Gone are when education was all about securing higher grades in class and making family and community proud. The changing times prefer dynamic efforts. Education shouldn’t be static. It prepares an individual for the challenges ahead. It is evident from today’s rough times that those who lack critical thinking and the ability to think ‘out of the box can’t survive.
There are two systems of education currently applicable throughout the world. Traditional education vs. Modern education. Each has its pros and cons. Developing countries with minimum resources rely primarily on conventional education. At the same time, modern education is integral to the developed world.
There are many apparent differences between traditional and modern education. However, the primary difference is one: classic is more theoretical while current is more practical. In simpler terms, formal education focuses more on learning ethical values, traditions, and customs. At the same time, modern education emphasizes the overall upbringing of an individual – both personal and professional- by practically applying all the deals, businesses, and traditions taught by the traditional system.
Modern education is the need of present times as it exhibits dynamism through learning critical thinking, analytical ability, skill development, and practical mindset. The era of technology complements this style of education through androids, laptops, tabloids, and other technological advancements. It thus fulfills all the essential criteria of leading a successful life in the modern era.
Nevertheless, the amalgamation of both education systems is necessary for a prosperous and progressive nation. The question is how to integrate modern education into the traditional setup to develop an upgraded education system. Following are some of the major’s current education, which prove why it should be preferred:
Use of technology:
Modern education is mainly about an amalgamation of technology into classroom learning. The present era is of technology. No teaching is valuable knowledge without involving technology. Computer labs, PowerPoint presentations, and online learning need time. Using modern technology within the traditional setup of classrooms would help pupils break their boundaries and soar to higher skies of achievement. The world was in awe when a group of Afghan girls contested a robotic competition, as the girls came from a setup where there is a limited concept of modern education. This is an example of understanding the need for modern education.
Practical learning:
The approach of traditional education is more theory-based. Modern education believes that ‘practice brings perfection.’ This approach is necessary as students work towards bringing their ideas into practice. Subjects like science and mathematics cannot be rote learned or merely memorized. An example of science here: how a plant grows is taught by pictorial representation in academic books in a traditional education system. However, modern education makes the concept of ‘plant growth’ more attractive, where students not only learn but understand by practically planting a tree and observing its growth.
Skill development:
Nowadays is the testing times. To face changing situations, one needs skills. The job market today looks for a skilled workforce. Every individual possesses different skills. Schools are the platforms that help young students understand their best skills from a very young age. In traditional education, such practices are infrequent, as group learning is not much appreciated. Through modern education, teachers can understand the behavior of individual students in a group setting and help them develop their skills from the beginning. Leadership and public speaking often arise in such group settings. This ultimately leads to a better understanding of career choices as students learn from a very young age what they are good at. Such individuals become successful and work with mental satisfaction.
Critical thinking:
Criticism helps one to improve. A system where every student would be praised for memorizing text is likely to freeze the young minds. A person who is always praised would never try to improve or become an even better version of oneself. It becomes a sort of comfort zone for the intellectual mind. Modern education helps students to analyze their work in group settings critically. Students are urged to share their ideas and understandings and convey them to other classmates.
Analytical thinking:
Traditional education emphasizes more on emotional learning. Modern education promotes both personal as well as objective understanding. Analyzing any situation helps in reaching a better conclusion. The analysis opens the mind. Problem-solving in a group setup allows students to improve their mental learning ability.
Online learning:
Blackboard and chalks are the past. Today is the trend of laptops, tabloids, and iPhones. The Covid epidemic made everyone understand the importance of technology. Many developing countries, where modern education is rare, faced a severe crisis due to the closure of schools. It was a significant impediment for the school authorities to turn to the online system as they could not operate it. It was not a big deal for the schools of the developed world as the students already had the know-how of online education. This minimized the loss of learning during the epidemic. By occasionally switching to an online medium, traditional education would benefit.
The open environment of learning:
Closed learning would lead to closed minds. Modern education prefers an open setting for better understanding. The tradition of not asking questions and sticking to what is taught should be discouraged. Young minds have a lot of questions. In an open education setting, students would be free to learn and share.
Objective examination system:
Modern education promotes objective learning. The accurate mode of examination persuades students to do conceptual study rather than rote memorization. This objective learning concept helps students ace many international exams such as IELTS and move towards a better future.
Conclusively, today’s world is an overall illustration of the perks of modern education. The traditional human mindset has given rise to the contemporary new world of ‘Artificial Intelligence. This could be possible only by integrating current knowledge into the conventional historical system. Let the world realize the miracles modern education can do!
