Modern English School, Kahilipara and All Assam Private School Association (AAPSA), a body to regulate and formulate policy regarding private schools, organized a panel discussion on "Fostering Critical Thinking: Collaborative strategies between schools, parents and students to reduce the need of extra tuition".
The panel discussion was held at the Modern English School, Kahilipara which is also the registered office of the AAPSA.
The central focus of the discussion was to address why students feel the need for extra coaching apart from their regular classes. The association also advocates for education boards to prioritize skill-based education, a shift that could significantly enhance the students' learning experiences. The association is also against the proxy admission culture that is going on in the state.
Around 30 principals from 19 districts of Assam participated in the discussion. Dr Amit Chandra, CEO Centre of Civil Society, moderated the discussion. President of AAPSA, Mr Sailesh Sarma, along with other office bearer were present in the meeting. Professor Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, President and Manager of City Montessori School Society and Professor of UCL, University of London, joined the meeting over video conference and highlighted the issues and its possible way to come out.
The event, hosted by Mr. Pankaj Das, Director of Modern English School, Kahilipara and Advisor of AAPSA, provided a platform to address the common issues that private schools face. The association is trying to recognize these challenges and are actively seeking collaboration with government institutions to formulate policies that are beneficial for all the key stakeholders associated with the school education in the state.
"The reason for organizing the discussion was to find out why students feel the need to take extra tuition despite spending so much time in school. The main reason, which was discussed, was that the questions set for competitive exams like NEET, JEE, etc., are all skill-based; however, the board questions are not like that. These extra tuitions are to fill this gap in the education system. Thus, the coaching industry cropped up. It was concluded in the discussion that the school education board needs to set questions which test more higher order thinking skills, applications, etc." said Mr. Pankaj Das, Director of Modern English School, Kahilipara and Advisor of AAPSA.
Having participated in the discussion, Professor Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, Professor of UCL, University of London, congratulated Modern English School for such a noble initiative in organizing this discussion. She emphasized a skill-based evaluation system right from the initial days of school.
