of Haryana School Education Rules Review Committee. Read on some of his thoughts on how education can not be affected in this lockdown.

As you know all the schools and colleges are closed from last two months. But now they have started online education. Do you think now the responsibility has increased on teachers, students and the whole education sector?

Yes there is responsibility on everyone. Students have to work through online their homework assignments everything they have to submit online and they’re doing this very well. But the responsibility on teachers are bigger. They have to prepare themselves before taking classes. They have to make ppt so that they can teach the students. There are teachers from 40-60 ages, the way of their teaching is completely changed now so It’s a big challenge for them to teach. And there’s a threat on teachers salary. As schools are not getting fees so it’s difficult to pay all the teachers their salary.
               There was a different environment in the classroom students were already mentally prepared before entering in the classroom that when the teacher will come I’ll start studying and even in the classroom when students are getting bored teachers were involving the students in some kind of learning activity they can learn something from the activity so they were doing it so how much big challenge it is for the teachers  to involve all the students with interest.
              He said that there is a big responsibility on teachers as well as parents and a big responsibility on media that how media portray this thing. There are few schools they have decided that now whenever students are joining the class they have to be in uniform so that they can feel the classroom environment. But all the parents made it an issue that teachers’re asking children to wear uniform. We all have to be a positive and we all have to present things positively. Parents should criticise teachers. This time parents should also play the role of a teacher. If a student is feeling dull so it’s their responsibility to motivate their children. 

According to you what is the positive and negative side of this online study?

There are two positive factors of online study one is that it will promote the self study or sincerity. Students have to show their will power. Until they do not show their willpower they cannot study so yes it will promote their sincerity for study and the second factor is  it will promote digitalization as our Prime Minister Mr Narendra modi always promoted digital India so yes it’s a digital platform. now see schools are reaching to their students through technology earlier we were going to school colleges to study but now we can do study online through digital media. We have also talked through NISA that everyone should get equal study so now through this technology everyone is getting equal study. The negative factor is that when a teacher were teaching in the classroom so there was a connection with their students. When a teacher were speaking in the classroom it was easy to connect with each other. While interacting with each other they were building a relationship. So this human connection or the presence will be missing.

Is there any pressure on students that they have to study now they have to complete their homework, is there any kind of pressure on teachers that they have to complete syllabus?

We should not take it as a pressure we should take it as fun learning. We should work positively. And in this environment we can talk to government schools education authorities regarding the syllabus so we shouldn’t create pressure. We should work together so that we can fight corona and there should be no gap in education. 

What do you want to say to the parents? How they should take care of their children in this pandemic?

Parents are creating panic that in this Corona time how my child will go to school, it’s not safe. See around yourself do your society following social distancing. It was earlier when the lockdown started they were following it very strictly kids were not going outside to play but now everything is in normal if you see your locality so you can watch children playing outside. I would say that earlier your kids were going from buses, you were school transports but you have to do it by yourself. You should not depend on school transportation, you have to take the responsibility and you should drop your children to the school you should pick your children from the school so this all thing you have to do now. Who knows that this corona going to last for two years to three years so for two to three years you will not educate your children. You have to remove the fear of corona you have to fight with this fear and you have to learn to live with it. Government should talk about odd even formula or 30 to40% students attending school.

Parents are denying to submit school fees and also they are not appreciating  online education, so how you will convince parents for this?

We need to understand that this pandemic affected a lot. People misunderstood the guidelines at that time that schools are closed. We are experimenting online education. As online education was not a part of school but now schools are working for online education. So new things can be experimented only. As parents are not liking online education, they do not want to pay fees, they do not want to send their children to the school so why they are saying no school no fees? They should ask the government to drop the education for two years.  What will happen when you will ask the government to pending the education for 2 years? Students will be affected, 2crore teachers will not get their salaries, transportation will be affected, 5 crore poor families will be affected and market purchasing will be affected. This will not affect schools only it will affect all the industries related to educational field, economy will be affected badly. So we all need to analyse this.

Do you feel that our education system needs changes?

Yes, NISA is talking about this from starting. Our education system should be government funded. Every student should get funds from government. As all the government school gets fund from private school's taxes that’s why students of government schools do not need to pay their fees but private school students have to pay fees from their pockets which is difficult for many parents. Why they do not have choice to choose any school they want. Parents are doing more than their capacity. But this lockdown affected their economy so it’s difficult for parents to pay. But if it was getting funds from government  there was no issue for any parents. He also told that in other countries government is funding for education so there’s no issue.

The education quality of private school is always better than government school, why?

Private sector gives choices to their students. Choices generates competition. And competition brings quality which direct benefits students and parents. And there’s accountability also. When parents pay fees they have the right to ask what he gets. But in government schools there’s no choices no competition and no accountability. That’s why private school is always better.

What’s the key message for children?

He said that children can adjust at any situation. They are mentally strong. They are obedient. Parents and teachers play big role here. They teach the value to the children. They should always take care of the circle society and knowledge they are providing to the children. He also said that children should respect their parents and their teachers. They have got an opportunity to work with technology so they should enjoy this.

Earlier teachers were worshipped as god. Teachers were equal to god. But today the scenario is changed. Who is responsible for this?

According to him if you see the earlier era teacher was always national master. Earlier a king was the king because of his master who taught him how to win the war, how to rule. There was a time when people feared to speak in front of national master durvasha rishi, vishwamitra. They  were very knowledgable so people gave respect to them. But now time has changed and government divided teachers. Now any one can say anything to teachers. They do not give value to the teachers.

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