Is the current Schooling System really helping us?

Transcript

Speaker: I mean, the system has kind of failed us.

Speaker: The shame you go through if you tell people you chose commerce or humanities instead of science and they are like, why?

Speaker: You're out of the school feeling very lost and feeling like, what do I do now?

Speaker: What is the next order that I need to follow?

Speaker: Because we've always been told like, sit down, stand up.

Speaker: Can I go to the bathroom or whatever?

Speaker: And once you're out of that school, you're like, what do I do next?

Speaker: That's when I realized I have no skills that could help me, you know, succeed in the real world.

Speaker: It's like instead of focusing for the finals and going to the next grade, the idea should be figuring out what each kid has the gift of and nurturing that and allowing that kid to focus on that and have that commitment for at least a year to see if that works for them or not.

Speaker: best friend she won like this creative art competition and instead of being happy for her instead of congratulating her I was really upset and I went on a rant about how I didn't get anything parents have to be mission driven the parents have to have a lifestyle they have to have a vision for their life that is out of the indoctrination and conditioning so it requires like a really empowered parent to be homeschooling their kids

Speaker: Hi everyone, welcome to all new episode of Spirit Says.

Speaker: Until now you must be aware what crucial role our environment plays in shaping us and forming us, forming our belief systems.

Speaker: So today we're going to talk about one such environment that we spend majority of our childhood in and that's school.

Speaker: So how our education shapes us, how the environment we get that education shapes us and what the parameters that the schooling system uses shapes us.

Speaker: So I think let's get started.

Speaker: Hi, Mania.

Speaker: Hi, everyone.

Speaker: So before we begin into the schooling system, I just want to speak a little bit about how the system actually started to give us an idea of the intention of our education system.

Speaker: So schooling system actually started as a mass obedience with an intention of mass obedience during the Industrial Revolution, because a lot of factory workers were required who were

Speaker: great at following instructions, great at obeying the rules, the instructions, but at the same time, they were not critical thinkers.

Speaker: They were not free thinkers.

Speaker: So that was where the education system, the schooling system actually started.

Speaker: And then

Speaker: In India, we already had the Gurukul system going on.

Speaker: But then the British, with British coming into our country with Lord Macaulay starting the British education system in India, the intention was again same.

Speaker: That was producing factory workers while they were enslaving the country.

Speaker: So that is very important to know because of the entire environment, the entire intention with which the system actually started.

Speaker: And today also, it is running on the same intentions only.

Speaker: Yeah, I think you're absolutely right, Andrikshar.

Speaker: The education system we have right now is so much turning us into robots.

Speaker: Education is actually meant to empower you to embrace, to include critical thinking in your mind and develop your personality.

Speaker: But right now, we all are, I think, turning into these monotonous robots that do the same thing again and again.

Speaker: And

Speaker: homogeneous things and setting the standard and norms which I think is a bit harmful to our own authentic selves and doesn't allow our own authentic expression but I have a question for you so as we have been school friends and we were in the same school for the longest time I want to ask you were the school days the best days of your life do you miss them?

Speaker: I think there's no there's no like a straight answer because I've been in the game of the system inside out I've seen the you speak of the best times of your school life and I've had the experience you speak of the worst times of school life that you would not wish upon your biggest enemy in the world and I have experienced that.

Speaker: But today, if I look back at it, I think I see it all through a perspective of through a lens of gratefulness, through a lens of a fondness.

Speaker: But at the same time, I don't think it was like, I don't think I miss it necessarily.

Speaker: I would say I missed it when I was in my dark phases, because then you're like, okay, I miss the highs of the school life, the best days of my school life.

Speaker: But then I've been in my own journey of healing, of empowering myself.

Speaker: And then today, I think every single day, like my present life is my best life at the moment, I would say.

Speaker: So I look back at the journey with a feeling of gratefulness overall.

Speaker: How about you?

Speaker: Yeah, actually, I agree with you.

Speaker: It's a mixed bag.

Speaker: I loved going to school, meet my friends.

Speaker: I met some amazing people, including you there.

Speaker: But would I put myself through it again?

Speaker: Would I go back?

Speaker: No, not at all.

Speaker: I don't think I can do that.

Speaker: I know some people who cried at the last day of school and I was like, oh, thank God, I'm going to get out of here now.

Speaker: But that doesn't mean I'm not grateful for some of the teachers that I have had.

Speaker: Some were really good and some were really supported, but some of them I wouldn't want to meet again or I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemies.

Speaker: I'm sorry, people.

Speaker: But yeah, that is true.

Speaker: And so they weren't the best time of my life, but they were surely very, they played a crucial role in my life to shape me in who I am today.

Speaker: So, yes.

Speaker: I think, yes, when you said like you won't go through it again and we've all had that experience.

Speaker: We all have like mixed, we've all had the mixed feelings while we were leaving and while we were completing.

Speaker: schooling.

Speaker: But at the same time, I'm curious about how, like what challenges have you faced?

Speaker: What things that really made you the person who you are today?

Speaker: I would love for us to dive into that and listen to your experiences.

Speaker: I would say the challenges that I faced in middle school and in primary school, there weren't as many, except I was struggling a bit with my education because I like to go at my own pace.

Speaker: You know, I'm a slow learner and I was ashamed of that before because everybody was so quick, so fast, so quick witted.

Speaker: And I was somebody who took time to

Speaker: soak up information and retain that information.

