Education should not be about finding the right answer

Updated on: Saturday, January 28, 2012

The Indian education system should follow that of Finland or Singapore, not that of the United States of America. This was what Howard Gardner, dubbed one of the most influential thinkers in the world, had to say. The developmental psychologist, famous for his theory on multiple intelligences (MI), made the comment along the sidelines of his second public lecture in India at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM-B) here Friday.

The talk, ‘Creativity and Genius and Good Work', is part of the three-week Howard Gardner India Tour. Elaborating on the USPs of the education systems in Finland and Singapore, he said: “Education in the two countries is much more even across income disparities. In India, there is a huge disparity between those who can get into prestigious institutions here or abroad, and those who have meagre human capital.”
Too many engineers?

Prof. Gardner, asked to comment on the prevailing scenario of “too many” engineering students in India, said: “I'm sceptical about any profession being valorised over others. Who knows what is going to be needed in the next 25 years? In the U.S. and in India, schools should not be preparing people for professions; professions should do that themselves. Instead, schools should prepare them to understand arts and science better. The point of developing intelligence is to become a competent human being.” Supplementing this, his psychologist wife, Ellen Winner, said: “There is no one-to-one mapping between children's intelligence and profession. It helps to know what you are strong at, but you can choose what you want to focus on.”
No racial differences

In his talk, Prof. Gardner pointed out that the problem with the Indian education system is the emphasis on correct answers. “Avoid the right answer syndrome; pause on irregularities and uncommon answers. Education should not be about finding the right answer. That is where the teachers of non-elite schools in India are going wrong.”

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