The 21st century presents itself with numerous technological advances that have made the world a little more inclusive. This inclusivity is reflected in all spheres of the social and economic ecosystems around us. This ecosystem of interconnectedness presents us with a challenge and an opportunity to define how we utilize this system to our advantage.
In this fast-changing environment, education should not be limited to acquiring skills that one could use to get only a job!! Its purpose is more than writing you a paycheck. Education today is a constantly evolving process, to be facilitated with regular synchronization with changes around us and enabling individuals to process information that one is surrounded by. Quality education becomes even more critical today as there is information overload having limited credibility.
The Internet has made access to information easier, however, the ability to connect the dots is what distinguishes educated from the informed. To draw the line between propaganda and facts is becoming ever more difficult given that tools of modern media are so inclusive that anyone can publish their opinions which invariably influences those who read them.
In this light, education has to evolve into a holistic process that teaches an individual to learn and asses on their own. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields should be taught to complement the socio-economic realities and reflect the aspirations and needs of the present and future generations. Learning needs to be inculcated as a habit and a continuous process that doesn't stop at attaining a degree. The test of true intelligence of an individual should be its ability to make sense of its environment and innovate rationally. To know what concerns the society and world at large, the present education system needs an overhaul enabling students to continue education as a lifestyle and choice for self-improvement.
To mark this process of innovative and intelligent education, One Young India relies on methods of guidance that allow students to connect with their subjects, not in isolation but as a package. This method allows students to relate to their immediate surroundings and places them at an advantage at innovating and charting out a career that suits them.
To summarise the vision of One Young India, we would like to leave with a quote from Eric Hoffer:
"In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists."