Speaker: Especially when our whole school system or whole system is based on memorized exams.

Speaker: So it wasn't about anything critical thinking or any creative ideas.

Speaker: It was about how quickly can you retain that information.

Speaker: I wasn't good at it and I needed to take my own sweet time.

Speaker: And to be honest, I wasn't even motivated to take my own sweet time and to study in my own time.

Speaker: That's because even, you know, we used to have parent-teacher meeting and then the teachers would obviously compare you to everyone.

Speaker: They'll be like, why can't you do it?

Speaker: She can do it.

Speaker: She participates in, we had a school captain.

Speaker: She was a senior.

Speaker: So my teacher gave her example to my mom that she participates in debates.

Speaker: She participates in this.

Speaker: She's good in English.

Speaker: She's good in mathematics.

Speaker: So I was, I really felt bad about myself that why can't I be like this?

Speaker: But obviously then I grew up, I embraced myself, how I retain information, how I study and

Speaker: My parents never put pressure on me to be a certain way because my dad knew that education, which is being taught in school, is not the height of intelligence.

Speaker: So he never put pressure on me to memorize anything or get good grades.

Speaker: which I'm very grateful for because it left room for me to grow into a person who I am now and he really encouraged me to be more vocal and because I never participated in debates as well um

Speaker: because I never thought I had something to say which is very ironic because now I can't shut up so yeah so these are the challenges that I face because I was never encouraged to go out and speak by the teachers by the guardians in the school of teachers in the school so I wish if I would now open a school or I would be

Speaker: open an ideal school from my perspective it would be something that encourages children to be who they are to dive into the information knowledge they found themselves being fascinated by because I don't think somebody hates learning people don't hate learning I've never seen anybody who's like I don't want to learn if they find a subject that's like I

Speaker: um they fascinates them they will go down the rabbit hole for that subject they will dig up sources dig up information for everywhere to um get those um information out and another thing that's not my personal challenge but um i'm sure people felt bad because we had in our school i don't know if it's all over the world or

Speaker: all over India you guys let us know if you've experienced something similar that they had divisions so how what percentage of what grade you got in class you were put into that division accordingly so maybe I was always in A or B but I still felt bad sometimes when I was in B that why can't I get into A and

Speaker: That discrimination obviously took a massive hit on my self-esteem and I can only imagine what it did to other people who were not so good at traditional studies.

Speaker: Instead of helping them, instead of providing assistance to them, they were just tossed to the side in D or E sections.

Speaker: So I can go on and on, but I think we should also share some experiences.

Speaker: I don't want a trauma dump here.

Speaker: So, Antiksha, why don't you carry on?

Speaker: Tell us something about the challenges you faced.

Speaker: I think there's so much that is coming to my head at the moment.

Speaker: Firstly, I'm so happy that you had a dad who kind of knew, who was a little aware of the things and maybe you weren't pressured, right?

Speaker: Because I've seen parents who have been going like absolutely crazy on their kids to perform, to like go and be crazy in the school and put the kids into the comparison traps.

Speaker: But like I with the division thing, I have to be a little honest here because the equation was simple in my head.

Speaker: I kind of accepted and appreciated the division as a child because I felt like if I am cutting out my playtime, if I am.

Speaker: Not being a notorious kid, if I am working hard every night to get the grades, I thought that was how you'd be praised and accepted and you'll receive the applause for it.

Speaker: So I kind of accepted that model of separation.

Speaker: And then when we were finally merged together, it was uncomfortable, to be honest, to kind of navigate how I would have a conversation with people because there was so much shame and judgment attached with the kids who were not in A-section.

Speaker: And I have always been in that.

Speaker: So there was this, I didn't want to be rude.

Speaker: I didn't want to be cold.

Speaker: But I knew that, you know, there was something in me.

Speaker: There was judgment in my heart.

Speaker: And that's how like when we were merged, it was really uncomfortable because in my street in front of me, there's like this studious kid sitting and there is this mischievous kid sitting together.

Speaker: And I didn't know how to hold a conversation in a respectful manner.

Speaker: Right.

Speaker: But then I think the universe has always made my experiences in such a way that when I really want to learn, when I really want to grow.

Speaker: So what happened, it provides the kind of experience.

Speaker: situations in such a manner that I learn how to do those things.

Speaker: So for the entire middle school years, everybody's sitting with their group of friends and I was picked out and was made to sit with every new kid that was coming into the class, right?

Speaker: Because to help them out with their studies, to tell them the rules of the school to make them really comfortable.

Speaker: And in those moments, I started having really vulnerable and open conversations.

Speaker: Kids were coming from different cities, different backgrounds.

Speaker: They started sharing.

Speaker: We really started sharing a very safe bond where they started sharing about their fears and their like the traumas that they were experiencing at home.

Speaker: And I also observed that.

Speaker: We had a different conversation and then they would have an entirely different personality with the rest of the students in the class because they wanted to fit in.

Speaker: That is the natural desire for all of all us human beings that they wanted to be accepted and loved in our school, in the class.

Speaker: Right.

Speaker: So that opened up like my perception, my level of empathy and understanding during those years when I was made to sit with different random kids.

Speaker: So that was there.

Speaker: And I feel like during my final years of schooling, which is like the high school years, I lost my focus for the first time in my life.

Speaker: So those were the moments where there was conversation like I, there was honest conversation.

