Page 6 - Magazine - September 2019

EDITOR’S NOTE

Technology, Teachers,

and Their Impact on

Educational Systems

Dear Readers,

Our country is ready to face the crucible of reforms and innovative solutions presented by students in it.
in educational arena with approximately 1,00,5427 (83.40 Furthermore, Ashwin Fernandes, Regional Director, QS
per cent) students passing the higher secondary school elaborates the correlation between cutting edge research
examination of CBSE board in 2019. In addition to and student-teacher ratio in a higher education institute.
this, admission seekers can now choose from 48 central Along with this, Dr. Madhav Rao Saraswat, Principal,
universities, 400 state universities, and 337 private Scindia School describes the importance of education
universities. However, the state of affairs of employment in providing the correct references and appropriate
still remains unsatisfactory with just 48 per cent (India stimulants in individuals to inculcate inherent goodness.
Skills Report) employability registered in the current He further emphasises the role of ed-tech tools in
year. There are no easy binaries about how to resolve providing individualised learning.
this impasse between education and employability. Can The fight between technology and a teacher is an
it be through improvement in pedagogy or will it require unfair one. But, if used judiciously technology can not
extensive utilisation of ICT technologies to harness only facilitate an effective delivery of lessons, it can
actual potential of Indian students? also work as an efficient aid for a teacher to assess the
A lot has been done in recent years for the development individual learning curves of students. Besides, it is widely
of ICT infrastructure in schools, but more needs to be acknowledged that the availability of good infrastructural
done. It is hence important to study up to which extent facilities has a positive impact on the environment of
students are able to access these modes and enhance their any institution. The education policy of India, NPE 1986
learning. As for me, I felt the absence of a technological acknowledges that an ‘unattractive school environment,
tool that could help me in memorising the nomenclature unsatisfactory condition of buildings, and insufficiency
of a plant species while studying taxonomy of plants of instructional material function as demotivating
during my college days. While the cover story of our factors for children and their parents.’ Therefore,
inaugural issue describes the factors we need to look at policies meant to improve infrastructure in schools
while implementing ICT in pedagogical practices, the educational institutes are also required. Stay tuned as we
other stories explain the impact of ed-tech enterprises step gradually towards our vision of initiating a discourse
on our education system and infrastructure required to on problems prevailing in Indian educational arena and
implement it. provide your feedback at gunjan@indiadidac.com.
Professor Fthenakis in his column talks about the
role of educational systems in developing children for
a constantly-evolving world where students are able to
face social challenges which we can’t envision today.
Professor Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE in his
interview speaks about growing popularity of hackathons Gunjan Joshi

4 | WE | Sep-Oct 2019