The Future Of Education: Schools of Tomorrow

Think about schools and there are two images that appear in our mind.

One is of the traditional school of ancient times, where kids were taught in open spaces with all the naturally available resources. The focus of the school was knowledge of Vedas, philosophy and morality. The teacher was supremely respected and had one-on-one connection with the students.

The other image that appears in mind is that of the modern-day school with all the state-of-the-art facilities that aim at advancing knowledge through means of technology. Digitalization forms the major aspect of the school and focus is on subjects like literature, art, science, etc.

Both the images are quite different from each other and are based on different precepts of education. Now when I envisage an image of the perfect school of tomorrow for my kids- I imagine a school that imbibes the best of both the worlds- ancient and modern.

The idea of schools has changed drastically over the years. From chalkboards to smart boards, from slates to notepads, from open air classrooms to the curtained air-conditioned ones- there has been a huge evolution in the concept of schools. Along with the infrastructural changes, the concept of teacher-child relationship, the medium to pass knowledge, the use of language, etc all have changed.

Being a mother and a teacher, my vision of the school of tomorrow involves a system that is healthy, less complicated and fully focussed on providing the best to the kids. Here are my few hopes that I have placed on the education system for the future generation-

Infrastructure and Environment

I hope for a school that is fully equipped to promote all-round development in children- be it physical, social, intellectual, emotional, etc. Along with digital classrooms and updated technology, the schools should have open play ground, safe and independent learning spaces for the students.

The school atmosphere should be healthy, friendly and encouraging. Students should emerge as confident thinkers who are able to express themselves freely.

The policies of the school should be based on the precept of equality and be flexible enough to adjust as per the needs of students.

Admission and Fee

The admission process of the school should be fair and equal. The admission criteria should be same for all the students. Seeing the current scenario, it is highly needed that the school focusses to be the centre of knowledge and learning, and not a commercial organization.

Curriculum

I would like to send my children to a school that prepares them for life, and not just for getting a high-salaried job.

Curriculum of the school plays at important role. A school which focuses on all the subjects and provides multiple choices to the kids to choose as per interest would be the best.

For any school, it’s curriculum has to be relevant to the lives of the students and should involve practical learning lessons. Along with intellectual development it should help in the growth of individual attitude, skills and habits.

Spiritual and Value education is the need of the hour. Given to the state of public life in today’s time with corruption, violence, etc at its peak, all schools should focus majorly on character-building and moral development among kids.

Teachers and Teaching Methodologies

The role of a teacher is indispensable in a school. I want to see a school which keeps pace with technology but not at the cost of a teacher. Teacher still remains the most important and respected being like the ancient education system. She plays the role of a guide for students and not an influencer. Her major goal be to promote independent and creative thinking amongst the students.

My idea of a better school involves a setup where teachers and parents work as a team for the best interest of the child.

Teachers are not just knowledgeable but also updated and open to the idea of learning with the changing times. They practice what they preach and ensure setting a good example for the kids.

Teachers are innovative, creative and as good a listener as a speaker. They promote experiential learning as opposed to the rote one and use new tools of teaching methodology to suit the needs of all students.

Assessment and Evaluation

Individual abilities and the interest of the child should be kept in mind while designing basic home works, weekly tests, final examinations, etc.

The perfect school should be able to recognise that the success of the students cannot be measured by simple tools. The evaluation system has to be far more comprehensive, transparent and fair.

The future institutions be the one that  do not measure the success of the students by the weight of their school bag, nor by their ability to use the latest notepad. It rather helps children to reach their full potential and be able to give their best in the society.

Orchids International School 

One such school I recently came across that ticks all the right boxes and is in sync with my vision of ‘schools of tomorrow’ is– Orchids International School. It is a chain of CBSE based schools spread across 6 major cities (Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata & Pune) with 38+ campuses and 30k+ students.

Orchids International School aims at giving a creative platform to students and a unique academic curriculum for their all -round development. It’s mission is to set a new benchmark of quality education through innovative teaching methodology, unique teaching philosophy and world-class infrastructure. The school has a panel of experts and qualified teachers who provide personal attention to each student and focus on providing hands-on learning. Along with core subjects, they also provide options in subjects like coding, robotics, public relations, etc.

Predominantly a neighborhood school,
it’s powered by robust technology – with a dedicated app for parents to stay informed on all the announcements, daily classwork, homeworks, and even details of fee payments and certificates.

Education has become much more complex in today’s time. As a parent, I don’t aim for an ideal place of learning for my children but I do hope that it is based on a basic premise that- each child is unique and hence needs to be shaped as per his/her individual capabilities and interests. I hope there are more schools like Orchids International that thrive on this philosophy and aim to bring out the best in each child.

What kind of school do you imagine for your children? Share your idea for the schools of tomorrow with us.

Also read : Being A Teacher: My Learnings And Hopes From This Profession