The uniqueness in every child is a well recognized fact, however it is very surprising that our education system does not support this adage. In this short essay I present some arguments and support them via evidence.
I focus my attention to nursery/pre-nursery admissions into schools in the Indian scenario. Schools, mostly private schools, can be categorized almost readily into a spectrum ranging from best to worst. Some characteristics of best schools are high fees, generally the word "international" associated with its name and very strict admissions process. It is admission criteria that I want to discuss. Few questions, which do not necessarily bring out the child's inherent capabilities, are used to decide whether the child will be admitted or not admitted.
Interestingly, the binary question of whether the child can be admitted or not admitted does not seem to have to do with the child, rather with the school. I mean, the child is not admitted due to lack of preparedness with the converse being also true. But, then how this statement is coherent with the fact that someone is a child. A child is supposedly more creative than an average adult human being. How can a standard test of few minutes judge about the inherent talents of a child?
Right from the age of three-five years the child is tagged intelligent or non-intelligent and they are forced to live with this tag throughout their life. The intelligent students receive every benefit that exists while the non-intelligent can at the most survive and get exploited.
It is very saddening that in spite of the fact that we have got just one small Earth ( in comparison to the vastness of the universe ), we fail to educate the way every unique child deserves.
I am confident that the system is a cumulative of "selfishness" of the so called governments, managements, corporations and so on. The focus is not the child but something else. A system must be evolved that could actually recognize the inherent talents of every child and propel them in the right direction. Even children are victims of human vices.
