Where the questions count more than answers

Updated on: Wednesday, November 02, 2011

A few days ago when a group of girls at D.A.V Girls Senior Secondary School, Gopalapuram, was asked to think about subjects such the importance of a national water grid and why nuclear submarines are better than other submarines, most of them were slightly perturbed about how they would go about preparing for the ‘Battle on' debate. But on the D-Day, at the final round of the competition, organised by Madras Seva Sadan at Lady Andal Venkatasubba Rao School, opposing the need for uniform syllabus, they indeed showed that more than anything, it was the clarity of mind that ultimately mattered in debates.

“How can you evaluate an elephant, a rabbit and ant by asking them to swim or climb a tree? We are a nation of children with different backgrounds and intellectual needs, and they should have the choice to pick and choose and out what they want to study,” argued Eshita Singh of the school. In response, Amrithavarshini Venkatesh of P.S.B.B. (Nungambakkam) pointed out how many children do not really have the opportunity to choose. “We are talking about the levelling the field here which would increase competition and the quality of education,” she declared.

Essence of education

But at the end of the day, it was Eshita's team which also comprised G.S. Shruthi Akshaya, Varunya Ilanghovan and Sruthi Pillai, that emerged the winner. Education is about challenging minds, and the team from DAV Girls Senior Secondary School frequently stressed the significance of that aspect. It underscored the need to invest in infrastructure rather than attempt the “herculean task of formulating a syllabus suited to every child in the country.”

And as the debate came to a close, surgeon George Thomas who was one of the judges, provided some food for thought by alluding to the paradox of private institutions being preferred at the school-level even as government ones were the favourites when it came to choosing a college.

“The whole point of a debate is to go back with questions, not answers,” said Shreya Murali, from P.S.B.B. Nungambakkam summarising the essence of the event. Special Commissioner of Archives and Historical Research, K. Ashok Vardhan Shetty, who was the chief guest at the valedictory function, spoke to the students about success and the need to strengthen the “moral fibre of the country by ushering in values.” The two-day event had participants from nearly 24 schools.

Where the questions count more than answers

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