Reader's Response To Taking Stress Out Of Schools

Our education system lay too much emphasis on theoretical approach to studies,thus ignoring practical aspect completely.This has lead to the deterioration in the quality of our education..Reforms should not end up with mere revamping or rewriting the text books and syllabus.It has to be something beyond..Institutions make much ado of cent percent results,as a result of which teachers put too much pressure on the students..At home the parents push their kids to become topper in the class,ignoring the child's aptitude.Hence the children are jam packed between these internal and external forces.All these have resulted in their lack of creativity and originality ..Even today our schools follow the obsolete method of monologue approach for teaching.Classrooms should serve as a platform for discussions on various subjects and it will mould the children to develop interest and enhance knowledge in the concerned subjects.Taking the stress out of schools is a collective effort and participation ,Schools,Teachers and Parents.

Reading-Relics Of a Departed Era?

Victor Hugo once quoted " To learn to read is to light a fire;every syllable that is spelled out is a spark"-It has become need of the hour to ignite the mind of today's children and youth.This is because,there has been a gradual decline in the reading habit among children and youth since 1980.With the internet growing popular among teenagers,reading has lost its charm, has sunk in oblivion and thus it has become a dreams of the past.If viewed from a wider perspective,reading is the bridge that connects a child with the outside world.A fusion of enhanced knowledge,rational thinking,clarity of thought,convincing power and cultured mind are possible only through reading.

Books Enlighten;Knowledge Delights..this was the theme of this year's International Children's Book Day"(ICBD)Every Year ,on April 2nd(Hans Christian Andersen's Birthday)ICBD is celebrated with the purpose of inspiring the children to explore and read books.

In olden days,listening to stories was the first step towards reading.Children gets motivated by the stories of moral and ethical values. .Today,television and Computers have replaced the story telling sessions and books. Youngsters lament on time for serious reading..its ironical that the same people while away endless hours in front of television ,watching Award nights and Reality Shows. Spending incessant hours in front of computers which have become a part of modern life style is leading to the indifferent attitude of teenagers towards reading. Growing popularity of social networking culture has made the situation more pathetic!

The inevitability of newspaper in the development of an individual cannot be ignored because,it is through this medium a person is connected to the outside world.The columns,editorials,and other scholarly articles appearing in the dailies are propitious for students ranging from high school section to research scholars.With the advent of visual media there has been a drastic degeneration in the news paper reading habit particularly among youth.Print media can influence any age group in a more constructive manner than any other medium.Introduction of a separate accompaniment , with the objective of meliorating and promoting the young talent is a laudable effort taken by the print media.

Unfortunate to notice that,in most of the schools,library hours are hijacked by teachers for extra classes and revision..which means that accepting reading as an integral part of our academic education has a long way to go.By the time the child is in upper primary section,newspaper reading can be made as a part of classroom sessions.Similarly, discussions on a wide range of topics,based on newspaper supplement,would be a positive step towards amplifying a student's debating skills and logical thinking.Any creative attempt in making the children to read,write synopsis,passages,poems...can help the student in wiping out the mugging up habit completely.Having thus identified penchant of a student towards different subjects,classroom sessions becomes more lively and interesting.Conducive are the classroom discussions in the matter of group interaction and socialisation skills.

It is pertinent to note that,our grand parents were just matriculates or graduates.Today, a long list of qualifications supersede our surnames.Nonetheless their avid reading helped them in extemporizing on any topic with ease and perfection.Status of modern generation in this respect is very pitiable.Compiling a sentence without any error rarely happens among present day school and college going students.

"A home without books is a body without soul"
At home, parents squeeze the children for entrance coaching and related academics.Children should be taught about the necessity of reading at a very young age.Regrettable to say , it has become the need of the hour to illuminate the elders, with respect to the priceless power of reading.

Margaret Fuller remarked-"Today a reader,tomorrow a leader"..the communication and socialisation skills,the sense of self esteem and confidence attained through reading and discussions are imperative for a good leader.Analytical mind is nurtured through reading.like differentiating good from bad,right from wrong,truth from myth.By removing darkness,reading leads an individual to the path of knowledge,truth and wisdom.In conclusion,reading is ineludible for the overall development of an individual. Only a collated step from elders and print media can create a difference. Elders should lead the youth to the wonderful world of reading .The print media,which stood as a beacon during our pre independence era,got to inspire the youth.Simultaneously,the young blood must be given a platform to express themselves.Any conducive measure taken by them can reduce the calamitous situation and it will definitely rejuvenate the reading habit of children and youth.

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