Category "2020"

Does the word ‘Hobbies’ sound familiar to you? Did you have a hobby when you were a child? Do you still pursue your hobby? hobbies? In my school days I remember children collected stamps, stones, empty match-box cartons, greeting cards, broken bangles, bus tickets, coins, rocks, shells and conches, photos of cricketers in newspapers and magazines and more. Some children involved in drawing and painting while some did simple cooking with help of their mothers. 85% people will agree that they did have a hobby when they were kids but they have lost it, as they got busy and engaged with adulthood. Why is it so? Is there something that can be done to pass on this gift of developing a hobby to our young children? The answer is YES.The dictionary meaning of hobby is- An activity that you do for pleasure when you are not working. We often talk about how busy our day has become. Usually we look forward to weekends and think about relaxing and following up some hobby. But due to some or the other reasons cannot find time for the hobbies. Children of today are unconsciously passed on the stress and pressures by parents due to the hectic life they lead. They are burdened with academics and competitions at this tender age. At times they aren’t even ready for this. But there is no time to understand them. They are just dragged into this madness. Th technology has added to this in the sense that it has got a negative impact on their lives. They have become passive, inactive, as they just sit and watch shows on the gadgets instead of actively doing things physically by themselves. Introducing them to a hobby will help them in a number of ways. They will get a chance to mingle with unknown peers and make friends, bring them closer to nature, give them a sense of responsibility and ownership, a platform to spark and unfold their creativity and interests, gather long lasting knowledge and information, gain first hand experiences, spike their curiosity thus shaping their personality. These children will certainly develop confidence, become independent and self- reliant. They will develop thinking skills, team spirit, compassion and patience and various other life skills that are the essential virtues of adult life. Not to forget that they will engage themselves positively and develop their own attention span along with good concentration. Parents of course play a very important and an alert role in this. They have to give them this exposure intentionally. They have to take them to explore interesting places like museums, art galleries, exhibitions, plays and concerts, fort climbing, etc. They also have to have a keen eye on the interests the child shows and pick up the clue to further provide them necessary help. Summer holidays are round the corner. Don’t you think it is the best time to get them set for this? Get set and Go!
Happy Hobbying!

Education and Academics are two key words of today especially as children begin schooling. Various updates about new pedagogy used by different schools and comparison of schools on social media and internet, based on a variety of criteria, really add to the dilemma about what is the right thing to do? Which is a better option for school? We first need to understand the individual meaning of each of these words ‘Education’ and ‘Academics’ in depth. We will then understand that they are inseparable, essential elements of a child’s early years. Looking at the past few decades the changes in society have been tremendously varied. Skill sets that we used to focus upon when we were at school and that we need or use today have changed a lot. Similarly if we think about 20 years from today when preschoolers of today are going to be entering the professional world, choosing careers, the skill sets needed have to be taken care of today. This implies that a lot of thinking has to go into the process of teaching-learning /schooling so as to help these children make appropriate choices and pursue the careers they wish for, smoothly. Our current education system revolves around the 3 R’s, a very traditional way of education. The need of the time is to strike a balance between the 3 R’s and all round development of the child. His IQ and EQ has to be taken care of equally. This is where we have to focus on understanding what is Academics and what is Education and how important is blending them together. We have often heard that Early years- 0 to 5 yrs are very important with respect to the child’s future. They certainly are. However, what we get to see is parents are so over protective about the kids that they do not allow the children freedom to explore their environment on their own, under adult supervision. They are pampered with love and material things, which instead of making them active are making children passive, possessive and dependent. Schools feel that the education that they provide has to be the best academic course that can be. Every activity has been designed planned in a way where the end product is already predicted. It is stereotype teacher led process. Unless there is freedom of expression to each child while he uses the art material and the readiness to accept and understand the child’s creation, creativity cannot be fostered. Creativity is a key skill for the 21 st century and has to be an integral part of Education. General Knowledge, Value Education, Social Service cannot become academic subjects that are graded for school record purpose, using question papers. They have to be practical oriented and scored according to children’s performance. Opportunities to work in the society through various activities such as surveys, conducting interviews, volunteering for social cause are very important. This is education at large. Academics that is generally known as numbers and alphabets is absolutely essential but not to be overtly given the importance. 

There are 2 academic trends colliding here-

1. we’re expecting more from kids earlier, and

2. we’re starting them earlier.

Inspite of starting early with these academic skills we find that 90% children struggle in their Primary classes with numbers and alphabets be it reading or writing. Blending the right percentage of academics and education in the broader sense as discussed in the above content, is the key to success for these 21 st Century kids