About Us

Presently , our education system is based on standardization or “one size fits all” theory which favours fixed curriculum and formal written examinations with the sole objective of preparing young people for work. This exam oriented system makes “rote learning” and “cramming” inevitable thus making children look like “academic robots”. It also stifles their imagination, creativity and innovation.

Since the real emphasis of this education system is on employability, the focus is not on learning but on acquiring workable knowledge mainly in engineering and medicine for securing a job. Therefore children grow up with shallow understanding and knowledge. Moreover children are deprived of social development as traditional instructional process and assessments disconnects them from the real world. As a result only good human resources and not good human beings are prepared for the future.

Genuine understanding is demonstrated only when the students are able to assimilate knowledge in school and apply this flexibly and in a relevant manner in a new situation. To develop this kind of understanding, we need significant changes in the way children are taught and assessed. We also require a serious revamping of the curriculum which can help children to learn about the wider world and enhances their curiosity, creativity and innovation .Simple things like using freedom responsibly, observing civic responsibilties with regard to traffic rules, public property, environment, respecting diversity, empathy and gender sensitivity, must become part of the DNA of school education and not just a boring lesson in a civics book.

WHY WE ADOPTED THIS SYSTEM

After independence India adopted the educational system from the British to meet its need for engineers, doctors and civil servants for modernising the country. So far this “Assembly line” or industrial education system prepared only mechanized assembly line workers. As a result we may have the most number of engineering graduates in the world, but hardly any major technological innovation has taken place. Rather, we run call centers for the rest of the world.

This outdated colonial era education has failed to prepare young people for the dramatic socioeconomic demands of the digital age.

SIMILARITY BETWEEN MANUFACTURING PROCESS IN INDUSTRIES AND STANDARDIZED/MASS EDUCATION

The culture of mass education is rooted in the manufacturing process of industrialism.

Let’s see the similarities between the two

Education is not an industrial process; it is an organic one, it is about living people. Therefore in today’s fast-changing, knowledge-based economy and society we need a “paradigm shift” from the textbook-based educational system.

WHAT IS THE REAL PURPOSE OF EDUCATION

• ECONOMIC –Education should enable students to become economically responsible and independent. Also educated workforce is essential for economic prosperity of the nation.
• CULTURAL – Build attitudes and behaviour in children so that they appreciate their own cultural and respect diversity. Presently this is of utmost importance considering the turbulent times we are living in. Conflicts often centre around cultural, racial and religious divisions e.g. North and South Indian; White and black; Hindus and Muslims, Christians and Muslims etc. The purpose of education is to instil in our children virtues of tolerance, respect and compassion so that no prejudices of caste, class, region and religion are built.
• SOCIAL – Education should cultivate a sense of citizenship among children. Respect for the rule of law, using freedom responsibly, observing civic niceties with regard to traffic rules, public property, environment, gender sensitivity should become part of their DNA.
• PERSONAL – Education should be an empowering process that allows children to develop certain qualities and capabilities in them to face the challenges in life

LIFE AND CAREER SKILLS

1. Flexibility and adaptability
2. Leadership and accountability
3. Initiative and self direction

LEARNING SKILLS

1. Creativity and innovation
2. Critical thinking and problem solving
3. Communication and collaboration

Today the world is changing exponentially and our education system which is too linear at present is unable to respond to these challenges. So there is an urgent need to move away from the 19th century factory education to a more holistic education model suited to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

For that we need to ensure a broad based, rich and balanced curriculum that lives up to the economic and social demands of the 21st century and also nurtures the diverse talents of the children. The curriculum should include global awareness, financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy, civic literacy, health literacy, environmental literacy. Only then, holistic development of a child can take place.

