PUPPETS WITH INVISIBLE STRINGS

Whenever my literature teacher teaches some text, she

always asks “what do you think the poet meant?”. Sometimes

I feel like saying “Ma’am, with all due respect, no need to use

‘what you think’ when you are asking a factual question. You

may as well ask a rhetorical question.” But I obviously don't. I

ignore and I don't answer because I most certainly know that

there can only be one correct answer.

As we all know the questions with phrases like “what you

think” or “what did you infer” etc. are open ended and opinion-

based questions. There is no “right” or “wrong” subjective

opinion, to say that you are criticizing a student's perspective

and thoughts. There is no way to prove it, it is just an opinion.

It cannot be answered upon the standardized source material

provided. It can only be answered with an understanding.

Literature is all about what you understand or gather from the

text. It's not about hard written facts that you have to stick to

like in science or mathematics. It's about the way you interpret

and opine somebody else's opinion. But the problem with the

school system is that it feels that every student’s perspective

should be the same. And since your future is solely

dependent upon those marks, you got out of 100, you have to

write what they want you to write. Even if it means writing

something that you don't agree upon.

Even if you try to justify it, it's of no use because apparently

justifying your opinion is considered back talking in our

society. So, you have no other choice but to keep on

disregarding your point of view and just rote learn again and

again like fully functioning robots. This Memory and Recall

method restricts creativity. How is this going to help us in the

future in solving real world problems? But alas that is what is

needed to secure marks. The day board results come out, it’s

like you’re the center of everyone’s focus. Relatives you didn’t

even know you had start calling you and asking “How much?”.

The whole universe starts revolving around your marks not

you.

What people don’t understand is that marks will be sometimes

on the highs and sometimes on the lows but that is not a

cumulative parameter to judge a student’s competency and

knowledge. Thus, we need to have creative thinking and

critical case questions to actually test a student’s concept and

understanding. You will be able to repeat and ingrain it in your

mind but not apply it. Whoever said “Knowledge is useless

without application,” said the truth. We must learn to unlearn.

Rote learning is temporary. It won’t help you in the long run.

But meaningful learning implies understanding.

Education should not bind us like puppets with invisible

strings of pre-defined concepts but liberate us with new ideas,

reasonings and values.