Speaker: I honestly accepted that I was struggling for the first time in my life and I needed help.

Speaker: But in those moments, what I received as like this bright student and people again have this persona of bright students were the one who were expected to like shine with bright colors for the school.

Speaker: So there were like 10 or 15 or 20 of us who were separated and people, the students obviously thought that there was discrimination.

Speaker: We were being treated with some privileged.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: sense and we were given some extra material we were being taught differently but the only thing that happened with us bright students were that there was added pressure on us added tests that we were given at times we were told that we had to figure out certain concepts on our own and ace the exams because if not we'll you know our parents would be called or whatever um

Speaker: So I say this because people are like, okay, the school is doing things, they are separating, they're discriminating.

Speaker: But I want you to know that every kid that has ever performed, every bright student, every studious kid that has ever been there is there because of their own hard work and not because the system provided some privileges to them.

Speaker: Now in those moments when I was very honest with my situation and I was very straightforward that I was struggling, what I received from the other end from the authorities was like, we know you since you were in kindergarten, we know you can do it, you know you can do it, you're just not doing it.

Speaker: You've got to pull up your socks and you've got to get the grades for the institution because our reputation is on the line.

Speaker: And I'm like my entire kind of mind, my foundation was at the moment because I felt like I haven't had a breather since I was a baby.

Speaker: I have been the most responsible, most disciplined child and me kind of upfront accepting that I'm struggling at the moment.

Speaker: And for the first time, I need help.

Speaker: A little attention.

Speaker: I need a little help from the teachers.

Speaker: Leave about emotional mental support.

Speaker: That is not what any system across the world is trained for.

Speaker: But at least try to ask me if I'm struggling with a particular concept, with a particular subject.

Speaker: There was no conversation about it.

Speaker: And the only thing I got was that I was lazy and careless and...

Speaker: just not putting in more of the hard work so those were the moments where again I was like my living reality have been different this is not my truth I don't know how I'd get out of it or even if I'll get out of it but this is the treatment that I as a bright student is getting what treatment has been given to the students who have been average below average not academically inclined all their life

Speaker: Since they were little babies.

Speaker: And people, there was like this entire, a different life at the moment.

Speaker: A lot of judgment and projection by adults, by my own batchmates, by the students.

Speaker: But my life at that point was like, I was surrounded with all different thoughts outside of the schooling system.

Speaker: I was like...

Speaker: I used to have breakdowns for myself, but then I used to have another breakdowns for the kids because I felt like they might be having such brutal trauma since they were like little kids.

Speaker: They were not accepted.

Speaker: They might have been discriminated with such brutality all their life.

Speaker: And those were the moments where I kind of, I also never shared it with my best friends because as we say, like I had the expectations of our high school being really,

Speaker: magical high school music but I was experiencing an extremely extremely different life and I didn't want other kids to be exposed to it and so I kind of wanted to protect them from them and so I never shared what was going on there was a lot of judgment a lot of projection of like okay she's turning cold she's having her own pity party and she's not

Speaker: getting the grades and that is why she's not speaking more but my entire mindset was entirely on a different track where I was having real arguments and discussions with the administration which is not related to grades and

Speaker: whatever things that we had at the moment.

Speaker: Yeah, of course.

Speaker: I remember you even wrote a letter to them expressing your concerns, right?

Speaker: I remember the whole, I wasn't as involved in it.

Speaker: I'm sorry.

Speaker: But yeah, I do remember you going through that.

Speaker: Oh, I know.

Speaker: And I had to face like brutal consequences for it.

Speaker: And everything from my side had been in a really respectful way.

Speaker: But then of course I had to face.

Speaker: But the funny thing is at one moment I was being banned from being an active student, which is illegal, so to say.

Speaker: But the next day I was being approached to handle the events because they felt like they requested me that they weren't feeling that the kids that they had trusted were competent enough.

Speaker: were trained enough and I as a child had huge respect for the institution for the teachers and I didn't know what that I could deny that well I didn't want to be disrespectful so I fulfilled all the responsibilities all the things that were asked off of me but then I also lost the respect yeah I mean I can only imagine like a

Speaker: adults projecting their insecurities on you and so as to say the children you were just a child in middle school as you said so they endowed this responsibility to you to help a peer like that's such a big responsibility you're taking care of yourself and then you are also taking care of somebody else who just joined the class who's new so I mean like that's a huge responsibility to give to a child who's just like a preteen

Speaker: It's the teacher's responsibility.

Speaker: She's gone through the training to do that and you're just there and they think that just through osmosis, maybe the child can turn intelligent.

Speaker: No, that's the thing, right?

Speaker: If I have been given those responsibilities since I was a child, I've never had the free time in my entire life.

Speaker: I've never had the joys of being like free and mysterious.

Speaker: When they have given me that responsibility and I want to have like more conversations of like why we are doing this and why is this, like why are you putting two kids against each other?

Speaker: I've literally heard teachers speaking in such a...

Speaker: in such an ugly manner for the kids who were out there doing the thing for this teacher, trying to butter this teacher up, trying to get the validation of this teacher.

Speaker: And I've literally heard these teachers speaking really in a shitty manner for that particular kid.

Speaker: And I was like, if I would hear these thoughts about myself, I've heard the rumors.

Speaker: My friends have told me what the gossip has been about me.

Speaker: But then I've never...

