Parrots

"Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best."

- Bob Talbert

Dear readers, it's going to end with parrots.

You may not understand what that means just yet, but believe it or not, it will truly end with parrots. 

It started with neanderthals. By nature's beautiful miracle, they evolved. Then we made wheels, discovered fire, built civilisations....basically, reached where we are today.

But, how? How did a progressive species such as the homo sapiens reach a point where they will most likely end with parrots...how is that even possible?

This article is inspired by the conversations I had with my teacher and a close relative. And no, these weren't some brilliant, highly motivational discussions...they were horrifying, and absolutely the stuff of nightmares. Nightmares, that end with parrots. 

Don't rule this out as some random student rant...that'll only further cement the nightmares that these discussions made me foresee. Alright, I'll begin.

I had a certain examination recently, and when the results were revealed to me, I was shocked, petrified and in disbelief. I had written answers that aptly explained the concepts and concisely answered the questions, and also provided the right amount of content for the marks allotted in those questions. However, in spite of writing a paper that should easily have fetched me full marks, I noticed that the actual ordeal drew a rather different contrast. Upon inspecting the paper further, I was only further confused. Each answer was correct, and had the right amount of content. However, I noticed that the teacher had underlined certain words that I had written in the answer head-points...this confused me even further than before, and I approached the teacher after a futile discussion with my peers. The discussion with the teacher went something like this:

Me: "Ma'am, I fail to see how you saw fit to cut my marks here. Could you please explain your side?"

The teacher, rather enthusiastically: "Sure. You wrote the wrong words in the headpoints."

Me, apalled: "Ma'am, I'm afraid you're mistaken. These words are correct, and aptly explain the content that follows the headpoints. And that content is correct as well."

The teacher: "No, dear. You wrote 'detecting threats' instead of 'identifying threats'. That is clearly wrong, and you have failed to summarise the concept properly."

Me, amused: "Ma'am, with all due respect, 'identifying threats' and 'detecting threats' mean the same exact thing. I still stand by my argument and feel like you've wrongfully deducted my marks."

The teacher, clearly annoyed: "Listen, Armaan. They are not the same. The examining teacher for the boards will not care to check this different word, and will swiftly deduct your marks."

Me, fully convinced that she's joking: "Ma'am, isn't that wrong?"

The teacher, eradicating all doubt: "No. Work harder next time."

* she looks away from me, essentially dismissing my case *

"Does any other student have any other doubts?"

I'm too stunned to think clearly after that, and so I absent mindedly submit my paper and walk back to my seat, deep in thought. My friends seem to more or less justify the teacher's actions, since they stuck to the teacher's 'answer key', or used the 'key words'. But the whole incident just didn't sit right with me.

And this isn't the first time I've experienced these effects of the current teaching system. I've noticed that the teachers care more about the students memorizing formats and keywords rather than understanding the content, and being in a position to explain what they've learnt in simpler language. 

The process of learning, according to me, should be fun, and should actually interest the student. Interest is the best motivator in my opinion, and nowadays, it's non-existent.

Some people will counter this by saying "teachers cannot be asked to read through each line and using keywords is much more convenient for them to correct"...to these points, I'd like to bring up the fact that they signed up as teachers. They did it themselves, fully aware of what will follow. And being able to deduce whether or not the student has understood the concept is their JOB. Students shouldn't be burdened with the task of senselessly memorizing formats just for the convenience of teachers, if they can't even understand the concept a few years down the line. Instead of key words, see if the student can explain the concept to a lay person. And if these 'teachers' are unwilling to reason and rather enjoy convenience at the expense of student-potential, can they even be called teachers?

Take doctors for example; do they ask for patients to arrive in certain conditions before they treat them? Of course not! They have to treat them as they come, on the spot, then and there. They may not always succeed, but they have to try regardless. And that's because it's the job they goddamn signed up for.

Teachers must be expected to follow suit too.

Moving on to the next horrifying discussion; I returned later that day, and tried to discuss the prior events with a relative of mine. This relative listened to what I said, but what he said next came as a shock to me. 

Relative: "Was 'detect' used in the textbook?"

Me: "No...but if you look up the meanings online, you'll find that they're synonymous."

Relative: "Argue, smirk, scoff all you want...but if you drift away from the textbook, you are wrong."

Me: "But they mean the same thing-"

Relative: "Doesn't matter. All this arguing won't fetch you marks in the exams, and if you continue to crib like this, you'll be arguing with fellow failed men in the future."

Me, shocked yet again: "But this isn't right! They're making us robots...senseless robots-"

Relative, matter-of-factly: "You can argue like this all day, but nothing will change if you don't work harder."

Me, defeated: "Fine. I'll also become like the plagued masses; I shall allocate my full potential into becoming a parrot...a parrot that cannot explain or listen to reason, and can only dictate."

There was silence after that...but neither one of us had changed our views. The relative was compelling me to become like everyone else, deeming me insane in making futile arguments, whereas I was disheartened, because I expected him to see that I was instead, awake.

This isn't a rant about how I lost a few puny marks. Those numbers shouldn't and don't ascertain my future...yet. This is about showcasing the bigger picture. We live in a world where resources are allocated wrongly, and towards the wrong causes. The education industry, at least, this part, in India, needs severe reforms. I'm a firm believer in the approach that 'an indivdual without education is like a bird without wings', and a field that was once so noble and pristine is now polluted with teachers that see students as mere cheques, waiting to be cashed in. 

WAKE. UP.

If changes are not made, we will certainly end up as parrots. Do you accept this fate? Do you not want a solution? And no, this is not just the Government's task...each time you resolve to scrolling mindlessly on social media, or wasting your time doing other futile yet 'trendy' activities, I want you to feel as guilty as an inmate on death row. I want you to realize that you feel more inclined to burning your time and potential, instead of putting that mind to use and coming up with a solution to save your future generations. Each mindless scroll is one day removed from the countdown to the day we become prone to being replaced by AI. One of the things AI can't do is understand, and with the way things are headed, humans are on the trajectory to losing that ability themselves. 

I hope you understand, but now that I think about it, maybe I should've listed some key words.

This isn't an article to ignore. And if you still wish to do so, I hope being a mindless parrot is fun.

For all of our sakes.

-Armaan Kothare

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