Editor’s Note: Social Side of Education – II

Education is the image and reflection of society and it could be the force to transform society and resolve social ills. Teachers are the agents of transformation, education the stimulus and the students are the recipients and preservers of transformation.

So how does education facilitate social transformation? What role education plays in solving social problems? How education and social issues are co-related? Our new edition revolves around these questions.

From the Charter Act of 1813 to National Education Policy 2020, our Cover Story traces the evolution of India’s education policies from a birds-eye view.

Our guest writer Amutha Jayadeep, former All India Students Federation Secretary at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi explains how NEP 2020 failed to address the concerns of students.

Students need opportunities to experience life outside their own socio-economic bubbles through well-planned, impactful service trips. The school curriculum needs to be designed so that all students develop the skills that they will need to effectively engage in important issues in the real world once they have graduated, opines Mr. Joe Lumsden, Secondary School Principal, Stonehill International School, Bengaluru in his enlightening article.

Prof (Dr) Parmod Kumar, Professor of English, School of Humanities, Tagore Bhawan, Indira Gandhi National Open University, points out that students and social responsibility has to be a values-driven framework for the complete development of children through the taught curriculum, co-curricular activity and resource management. The ideas such as collective well-being, Rights, Responsibilities, Intelligent Behaviours, Knowledge and Opportunities have to be internalized in letter and spirit.

The purpose of ethical education is to enable people to take the ‘right ‘decisions out of free will, without any policing. They already know the rules and norms, but social education makes students appreciate how their decisions have positive and negative implications for various stakeholders. Also, it makes them aware that there are social expectations from them. Moreover, the sheer acknowledgement of how there is a need to ask how and why these ethical decisions are made, during discussions, encourages additional personality growth. As Aristotle says, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all”, according to Dr K Rajeshwari, Sr Associate Professor, Marketing and  Muskan Vinod, MBA Class of 2021, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai.

Also read our exclusive interview with Mr Ashley Fernandes, Country Head, Emlyon Business Scholl, France on Coronavirus effect on plans to study abroad and other thought provoking articles.