Speaker: I've heard those things about other kids and it really broke me because in fact, I was not at all angry or sad with other students around me because I felt like we were all in this teenage spirit and we all were being like,

Speaker: I don't know, carefree, mean, and whatever.

Speaker: That's one of the things that happen when one goes into high school.

Speaker: But I was really angry at the adults who were using the kids as pawns and just like throwing their own projections of unhealed traumas onto the kids.

Speaker: So that was there.

Speaker: I think with the challenges also...

Speaker: I think for me, by the time I was out, by the time I completed my education, I started feeling I've done everything that the system wanted out of me.

Speaker: Right.

Speaker: So when it comes to like extracurriculars, I've been there.

Speaker: When it comes to sports, I've been there.

Speaker: When it comes to academics, I've been there.

Speaker: But over time, what I realized was that I was internally, I was feeling that disconnection from myself, out of alignment from myself.

Speaker: And by the time I entered high school, I was like, okay, this is going to be over in a few years.

Speaker: What will I do?

Speaker: Really, I thought I'll be able to figure things out for myself.

Speaker: That was my intention of participating in everything.

Speaker: But there aren't conversations.

Speaker: There is no intention of figuring out our ultimate passion or purpose or essence in life.

Speaker: And I will have to do and I will have to figure this out all on my own.

Speaker: So that was, again, like my thoughts that were going behind the scenes.

Speaker: Plus, I feel like we had so much extracurriculars, right?

Speaker: But none of them was for skill set nurturing.

Speaker: They were all there for the competitions, for the trophies.

Speaker: We had like, this event is coming up and let's prepare for that.

Speaker: That event is coming up and let's make time for that.

Speaker: But what if I had a certain interest in painting?

Speaker: Was there any facility that was available that I could have my practice sessions provided by the school after school, after like our school time ended?

Speaker: We can't even go to our own playground as alumni's.

Speaker: And I speak this, I feel strongly for this because the kind of fees that we have paid and the kind of facilities that we've gotten.

Speaker: Imagine the tax evasion.

Speaker: It's bizarre what we kind of expected and what we got in return and what the devotion of the facility actually had towards us, how teachers, you know, being a teacher, I think it's in the DNA, right?

Speaker: Being really devoted to being a teacher.

Speaker: But then we currently we have business models.

Speaker: Currently we have businessmen and instructions, just not in it for the right reasons.

Speaker: And again, one thing, the biggest thing that is coming to me, which is again related to like the kind of fees and because I get really, I feel very strongly for this.

Speaker: It is a shame that we haven't received sex education and therapy in our school, considering the amount of fees, considering the amount of money and time we have invested and considering the reputation that our school currently has.

Speaker: So that is again one thing.

Speaker: It's like we are made into everybody being taught in a singular manner.

Speaker: And then they are out of the school feeling very lost and feeling like what do I do now?

Speaker: What is the next order that I need to follow?

Speaker: Because we've always been told like sit down, stand up.

Speaker: Can I go to the bathroom?

Speaker: Whatever.

Speaker: And once you're out of that school, you're like what do I do next?

Speaker: Right?

Speaker: And that is...

Speaker: going in the entirely wrong direction that is preparing humans for nothing in life.

Speaker: A real life education, a real success in life is absolutely different than success in school.

Speaker: And yeah, so that is like I can again go on and on.

Speaker: But those are some of the things.

Speaker: I know, I know.

Speaker: I share your feeling.

Speaker: And yeah, I had so many thoughts when you were saying, first of all, about this short sightedness.

Speaker: Yes, you know how our initial gurukul system, it was 25 years of life.

Speaker: of human beings were spent starting away from home, away from comfort zone to develop the personality and it was more like a holistic approach and the objective was spiritual awakening.

Speaker: But now this contemporary education has shrunk its objective and it's very short-sighted and it's how you can focus on getting ahead, how you can focus on building a career supposedly.

Speaker: So it's only about maybe getting the skills, not so much about personal development.

Speaker: But then again, the skills we acquire, are they really skills?

Speaker: Because we were taught the subject called computer science, but were we taken to the computer lab at all?

Speaker: I mean, I still remember I was...

Speaker: We used to be in class and study from textbooks.

Speaker: So if you want to teach skills and a skill like computer science, you have to use a laptop computer.

Speaker: I remember you guys took computer in 11th and 12th and you had programming, right?

Speaker: So you had to learn Java, but you had to write all the scripts.

Speaker: So I don't know how you did that without practicing.

Speaker: I know what I did in my finals.

Speaker: So like, yeah, I mean, the system has kind of failed us.

Speaker: And I was I was I studied accountancy and I study management studies within that.

Speaker: So even in bachelor's and master level, they talk about personal development, self development as human beings, you should do this and

Speaker: You should be more empathetic.

Speaker: But it's a very capitalistic view.

Speaker: It is just basically increase your productivity, if I have to say in one line.

Speaker: So first of all, self-development should be a normalized practice.

Speaker: It should be there in school, not like just one subject called moral science and you study it for 45 minutes once a week and that's it, but a very normalized practice.

Speaker: But...

Speaker: Coming back to the management studies, like even in corporate world, even in my first job, I saw how these managers, high level managers were called in seminars and life coaches came in and they taught this is how you should be a better leader.

Speaker: This is how you should have more empathy.

Speaker: And this is how you should take, you know, accountability for your mistake.

