International Youth Day: Thoughts and Musings

The 12th of August earlier this month was observed as the International Youth Day globally. This day looks at celebrating citizens of the planet below the age of 25; and with a third of the world’s young population residing in India, this day brought to my mind some thoughts about how we can truly unlock the potential of this critical slice in the demographic pie.

If you look around, everything about the way we live has gone through advancements in the last couple of decades to ease our everyday life, but the way we tackle education remains virtually unmoved by the march of time.

One of the challenges faced by educational systems across the world, and especially in India, is an orientation towards exams and getting good marks. This often leads to rote learning and studying for exams only. Along the way, such an approach can deplete the curiosity in children to be life-long learners.

Add to that, the fact that most school classrooms in India have a low approx 1:40 student to teacher ratio, the attention required to make sure no child is left behind is a major challenge.

With over 260 million students, India has one of the largest school going populations in the world. This presents us with the opportunity to make a massive impact on the progress and development of the country by way of transforming our education system. If we empower today’s youth with a robust education, we are empowering them to drive tomorrow’s economy. 

The path to rebuilding the system and providing a quality education for all will be defined by focusing on every individual child through personalized learning experiences. Technology will play an important role in this aspect.

Empowering teachers with better teaching aids, helping students learn visually, and the adoption of play-based or experiential learning methodologies can be enabled using technology. It is here that we will find the key to personalize learning for children.

Technology is also pivotal in enabling children to become self-paced learners by influencing the way they access information and imbibe content. Being the mother of a five-year-old, I see my child drawn to videos and grasp information better when it is visual. Using technology in this aspect can kindle a child’s curiosity to explore more knowledge.

The use of technology is also key in bringing down the “Digital Divide” and help make education truly democratic and accessible to all. This can be done by bringing down the cost of delivering and accessing quality education, no matter where the student may be located.

By the year 2020, 64% of India’s population will be under the age of 29, falling under the working-age group. And on a similar timeline, five years from now, it is estimated that a third of the skills considered essential in today’s workforce will become obsolete.

In such a scenario, it is paramount that our youth are equipped to be adaptable learners who can learn, unlearn, and relearn as required by the situation. The potential of our youth can fuel our development tomorrow only if we help our children today in embracing life-long learning.