WHY CURRENT AFFAIRS IS IMPORTANT

We at Thought igniter believe that if current affairs are discussed in the class

• Children would get exposure to the real world and learn about people, places and events which would help in shaping their perception and broaden their horizon.
• Global awareness helps in raising the aspirations of the young children and also equips them with information to make a correct choice of career.
• Children would be exposed to different ways of life, ideas and beliefs which may be different from those which surround them and in the long run develop various life learning skills like creativity, critical thinking, innovation in them.
• Children would become open-minded towards differences and stop seeing things as opposites, good or bad ; white or black. Therefore they become more accommodative of differences.
• Students would get an understanding of the world’s economy, politics, social structures and environment which would help them to make the best decisions about their personal lives.
• Students are 65% more likely to take or support any kind of social action on critical issues like poverty and climate change if they learn about these issues at a very young age.
• We believe that if we teach children about global issues, and give them the skills to think critically, their decisions, and subsequently actions, will be informed by this learning, therefore helping to create a just and sustainable world.

WHY ONE SHOULD READ THIS WEBSITE

CHILDREN

• It analyses and simplifies the current events for the children to help them form balanced opinions. In our daily lives we see that most of us have an opinion on almost everything. Having an opinion is good but it should be based on correct facts and figures. It is important to weigh evidence, separate truth from many falsehoods, the real from the unreal, and facts from the fiction.
  Presently newspaper is the only source of information on current affairs. But it requires tracking of one issue for 10-15 days which besides being time consuming does not give fair, objective and unbiased analysis. News debates too are TRP-driven focused on sensationalising issues and misleading the viewers. Media channels also try to homogenize attitudes, outlook, opinions, outrage, reactions, and discourages people from reflecting on things independently. They also create fictional stories and pass on judgements like courts forgetting that their job is to give facts and let people form opinions.

  In contrast the purpose of this website is to give objective facts and help people in shaping, building and influencing opinions.

  
  
  • Would ignite curiosity(by making him ask questions and explore how the world works),creativity(generating new ideas to resolve crisis),critical reasoning(forming reasoned arguments by analysing information and weighing evidence dispassionately),communication(would enable to express thoughts clearly),compassion(by seeing the realities of the world),citizenship (nation is highly benefited by informed citizens).
  • At present our education system is preparing academic robots, to prepare independent thinkers it is important to expose children to the real world.
    This website would help develop “real world intelligence” by stimulating thinking process in them.
  • Learn to “agree to disagree” and start respecting others opinion
  • Children get an opportunity to exercise their powers of creativity and imagination and come up with innovative solutions to the world problems like terrorism, global warming, cultural intolerance etc.
  • Learning would take place by reasoning rather than memorizing information.
  • Enable students to identify their area of interest like foreign policy, sports, social issues etc and build up on their strength. In the long run they could specialise in any of them.
  • Would enable students to make real life connections with their academic courses.
  • Knowledge , experience and exposure gained here would come in handy while taking decisions in all spheres of life.
  • IQ and EQ Enhancement—improves analytical and fundamental thinking of students which enhances IQ and EQ

  

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  • It would build language, vocabulary, reading comprehension, problem solving, oral expression, and listening skills.
  • Students would develop into informed citizens and lifelong newsreaders.
  • If students start forming an opinion at a young age, it would build a store of background knowledge helping them to prepare for the future examinations in advance.

  

  This would enable children to go beyond their textbooks and align themselves with the realities and understanding of the world. So, when they leave the school they would be aware of their rights, informed about how the legal, economic and political system operate .Hence would be in a better position to face the challenges of life.

  PARENTS

  Parents have an important role to play to create and sustain a culture of learning also in identifying the child’s unique qualities and capabilities.

  • With the help of the website, parents can constructively engage their child in a meaningful conversation and the learning can continue even after school.
  • It would open up communication between students and parents and also make reading and opinion building a family activity.

  

  TEACHERS

  • Can update themselves of current events around the world and enable a fruitful discussion in the class.
  • They would be able to link the worlds inside and outside the classroom by connecting concepts of the curriculum with the current events,making teaching process more dynamic.
  • Teachers would be able to engage and inspire students better.

  This strong alliance between parents and teachers would create an environment for the cultivation of habits and attitudes in the child which would enable him to face difficulty and uncertainty more calmly, confidently and creatively.
  

  Lastly, the endeavour of this website is to bridge the “learning deficit” and initiate a “learning revolution” across India , as only a massive educational transformation can lead to national transformation .

  • Images used are for representational purpose only.