10 Lectures on Education by Avijit Pathak

10 Lessons on Education 

Is this book good ! Worth buying and reading  and spending so much of time and effort?  Being a professor, are the questions that flashed in my mind !  

- Certain factors which goes in favor of reading this book. They are,  the author is from reputed No 1 University  in India - JNU, associated quite long time with JNU, hails from a reputed discipline like sociology. Ofcourse, the book is short in size and as the title says in 'Ten Lectures on Education', I can get an idea of the professor perspective on education.  

 As a reader of the book, if your aim is to get benefited of the issues pertaining to higher education in India.

- Are they any unique methods that the author tried and tested and sharing as part of the book ? 

- Is there any new unique perspective of the issues the higher education  that the author brought to the fore ? 

- Lec 1 is all about 'Sa Vidya Vimukthahe' - Education for Enlightenment ! Explained what it is! The same was done earlier by many, and  one more time, the same was explained. How the professor of sociology could make his students enlightened is completely missing.  

Reputation that made me to look at the book - JNU professor, Sociology professor, Professor who lived Higher Edn all through.. A book that is 160 pages book - short but straight forward  will be best thing for any professor of higher edn to look at 

-  Certain MERITS of the book 

- It is not JNU brand book.. Not One sided ,  Not anti national,- Focus  Balanced view , 

- 10 Lectures - Free flowing type, so SOUL of the professor is available to smell and see ! 

-   Issues that touched  are.. HE Purpose, Paths that HE took, Outcomes, Pedagogy, Pains, , Disease diagnosis and Prescriptions, Future that 

-  Professors concern for HE is undoubtable ! 

-  Book ends up with philosophical suggestions  !  

- Suggestions  for future are not all those the professor has practiced ! 

1 -  Purpose - No Point to talk .. Given  ! 

2 -  Matter of Credentials !  -  No Point to talk - Given ! 

3 - Sociology - No Point to Talk - Given process !... 

4 - Agreed - Nothing to Disagree ! .. Pedagogy is the essence here ! Neglected ! Ignored ! 

5  - Science, and Secularism -  No Point to talk -  !  How come these things can be blamed ! Who can find antidote for this ! Again it is the T and their Pedagogy!

6 -  Failure - Success -  It is given - Sufferers are the students ! Who can find solution for this ? Teachers and the Pedagogy ! 

7 - Ideology -  Has nothing much to talk - It is given  ! Who has antidote for this ? Teachers and the Pedagogy ! 

8 - Skill and knowledge  -  False duality developed ! Who is responsible for this ! Who can find solution for this ? Teachers and the Pedagogy ! 

9 - Teacher  Presence - Disappearing due to increased  tech, non delivery, and alternate methods  of learning that are available ! Teacher advocating her/ his presence and importance gains no ground ! Last 100 yrs teachers enjoyed commanded enormous benefits. If the students gained of the same  and equal tine, I leave it out to the larger society to decide and judge. If answer is yes, then why the role of the teacher is declining !  The respect and regard for the teacher if  it will continue and increased in the next hundred years is a matter of debate. One can already see the future trends. If the society , parents, students, polity and the governments think that there is need for teachers then there will be due  important they get !  If teachers exist or not, surely, there exists the teaching ! Recall  today, that one can have cash without a cashier and a bank; there is  controlling the traffic without a traffic constable; There are babies in the world without mothers or and without fathers; Focus is  learning and not teaching; Farming with out farms and farmers; Food without farms and farmers is the order of the day. The focus is students and their learning not the teachers and the need for them. 



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As I go through the 10 lessons of Professor, AP  a story comes to my mind.  A doctor repeatedly diagnose the disease right of the patients , and knows the right cure.  Every time and all the time the doctor is so much  concerned with health of the patient, but the patient's health deteriorating fast. The doctor also has enough remedies around. Cries foul of the deteriorating the health of the patient. Looks so awkword. 

Where is the problem !  No Practice !  Dualism ! Unproductive Practice ! 







P10  ' OUR INABILITY TO MAKE USE OF OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING WITHOUT  DIRECITON  FROM ANOTHER.


P 11 Freedom to make public use of ones reason in all matters 

P 12   Am I cultivating students with enlightened SOUL !  Prof. AP  must ask for self !  Continue to raise this question is NOT enough !  Need feel apologized  and ashamed for not finding solution for so long ! 

Issue is ....Why and how come existing solutions already exist are  not being used ? 



  

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