The theme for a forthcoming conference of some elite schools of the country is "The power within you". I found it to be very apt and pertinent especially in an age when children are increasingly relying on "guides" and "refreshers" to get through school. And is that the reason why while the literacy levels have gone up, employability has come down.
How is this linked to the theme for the conference? When we were young, we were encouraged to think on our own. We had the liberty of asking weird questions and giving even more weird answers. Our teachers had the width and depth to cope with our runaway imagination. We were allowed to delve deep into ourselves, bring out these thoughts and get patient answers. This built our confidence and we are not afraid to take on anything new.
I think if the conference is able to ignite this spirit of inquiry in the children and the commitment in the teachers to help the child discover his/her inner self, the aim would be achieved.
The child would no longer be relying on guides/refreshers. She would approach academics as a means to broaden her perspective rather than as a chore that has to be done with and get back to Cartoon Network or Hannah Montana.
Encourage the child to discover the power within, to question the status quo, to become free-thinking citizens of tomorrow who cannot be swayed by skewed logic of bigots. Then our nation will see true progress. Progress that is driven from within.