Speaker: And I came home and told my dad, this is something I have known like for a couple of years and I'm just 20 and they're like 50.

Speaker: Why do they have to teach them that?

Speaker: But the thing is, I think they are so much in survival mode, so much in hustling mode that they sit there, take it in, understand all the concepts, but they miss embodying the concept because there's so much in survival mode.

Speaker: They are not reflecting on themselves.

Speaker: They're just listening.

Speaker: Okay, you have to do this, this, this.

Speaker: I mean, I get it, you get two to four weeks a year and you want to spend those relaxing and not diving into shadow work and healing.

Speaker: But that's again the systems problem, right?

Speaker: And even when I took like a gap year to ground myself, I broke the cycle of studying and just straight away entering this corporate world.

Speaker: I wanted to ground myself, align myself with what I truly wanted and the actions and the next steps I wanted to do.

Speaker: But even during this time, if anybody asked them out of fear, I would tell them, yeah, I'm applying for something.

Speaker: I couldn't just straight away say that I'm the young gap year because how they would look at me.

Speaker: Because once I told them some people, they're like, they wouldn't understand what I mean, like taking time out to catch up energetically.

Speaker: What does that even mean?

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: So they were like, are you wasting your time?

Speaker: So these practices happen if they happen quickly, you don't have to be 40 and then realize, oh, yes, this is what I was meant to do.

Speaker: You can do it now if you take a little time out of your curriculum or half of the hustle and reflect upon that.

Speaker: And also this like normal corporate or normal like schooling, the

Speaker: traditional structure even they don't feel fulfilled or satisfied because something that I've noticed is because they do this monotonous every same work every day so even if you reach 40 you're like I don't feel that sense of contentment sense of satisfaction why is that so something I noticed that's because you are not creating and

Speaker: I think that's a big thing that schools should take into consideration, creation.

Speaker: During my first job, I felt more sense of contentment because I was creating something, I was inputting something new.

Speaker: And then I had a couple of more different jobs, which I had to just input some things and make some numbers things.

Speaker: And

Speaker: That wasn't as fulfilling because I didn't have all these energy put into something that I created.

Speaker: So I think that's a very important aspect in the equation of human satisfaction that humans need to pay more attention to and the system needs to pay more attention to.

Speaker: I totally agree with that because I would speak of it in terms of like being in alignment with our purpose, our mission.

Speaker: When we are in alignment with that, obviously, I want to be doing this till my last breath.

Speaker: There's no retirement age that I have in mind because this is not a soul sucking job, a soul sucking career that I'm in for the money.

Speaker: Right.

Speaker: And that is why the purpose conversations should have been come forward.

Speaker: early in our school system because it's like instead of focusing for the finals and going to the next grade the idea should be figuring out what each kid has the gift of and nurturing that and allowing that kid to focus on that and have that commitment for at least a year to see if that works for them or not

Speaker: In fact, we have already developed our muscle memories.

Speaker: I'm a purpose coach today, but then it takes a lot of unwiring, unlearning, deconditioning before we start with figuring out what you're actually meant to do here.

Speaker: But if these things already start back in school, where kids are allowed the space to experiment, to experience, to commit to different things that they like, different gifts that they have, not everybody wants to be a scientist.

Speaker: But we all have different gifts, different archetypes and different purposes.

Speaker: And if the space for that is made early on, we would all raise a generation of purpose driven, healthy human beings.

Speaker: This also brings me to like the concept of homeschooling that I have been really into since quite some time now, because the best part that I personally feel is like there's no...

Speaker: one particular way of teaching exactly right to everyone so every kid needs different teaching method different teaching styles and so like one kid is introvert that doesn't mean that that kid would be would love to be in this in the shell for the rest of their lives they have certain gifts that needs to be acknowledged that needs to be paid attention to and they will bloom in the right environment with the right gifts with the right support in that particular space

Speaker: If there are kids who have like special needs, there are kids who hate studying at all, they all have like certain gifts.

Speaker: And if that is identified at an early age, it'll be great for all of us.

Speaker: And that is one aspect of homeschooling that I really love.

Speaker: I've never met someone who in real life who has been homeschooled.

Speaker: home educated but then I am in touch with people online and I love the entire concept it makes me so excited with the life skills that they are teaching their children with the character development the personality development and the

Speaker: spiritual values that they are inculcating in the kids plus the overall family growth because it's not a easy job to do right the parents have to be mission driven the parents have to have a lifestyle they have to have a vision for their life that is out of the indoctrination and conditioning so it requires like a really empowered parent to be homeschooling their kids

Speaker: Plus, I also feel like it's a privileged thing to do because the finances are required.

Speaker: But having said that, I would be so grateful if I can, if I see that more often around me.

Speaker: What are your thoughts on homeschooling?

Speaker: So yeah, you're so right.

Speaker: It requires a lot of time and effort.

Speaker: I think it's a big decision even for parents because it requires patience as well, you know, to sit with your parent and like them being patient and guiding you through the process, guiding you through that subject.

Speaker: Because if you, I do remember some of, sometimes when I did homework or learned for school, oh my God, that trauma was totally different.

