Questioning is Basic to all learning

An article from TOI[]

The questioning mind hungers for knowledge and is fertile for intellectual development. A non-questioning mind, on the other hand, is sterile. Such minds have given little new to this world. And yet, our School education is almost entirely answer-friendly. it is a one way traffic in which questioning remains the prerogative of the teacher and the examiner. Students take the questions as given and rarely feel free to raise their own. For many students even the Basic question:why do i need this Education/ remains unresolved.

Answer-oriented teaching places a premium on information rather than undersatnding. Obviously, it needs to be changed. The best way is to make questioning skills an imp part of learning. Infact, one could go a step further and allot marks in eack exam for questioning. Give a lit of topics to the examinees and ask them to raise questions. The more imaginative the Q's, the more marks the examinee gets in that section. it would not only ensure greater involvement of children in their studies but also make it more meaningful by encouraging independent thinking., innovation and exploration. What is more, it would compel teachers to avoid getting in to a rut. Questions are the triggers for new discoveries and solutions.

All most all gaint leaps of mankind have sprung from a question-a simple one like-"why does apple fall down and not go up?" or, "why does demand go down when prices go up?"

Who would raise Questions if not the unconditioned minds of the young? So, lets encourage them to articulate these freely. It would serve one more purpose. Children would learn not to submit to any authority unquestioningly. Such children would, in due course, make a more responsible citizenery. What better way to strengthen Democracy in this Country?

Dnt you agree?

By Satish K sharma.