It is that time of the academic year in India when the education sector is particularly active and busy with conferences, conclaves, leadership summits, and award ceremonies, coupled with expos showcasing new products, solutions, and programs that aim to benefit and enrich institutions and all stakeholders in education.
Attending and experiencing a few of these programs set my mind rolling (and sometimes reeling) on several important areas that we, as a nation, must not merely ponder but act upon with utmost urgency and seriousness. Some of my observations are core issues that need to be addressed, while a few are symptomatic issues warning us of deeper problems that will ensue if not resolved.
Representation in Educational Discourse
In most summits or conferences, I look for the list of speakers, panelists, or contributors to the knowledge takeaways I will gain. Most of the time, these are the top people at the helm of institutions such as school or college owners, chairpersons, directors, and occasionally principals, but rarely parents, teachers, or students.
The discussions are sometimes moderated by media persons or someone from the main sponsoring body who may or may not have adequate knowledge of the topic and, sadly, often come unprepared to articulate and guide the discussions.
I have deep respect and appreciation for the EdTech companies that are doing a great job of bringing technology to schools and simplifying what was once cumbersome, such as manual data entry and report generation. However, the concern here is that very important areas of a learner’s education are being put up for discussion, such as what kind of pedagogy works for Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and now Gen Beta, but the actual representatives who can give valuable and unfettered feedback are not at the table. Teachers who face the real challenges of various policies and new systems also lack representation.
Solutions to real problems can only be found through honest conversations, not when discussions are curated for pleasant listening or to praise policies and systems rolled out by educational boards and bodies. There should be equal representation and honest feedback from stakeholders across all strata of schools and colleges.
With the current hype around AI, all schools, colleges, and EdTech platforms want to jump on the bandwagon; yet, the actual conversations on the floor were often hollow and lacked depth in most forums. Issues such as the three-language formula in schools, students’ mental health, teachers’ work-life balance, parental pressure on students to perform and crack competitive exams, and the integration of AI in teaching and learning pedagogy all need to be explored at the grassroots level. Data must be collected and brought to such panels and summits to create a substantial impact and inform policy formulation.
Redefining Educational Leadership
Having had the privilege of serving in school leadership roles for the past six years, I have come to understand that a leader must become a thought leader, and for that, we need to be thoughtful and empathetic individuals who have expertise in what our role entails. A leader must continue to reinvent and redefine themselves; otherwise, they become obsolete.
Networking with other school heads made me realize that in some schools, the criteria for becoming a school leader focus primarily on the ability to boss over teachers, handle data efficiently using Excel or Google Sheets, and possess marketing knowledge. Period. The requirement for pedagogical mastery, leading innovative teaching and learning practices, or inspiring teachers and students through leadership takes a secondary, if not the last, seat.
What was once done by administrative staff and secretaries is now delegated by school management to school heads. Instead of leading learning, they lead administration. They handle social media posts and update or upload supporting data for events or observance days celebrated on the affiliate board’s portals. In fact, most school principals even delegate these tasks to teachers, who could instead be spending more time tending to students in the classroom.
Changing Role and Perception of Educators
Many educational institutions also have a tradition of inviting people from the entertainment industry as chief guests or guests of honour for annual day celebrations, and one reason they do this is to ensure the attendance of parents and guardians.
It has often intrigued me that these institutions prefer inviting celebrities rather than scholars, scientists, or education leaders who could offer more relevant insights to the student and parent community. The rationale given is that these are the people children and young adults look up to; these are the voices that seem to influence them the most. Sadly, the world of education and professionals who serve society, such as doctors and teachers, do not seem to have much influence on the lives of these youngsters anymore. This is something worth reflecting on.
Therefore, it’s time we asked ourselves—are educators and education leaders no longer seen as mentors or as people whose voices matter? How does society view them today? What have government and private schools reduced educational leaders to? In earlier times, the headmaster or headmistress of a school was regarded as a person of wisdom, someone who guided young people and even families in making the right decisions during difficult times. Where has that trust in educators gone?
State of Teaching and Teacher Preparation
At a few of the conferences I attended, I was shocked to overhear the conversations, comments, and discussions among groups of teachers who had come for the event. There was ridicule and crass talk about the speakers and panelists, and a lack of respect for the decorum of the proceedings, with some taking loud phone calls. There were also personal discussions about mundane domestic affairs among both teachers and principals who attended. It brought me back to the question: what was their motive in attending these conferences, which, incidentally, were centred on futuristic teaching and learning trends?
It boils down to this: are we accountable for the training and knowledge disseminated through these learning platforms? Teacher training institutions are still guiding, training, and assessing aspiring teachers using redundant curricula and outdated practices. Most, if not all, learn on the job. In fact, I hear that some teachers do not even attend the most important part of the course, the teaching internships at model schools that provide hands-on exposure. They skip this by paying the certifying authorities. If these are the kinds of teachers we train and build up, what else can we expect from them? How can they be mentors and counsellors to the youth and children?
Charting the Path Forward
The serious concerns mentioned above lie at the very centre of the system, and as educators, we must be aware of and address them.
To facilitate change at the grassroots level, change must begin at the top. Policies without universal application or workable action plans across all levels, from central to state, from educational boards to assessment bodies, must be streamlined and complete. Training initiatives should have clearly specified outcomes and be mapped to a needs analysis of what the learner requires at the end of the process. Without a clear understanding of the bigger picture, attempting to bring about change from within a boardroom will not yield the required outcomes where they matter most.
About the Author
The author, Mrs. Angelin Christopher Roy, is a passionate educator with over 25 years of experience in the field of education. Her journey spans teaching learners from kindergarten through grade 12, as well as training aspiring teachers at a College of Education. She firmly believes that learning is a lifelong process that takes place at all ages and through diverse modalities, with teachers serving at the heart of this experience.
With a strong belief that every teacher is, above all, a lifelong learner who sets the tone for growth and curiosity within the learning environment, she continues to inspire both students and educators alike. Her deep interest lies in educational policies at the school level and in how they can be effectively designed and implemented through well-defined action plans and practical strategies that remain consistent at every stage.
She currently serves as the Principal of a renowned group of schools in Chennai.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelin-christopher-roy-43a6aa1b7/