Speaker: So there is a,

Speaker: a sense of patience required from parent side as well and even a kind of discipline required from the child side innate discipline because if I look back now would I I don't think I would be able to you know be homeschooled with a

Speaker: would be thrive in homeschooling because I'm not that disciplined I would procrastinate procrastinate because oh there's no exam so I'm gonna maybe do it tomorrow to wait next week but the thing is again this might not be something that I was born with something innate this might be what school in

Speaker: conditioned in me so I don't know but no that is there because there's a difference between discipline and fear and control what the system and what parents adopt is generally control and fear what discipline is that adults leading a disciplined life a really healthy life they are in alignment with their purpose really going out there making healthy choices and the children would naturally understand the role of discipline and conscious choices by looking at the parents

Speaker: And there won't be a need to control and infuse fear in the minds of a kid if that child is witnessing the parents going out and with an empowered energy.

Speaker: So there's a difference.

Speaker: And I totally agree with that.

Speaker: Plus, at the same time, I also want to include like,

Speaker: It is said that about like 10 hours of studies that we do in school or even more than that can be done in just two hours.

Speaker: Right.

Speaker: We have this entire time that we waste time.

Speaker: during school and that should be filled with different creative activities, with different spiritual activities, with different personality development activities because there is so much time available at the hands of us when we are in the school but the system just doesn't bother about the overall growth.

Speaker: Yeah, same as when you do a job, like you can finish the task in maybe one hour, but you have to sit there for nine hours doing nothing, pretending that you're working.

Speaker: Yeah, I totally agree.

Speaker: That's not something I do.

Speaker: I work.

Speaker: Yeah, so yeah, my 3 a.m.

Speaker: thoughts, this always comes to my mind that I have wasted, did I waste time going to school?

Speaker: Because if I would have started this and figured out what my skills were,

Speaker: 20 years of my life, I would have practiced it, how good I would be at what I'm doing.

Speaker: But then again, this thing that I'm still good at what I'm doing, and I have plenty of time that it's going to happen.

Speaker: And at least I'm practicing what I truly feel my purpose is.

Speaker: so then i figured out that this competitive streak you know how we were pitted against each other in school this comes um in in the equation um that this is like a teacher literally came to me and she was like you have to come first in 12th and 11th i was like i have no motivation i'm doing just fine as i am doing i have like zero motivation to come first but

Speaker: This was the narrative.

Speaker: And I never thought in my life I could even do that.

Speaker: So that's another thing.

Speaker: But I was very satisfied with what my grades were, what I was.

Speaker: But this was always a narrative.

Speaker: And I just figured out when I went to this spiritual school or like I did a spiritual course.

Speaker: And so when the coach was teaching, I was like, yeah, I have to give the answer.

Speaker: I have to give the answer of why, you know, this thing...

Speaker: And I thought to myself, where is this coming from?

Speaker: Why do I want to be liked by my coach so much?

Speaker: And then I looked back and I was like, there was this need to be liked by your teacher to be this obedient student who knows it all, who's good at studies.

Speaker: And this continued throughout my university life.

Speaker: And

Speaker: Then when I was doing the spiritual coach, I just sat myself down and I was like, this is not about the competition.

Speaker: We are here to learn and we have to collaborate, not compete.

Speaker: So that's a very big conditioning that I had to throw out of myself.

Speaker: I had to unlearn because we would really pit it against each other.

Speaker: Even if it was not through words, it was through trophies.

Speaker: like you have to get this trophy or the several competitions we had there was very little to no collaboration in the atmosphere where I studied which was very sad and even once I'm not very

Speaker: proud of this fact but my best friend she won like this creative art competition and instead of just like being happy for her and telling her I was so I was also in the same category you were with me remember the flower thing flower arrangement flower arrangement yeah I know so instead of being happy for her instead of congratulating her I was really upset and I went on a rant about how I didn't get anything

Speaker: And I think that was a very ugly quality in me that I had to throw that the school system or this current education system engraved in me and that I had to throw out.

Speaker: So I'm very glad about that.

Speaker: And secondly,

Speaker: where you said not everyone has to be a scientist right the shame you go through if you tell people you you uh chose commerce or humanities instead of science and they are like why i mean it's not like we have a plethora of options in our school they are just science and commerce and even if you chose commerce people have this mindset that you're dumb somehow

Speaker: And you don't want to, you can't study science or whatever.

Speaker: Maybe I don't have anything to contribute to science.

Speaker: I don't have that, I don't know, mind to like go and research.

Speaker: Not everybody can research.

Speaker: But yeah, this was amazing.

Speaker: This was something that my relatives put me through.

Speaker: Like, you were such a smart kid.

Speaker: Why did you take commerce?

Speaker: I was like, because I don't want to be smart anymore.

Speaker: Anyways.

Speaker: I was also a little unsettled when I got to know that all of you were...

Speaker: choosing commerce and were being separated because I was like, where is this coming from?

Speaker: And why do we need to kind of go in different tracks?

Speaker: But at the same time, coming back to what you mentioned about you being upset, that's how the system raised us.

Speaker: And that's what I'm so glad that the process started early for me back in like 10th grade or 11th grade.

Speaker: I started questioning who I was becoming.

Speaker: While I was achieving the things.

Speaker: So with time, as the years were passing, the competition was getting really ugly and was getting really negative.

Speaker: And I started feeling so disconnected with who I wanted to be and who I was actually becoming.

Speaker: And I started hating the fact how all of the students around me were teaching and were

Speaker: treating each other when they were like the closest of people, the closest of friends and everybody was in that competitive state.

