How can education system get 10x better?
I am Aarihant Aaryan! Welcome to the Iron sharpen Iron newsletter,
I share my homework from my startup journey every week, learning about human behavior, and sometimes decoding industries and business models for fun.
I can’t control my curiosity :) )
In the last few decades education systems have been successful in creating exam takers, unemployable engineering students - unemployable commerce students, and killing "curiosity"
Most ed-techs can't do anything about this because most of them are online tuition centers. This is a policy and culture problem.
From Building grades to Building Knowledge:
One thing every Indian student has seen some sort of success is in building grades or learning hacks to build grades
Enable them to build specific knowledge, make students write research doc, and build projects or products on their understanding
Grades are a great gamification feature, that builds competition but the cost of that is someone's destiny and it is not worth it.
Teaching should be the highest-paid profession:
There are many mediocre teachers in the system, teachers who haven't practiced what they teach.
I have seen many housewives become teachers - since there is no barrier to entry. Make the entry barrier hard enough.
While doctors are trained, they are taught by"actual practicing doctors" - when policemen/army are trained they are taught by people who are in service.
For someone who is pursuing engineering or commerce, they should be trained by someone who is in the profession.
Teacher's solving for engagement:
Many teachers can't solve engagement - education is one aspect where you seek 100% attention of the student and that's not possible if you don't solve for engagement.
Aevy TV / physicswala solve engagement wonderfully that keeps me thinking
what if physicswala teaches physics to all the students across India?
Teach skills not just subjects:
Educational intuitions should become the center for learning skills, implementing rules - to pass in a skill - minimum hours practicing/working in that skill and a bare minimum output to be created.
No minimum attendance factor:
When there is poor engagement, there is no retention but with educational institutions that's not the case- attendance is a law
In countries where attendance is more prioritized than skills, unemployment is super common
Prioritize better English:
English in the Indian education system is broken, some people force others to stick to their mother tongue, but what they don't understand is English is the world's first and biggest network effect product.
If you don't speak better English, you will not get opportunities or will be able to create one
Looking at the per capita income of diff states, the major difference is the number and quality of English -speaking people.
Diverse groups:
Every group in an institution should opt for diverse groups, instead of bringing people with similar likenesses and talents together - prioritize bringing people with different likenesses, opinions, beliefs, and interests together.
Students need to be exposed to different perspectives instead of rubbing one onto their faces and stating that is the law/ policy.
As a student what they learn from their peers is 100x more than what they learn from the teacher.
Abolish placement system:
Let people find jobs on their competency, the core motivation for people to go to colleges or pick better colleges is because of placements. Colleges sell you placements, education is a value-added service.
Let students find employment on their competency and let them figure out the way, then the focus will be to build knowledge and skills.
Kill "Exams”
It's fascinating that govt / the system builds products and policies but doesn't know to kill them Many Indians waste years of time and resources preparing for exams like UPSC, IIT - JEE, and Railway exams, more than 70m people participate in exams every year
Students are trained like machines to take tests and exams from their childhood. education has to prepare students for life, not exams.
I always wonder why many seek validation, it's because that's what exams have trained you to do so from day1.
If you have any thoughts share them in the comments :)
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