Striking a balance between technology and human touch in classrooms

Updated on: Tuesday, December 13, 2011

With a score of 3.5 on a scale of 1 to 5, Mumbai’s schooling system received above average marks from respondents in The Times of India-IMRB Quality Of Life Survey. However, Delhi and Pune were still viewed as having more to offer.

City educationists said they had no idea about the systems in other cities, but promised that the quality of education in Mumbai would improve as schools and colleges increasingly focus on more than just the curriculum and syllabus.

“The traditional teacher-to-learner method has changed. Teachers get to learn from learners too,” said Sudeshna Chatterjee, principal of Jamnabai Narsee School, Juhu. She said students are now exposed to a great deal of knowledge, so classes should be conducted in a manner that students don’t lose interest in the subject. “It is important to provide an environment for students to transform their knowledge into something concrete,” she added.

For instance, schools have started paying more attention to the environment in which students spend a major part of their day. “Classes are becoming student friendly,” said Carl Laurie, principal, Christ Church High School, Mazgaon. “Gone are the days of whitewashed walls. Now we tend to add as much colour and life to the walls as possible. Students also feel encouraged to walk into a class where their work is displayed.”

Moving beyond the chalk and board, lectures are changing thanks to technology. “Education is not about what is taught anymore, but how a particular subject is taught,” said Natasha Mehta, principal of Euro School, Navi Mumbai. Smart class, computers and other forms of technology are replacing older teaching methods.

However, technology is not entirely encouraged. Despite an increasing digitalisation in classrooms, some schools believe that good teaching lies in the human element. “Students nowadays come from families where members are alienated due to technology, so it is important to have human interaction in class. We strive for a fine balance between technology and teacher interaction,” said Chatterjee.

Most school heads said they were also happy with the changes the government was bringing about, though some said the government’s approach was “haphazard”.

Playgrounds, other infrastructure can aid overall development of child

Mumbai’s space constraints have famously deprived many schools – and hence their students – of adequate open spaces, like playgrounds, but some institutions have been making efforts to provide such infrastructure.

“As a school operator, we have always ensured that we invest in plots where it is possible to cater to various sports activities,” said Prajodh Rajan, vice president of Euro Kids International Ltd. At present, two of their schools are built on plots spreading across three to five acres. “It is important to work around the space constraints and there are schools that have made the best of available space,” he said.

School heads collectively agreed that proper infrastructure automatically helps a child’s growing process. “Infrastructure doesn’t end with proper classes and playgrounds; electricity and hygiene are equally important. It is important to keep students updated with events around the world, so libraries are a must,” said Rekha Shahani, principal, Kamla High School, Khar.

The worst affected are government-aided schools. “It becomes difficult to collect enough funds to bring about infrastructural changes. Many schools haven’t received any non-salary grants in over eight years,” said Fr Michael Pinto, principal, St John the Baptist High School, Thane.

Child Rights and You (CRY) has started a campaign in which it invites people to click pictures of schools in bad condition. Yogita Verma, director of volunteer action, CRY, said, “The idea is to showcase the need for better infrastructure as some government schools don’t even have proper classrooms, toilets or a roof,” she added.

Striking a balance between technology and human touch in classrooms

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