Speaker: But again, I was more angry at the adults who were at times, you know, infusing that fire, even at times when the kids wanted to bond, wanted to be

Speaker: there for each other they were pushed to be to have that competitive spirit they were compared uh brutally and so naturally a kid would feel the intense emotions towards winning um but i'm so glad that i kind of because by the time i was out of there i lost uh

Speaker: the motivation.

Speaker: I lost the desire of having those titles, having those validation because I was like, I know what I did.

Speaker: I know what I'm doing.

Speaker: And I was even like,

Speaker: when I was being approached by the administration to handle stuff, that was in itself an evidence for me that, okay, I am a skilled person, so to say, but I don't necessarily need the titles and the whatever validation, the external validation, which people today I think are experiencing, are craving in the corporate world.

Speaker: I'm glad I went through all of that in school already and it is like done and tested case for me.

Speaker: back then yeah I'm so glad that you realized that at least you didn't waste a lot of your time you know but I'm not saying but I was into that I told you know I told you that I was in the game so like I had done it from the time I was a baby right I've done everything that the system wanted everything that the system told me and I was like I'll be like the happiest person on the planet but over time I was feeling like I wasn't

Speaker: the most happy person I wasn't feeling that fulfillment if I am if somebody is teaching me if my friend is losing I am being upset of that fact I remember pushing my friend we were in a marathon and I I was like pushing her in front of me for a very long distance and I pushed her through the winning like whatever yeah yeah yeah

Speaker: the ribbon and so i i wanted to be that person but there was this like i've i've been that person but there was this constant pressure and i was like i don't want to be uh this person when i grow up if this is the measure of success if this is how you become i don't want that for myself so i naturally have to like i had to figure it out on my own

Speaker: Yeah, I think a lot of my own learning was not in school, but after school when I entered university and how I realized that this is how a non-toxic educational environment is happening.

Speaker: And then that's when I realized I have no skills that could help me, you know, succeed in the real world.

Speaker: I had zero time management skills because in school we were always told, Abhi parlo, you should study even if somebody would

Speaker: participate in extracurricular activity that was in during founders day why are you missing classes studies are more important we weren't encouraged that okay this is how you handle your time this is how much time you should give to your studies this is how much time you should give to something that you love but yeah this wasn't taught to us and so i truly struggled with um

Speaker: managing my studies with my social life, with my work and with extracurricular activities.

Speaker: So, so much as to I, that's what started my healing.

Speaker: That's what started my TAW movement because I was so burnt out after that, after constantly studying for so many years and then going to university.

Speaker: And I also feel like for me, I believed that everybody was happy and everybody was encouraging me, including the teachers and the parents.

Speaker: But what I think is that I was like, okay, I'm going to be part of so and so and so and so things.

Speaker: but I'm going to get the grades.

Speaker: So that is what worked for me that I was making in my class.

Speaker: I was like, okay, I don't have time for notorious things because I'll get this concept sorted right when it is being taught in class.

Speaker: I'm going to handle this because in the evening, I have my sports practices at night.

Speaker: I want to be part of some creative thing and I want to brainstorm for that.

Speaker: So I was figuring those, I was self-teaching myself those things.

Speaker: And then I was like, okay,

Speaker: I was raising my hand also in my class on my own that I want to learn.

Speaker: I want to audition.

Speaker: And then I'm going back home and telling my parents and they were like, but how are you going to manage your studies?

Speaker: And I was like, I'm going to handle that.

Speaker: You only worry for the costum amount that needs to be paid and the pick and drop thing.

Speaker: Rest everything.

Speaker: But rest everything else.

Speaker: You don't need to have like extra stress about how I'm going to handle that.

Speaker: And plus I handled that.

Speaker: So I think I felt like that was...

Speaker: that they were motivating and encouraging enough but I also felt like I had that desire and I handled it in my own way that made them like follow along with me in the journey because I was getting the grades at the same time so those things were not affected and I saw that as motivation because once I was like why do I really need the grades for the school the system is not talking about what I'm really passionate about what is my purpose really uh

Speaker: So I've gotten the grades all my life.

Speaker: I don't have the desire to get them anymore.

Speaker: There are things that are filling my mind about purpose.

Speaker: And we are not having those conversations.

Speaker: In those moments, I realized that there was...

Speaker: No external motivation, no external support, but it was just my own curiosity and the way I managed my own time that allowed me to kind of have different experiences along with my studies.

Speaker: Yeah, actually, the administration used you and some other general like a trophy, you know, they would parade around, oh, we got good grades because they literally...

Speaker: um accepted they literally said in front of these students that we want to be the highest ranked schooled in all over india and that's why you need to like get good grades and we had tests every day i remember complaining to a teacher about like i had 23 on 25 in one of my exams and people who had below 20 had to redo the test i was pretty satisfied and then this person from administration comes and says why didn't you get full marks you have to do the test again

Speaker: And I was like, I'm doing IELTS.

Speaker: I'm doing my college application.

Speaker: These tests don't even matter.

Speaker: But then there was so much unnecessary pressure that obviously somebody, like it was building up inside, but it didn't burst during school years, but it happened eventually after.

Speaker: And as you said, like you put your time into...

Speaker: what you wanted to do right i always i also always knew what i wanted to do i always wanted to act i loved acting i loved dancing so um but i never had the courage to go and tell um that to everyone because my self-esteem was pretty low and i didn't want to ask teacher uh to audition me or didn't have the courage to go for auditions but then once i gathered um i was in 11th grade i think you were there too

Speaker: So in 11th grade, there was this inter-house drama competition and I wanted to participate in this English drama competition.

