Random reading

In his latest column Niranjan Rajadhyaksha writes:

• “……humans can understand bits and pieces of the world, and hence depend on simple rules or heuristics to make choices.”

Gautam Ray says:

• The root of the problem lies in our school education system that rewards ability to memorise rather than ability to think critically and analytically.
• An important feature of this tradition in the US is that high school students are not rigidly divided into science, arts or commerce streams. College students majoring in science and engineering are allowed to choose a wide range subjects in arts and humanities.
  
• Similarly, college students with, say, history major can take physics, chemistry and biology courses and get admission to medical colleges for MD degree after qualifying the medical entrance examination. Liberal arts education imparts an all-round training.
  
• It sensitises human mind by delving deeper into a subject, critically analysing it from a multi-dimensional perspective and expressing such analyses in a cogent manner. Considerable emphasis is given to development of writing skills.
• As the skill of communicating original ideas develops, it spurs new ideas. Thus, analytical writing synergises creative ideas. Besides, such education also ensures that children do not get burnt out due to academic pressure in high school.
• An important feature of this tradition in the US is that high school students are not rigidly divided into science, arts or commerce streams. College students majoring in science and engineering are allowed to choose a wide range subjects in arts and humanities.
  
• Similarly, college students with, say, history major can take physics, chemistry and biology courses and get admission to medical colleges for MD degree after qualifying the medical entrance examination. Liberal arts education imparts an all-round training.
  
• It sensitises human mind by delving deeper into a subject, critically analysing it from a multi-dimensional perspective and expressing such analyses in a cogent manner. Considerable emphasis is given to development of writing skills.
• As the skill of communicating original ideas develops, it spurs new ideas. Thus, analytical writing synergises creative ideas. Besides, such education also ensures that children do not get burnt out due to academic pressure in high school.
  
• Of course, these reforms will not be fruitful unless schools have the requisite infrastructure and trained faculty, and textbooks are rewritten to focus on conceptual learning.