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Excerpt from a recent event on Education called Schoolonomics

14th feb2012

Two days back, I was in a village called Paravur near Kochi. I went to the village to inaugurate the programme Sasthrayaan – which means science propagation. During the programme, the President of Paravur Panchayat Board and the local MLA said, that the mission of Sasthrayaan in Paravur is to ensure preparation of 2000 students from different schools towards attaining eligibility for entrance as engineers, scientists, doctors, qualified managers, and Civil services officers. This action will empower 2000 families of the village. My inaugural address to Paravur audience consisting of 5000 students and family members was “Science Empowers the Nation”. After my address, there were 100s of hands put-up for asking questions...

An important question was from a 8th class boy called Vishu who had come from a far away environment from the city. He was nervous and represented the youth in Indian village environment. The boy started with telling his name, “my name is Vishu. I don’t know what should I ask? I am nervous. I have not asked any question in my class. I need to have confidence, I am not gaining confidence through education during the last 7 years. I am afraid to talk to my teachers, I am afraid to talk to my friends. Whenever I talk, I compare myself with other students. Please tell me Mr Kalam, how can I become a unique person, which you just now explained. I want to become a marine engineer. I want to travel in the ship. I want to be the captain of the ship. I want to build the engine for the ship. Will I be able to do all this Mr Kalam? How can I achieve this mission? What I should do?” When the boy completed the question, the whole audience of 5000 people and dignitaries in the dais, including the CM, were looking at me, what Kalam is going to say for such a shivering question. I thought of it, and thought of it, I wanted to break the silence. I said, my dear Vishu, you have put the most difficult question, so far I have received from millions and millions of students whom I have met. Vishu, I value your question, also I consider you are echoing the question of millions of rural students. Then, slowly I gained the confidence to answer. Let us both recite a beautiful ancient poem named “I will fly”. I slowly started telling the poem. The boy also started repeating the poem with me. 

I will fly

“I am born with potential. 

I am born with goodness and trust. 

I am born with ideas and dreams. 

I am born with greatness.

I am born with confidence. 

I am born with wings. 

So, I am not meant for crawling, 

I have wings, I will fly 

I will fly and fly” 

When the boy Vishu finished reciting the poem, he was in tears. He said, he has confidence, he will win and win and ran off. 

These two questions from two students reveal that students are in stress in the choice of their subjects after 10+1 and 10+2 and education is not giving the students the confidence that “I can do it”. So, the whole education system, choice of teachers and the teaching environment have to become creative, interactive and above all designed to empower the students through the light of the knowledge and purity of the lives of the teachers.


 Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Says

From the days when I used to be a rocket engineer. Assembling one of the earliest test rockets of ISRO.. some four and half decades ago.

Back then .. we did not have modern computer, not even proper calculators... everything was on slide rule calculations, and surprisingly accurate it was.

— at Thumba.