Encouraging Critical Thinking in Rural Classrooms
Education should encourage critical thinking and make students come out with innovative solutions”- Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, former vice president of India.
This thought is echoed in international bodies like UNESCO as it states how quality education includes critical thinking as one of the eight cross-cutting competencies for sustainable development.
On a national level too, this has been emphasised in our National Education Policy of 2020, where the focus area no longer stops at learning but also includes learning how to learn. The policy highlights how education should focus on more than cognitive capacities, and include qualities such as critical thinking in social, ethical and emotional capacities. However, the question is why is it so important?
Why Critical Thinking is Crucial In Education
Critical thinking is an absolutely necessary skill to have in the 21st century. This is what helps us analyse, classify, compare, define and understand everything that goes around us. It also increases curiosity, problem-solving skills and chances of taking a stand for ourselves. Hence, it is important that critical thinking is cultivated from a young age as a part of holistic educational approach.
Inspiring Critical Thinking to Classrooms
Critical thinking, much like study-related concepts can be inculcated in children within classrooms. As a constant place in children’s daily routine, schools impact children' s growth immensely. However, it can only reach its full potential when there are optimal resources. As we recognise that some areas fall behind in these metrics it is crucial to equip them with the right devices.
At Sampark Foundation, education is viewed as a fundamental step in progress in a child’s life. Therefore, to develop the necessary skill of critical thinking several measures were taken. In schools where we implemented our teach-easy pedagogy we introduced digital tools to replace traditional learning methods which were often outdated. Sampark TV and Teach Easy Kit are two of our digital innovations that empower teachers to design effective lesson plans and engage the children effectively.
- Sampark TV: This is an audio-visual medium that provides structured lesson plans and content in the form of animated content. This engaging method ensures that students are able to grasp concepts even of difficult subjects like Maths and Science effectively.
- Teach Easy Kit: A blend of educational resources including board games, audio devices and teaching aids to break away from traditional textbook learning. The board games make learning more fun and the audio box helps students and teachers to work on pronunciation increasing comprehension abilities.
The Impact of Encouraging Critical Thinking in Children
When children are given the way to harness their abilities rightfully, they become curious and feel they can question and learn better. In fact, learning can feel less burdensome and more exciting. This improves their academic scores as significantly as 32 per cent.
Further in life this increases the chances of children succeeding at higher education and other important aspects as the benefits of critical thinking extend beyond the arena of education.
Join the Cause to Instil this Critical Value
As we continue to walk towards our mission of delivering quality education in the remotest areas of India, we realise it is more than an effort from a foundation but one driven by the community who cares for its future generations. Sampark Foundation extends you the opportunity to be one of us by volunteering as a SPARK and delivers the valuable trait of critical thinking to millions of kids who await education to transform their lives in a positive direction. Click here to know more!