Education in the era of Google

Oinam Nabakishore Singh *

With the easy access to information on almost everything on the earth by using smartphone or devices like tablets, laptops and desktops, etc., testing of knowledge and information through memorization at the examinations has become unnecessary and uncalled for practice. Storage of information shifted from books to human brains.

Now, memory chips, either in handheld devices like smartphone or servers located elsewhere and connected through networks, are the sites for storage of information in bits and bytes, digital formats.

In school curriculum, there are different approaches to teaching and learning. The first stage in learning is verbalizing alphabets, words, sentences of the languages being learnt. In the classroom, students are first taught to utter the alphabets and words correctly by listening to the teachers and repeating them so that correct diction, pronunciation and stress in the syllables are learned.

Gradually, grammar of the language is taught. This is followed by composition and writing of essays, etc. While it is not completely possible to dispense with formal learning in the classroom setting, google has enabled learning of language much easier and affordable. The content available on any language on the websites makes learning easier, enjoyable, flexible and better.

With supplementary learning from the contents in text, audio and video formats, learning becomes a great fun. What are the additional advantages in learning by using digital formats? Non-native language teachers have varying proficiencies of the languages taught in many respects. The gaps in knowledge and skill can be easily bridged by using content from the internet.

In my personal life and education, I found out that my English pronunciation was extremely bad as my teachers in village schools had poor English communication and pronunciation skills. I tried to imitate my teachers. Generally, student is as good as the teacher teaching him or her at the younger age.

Now with YouTube, contents on any subject and topic is available anytime and anywhere. Some of the contents, being videos, are more effective in explanation of concepts and ideas to the students.

The environment of the 21st century is changing at a fast pace due to globalization, larger role of digital solutions in the economy, better physical and internet connectivity across the world. Manufacturing of goods has been shifting from high labour cost places to those with lower labour costs. Earning by products made by mind is increasing whereas earning with physical labour is shrinking.

With the gradual use of robots in factories, displacement of labour is taking place. In automobile industry, robots are used extensively in the assembly line. There are several advantages in using robots, especially in precision works, as robots being driven by computers are accurate and precise. Besides, there is no fatigue of robots, and hence, production and productivity improve.

Service sector is increasing its share in the gross domestic products of developed economies. New areas of services are being created every day to fill the demands of new lifestyles. The skills required for new jobs in service sector is quite different from what is being imparted now.

The question is what kind of education is appropriate to meet the demand for jobs locally and globally. Can we afford to continue with the present education in terms of content, acquisition of skills and competency? What kind of reforms are required in education?

The present education system in Manipur is largely based on testing of memory of contents. With google able to answer a large number of questions, content-based education will have to take the back seat.

Experts in education, economics, technology and international business shall have to sit together and come up with suggestions for reforms in education so that the graduates from our schools and colleges have necessary skills and confidence to take up the jobs of the 21st century.

Everybody knows that the youths in Manipur, after formal education, are employed either in government or private sector. Jobs in government-central or state are limited. In Manipur, largest government jobs are in security forces and education department as teachers.

With the rising level of education in the society, it is imperative that law enforcing personnel especially those at the cutting-edge level areeducated in subjects relevant to their jobs. For instance, knowledge of the culture of the community being served, basic knowledge of behavioral science, laws on human rights, Acts and Rules related to the job, use of technology for faster communication and problem solving, etc. will go a long way to improve the quality of service.

Similarly, a number of youths have on their own started farming and business. It will be really empowering the youths to teach them, early in their education, basic knowledge and skills related to farming and business. A large number of youths in the state have ventured in farming of poultry, dairy, duckery, making of feeds for poultry, etc. Similarly, many youths have started microenterprises.

Most of them have not been educated in relevant subjects. Many have problems in financial management and accounting as the curriculum in schools and colleges in Manipur have little content on such topics. There is a need for a complete reorientation of education.

The most important stakeholder in delivery of education service is teacher. Availability of trained and qualified teacher to impart better education is sine qua non. Unfortunately, most of school teachers in Manipur are untrained in spite of the requirements prescribed by National Council of Teacher Education for minimum qualifications of teachers.

Another casualty is the selection of unqualified teachers by the government allegedly due to corrupt practices in recruitment. If the content and curriculum are changed, and if the mode of delivery of education is changed because of use of technology, there will be an urgent need to retrain the existing teachers.

Considering the urgency and importance of reforms in education, it is high time the government wakes up and set up expert committees to come up with recommendations keeping the future needs of jobs in mind.


Views expressed are personal