Speaker: And I was like, okay, I think I've had enough.

Speaker: I've had enough and I'm going to participate and do what I love.

Speaker: I'm not going to let my fears hold me back.

Speaker: So I went and this teacher who was in charge, she was like, oh no, sorry, we are not auditioning.

Speaker: Anyway, we are not auditioning.

Speaker: So she picked up all the people.

Speaker: And even then, I did not give up.

Speaker: You remember, she said that then next day I was still there.

Speaker: I went and said, but maybe she sees my determination and she's going to accept it.

Speaker: But then she gave me a huge speech and then she pointed out, she put me on the spot and she said, please, can you go back to the class?

Speaker: I'm not taking you like right out my face.

Speaker: Didn't even let me audition, didn't even ask me to say a few lines or see what I could do.

Speaker: I was very disappointed and very disheartened because that was something I love to do and I wasn't given an opportunity to do.

Speaker: Then I didn't give up hope.

Speaker: I didn't stop myself.

Speaker: And even after the school was over, if I can go through that humiliation, I can do anything.

Speaker: I can audition for anything.

Speaker: I don't have to give up.

Speaker: So, yes.

Speaker: I mean, that was when we were an adult standing in between something that child wanted to do.

Speaker: That was a very...

Speaker: weird scenario for me like why do you have to do that i'm sure it wasn't only me she did that person did that too there were a lot there must have been a lot of people just because they didn't fit in her um ideal child or ideal student image i don't know what even was that but yeah

Speaker: I never fitted in her mold as well.

Speaker: And I think I kept triggering her till the last moment because I never craved her validation in that way.

Speaker: And our friends have been through the brutality.

Speaker: In fact, I've received... Okay, let's not speak about that.

Speaker: Like...

Speaker: I've had my own experiences with her, but I've never, I've been like, I've always believed if I've, if I'll work hard, if I'll be like deserving enough, and they are going to kind of reject me, I realized that that is how the world works.

Speaker: And it is not inherently like my fault or my unworthiness or something of that sort.

Speaker: Because I know what efforts I'm putting, I know what I'm doing.

Speaker: So yeah, that was my experience.

Speaker: But then I forgot what you were mentioning earlier.

Speaker: I had some point I forgot about.

Speaker: take your time to remember I want to now I want to hear what you had to say but yeah also an interesting thing came to my mind so my sister and I were talking once and you know how in our life and in spirituality and in our dharma we value service so much so we I think that's also somewhere where you can attain a sense of fulfillment a sense of satisfaction because your service to the society you are making an impact

Speaker: So how I never, ever noticed this, but my sister was just mentioning, you know, how in throughout our school days, we are taught that cow gives us milk and sheep gives us this and this animal does this for us.

Speaker: So we are made the center of the world.

Speaker: which is not true because our um innate desire is to be of service to them as well we have to give love to them as well we have to take care of them as well but since i'm i know this must not sound as a big thing but if you tell a child again and again that these these people do this for you obviously he's gonna internalize that thing and um think that all these things are there to serve them

Speaker: Which is not at all the case.

Speaker: Human beings should also nurture and be of service to them towards the community.

Speaker: And I don't think we had a lot of volunteering opportunity as well in our school where we could go and work.

Speaker: do some volunteering work.

Speaker: I just remember that we just had to collect money for some old age home which now when I look back I'm not even sure if that old age home got that money.

Speaker: That's something I think a lot about that we used to go out and collect it but did they actually give it to them?

Speaker: I don't know.

Speaker: Everything, all of these things come under like spiritual activities and there is no concept of that in the system at all.

Speaker: Everybody who was involved in these things did it externally, had to go and do it externally.

Speaker: And I think the parents kind of influenced that, kind of made a way for those things to happen.

Speaker: But yes, those things have been provided in the system itself.

Speaker: That's how you build character.

Speaker: That's how you build moral values in humans.

Speaker: Also, there's this argument, there's this opinion that's coming to my mind of where people assume that schools are there just for the...

Speaker: academia and the subjects but it's the responsibility of the parents to inculcate the moral values right so how do you how do you feel about that i've heard this a lot of the time so i'm just curious about that i don't think that it's essentially true that only parents are responsibility for values and empathy because if that were the case people can just

Speaker: use online programs to teach them.

Speaker: They don't have to have human interactions, right?

Speaker: If it's only about the skills and not child development, you can just totally eradicate schools.

Speaker: But schools are also about child development as much as they are about skills.

Speaker: So if I were a parent sending my child to school, I would expect the teacher to create a safe environment for them.

Speaker: And because for majority of our life, for our childhood life, we are at school, we spend how many?

Speaker: Eight hours in school.

Speaker: So yeah, teachers are observing, teachers observe children's behavior and they are the ones who are trained to

Speaker: They go through a training to at least, I hope that they do, they just don't become a teacher, to react in an appropriate way that would comfort the child.

Speaker: So if the child is acting out, maybe they want the right way to behave.

Speaker: And also they can communicate that effectively to the parent instead of just complaining and handle the situation in a suitable way because parents don't go through a training and teachers do go through a training in child development.

Speaker: And now talking about empathy, obviously empathy isn't something that can be taught.

Speaker: It's something that child picks up when he or she sees it around them.

Speaker: So, of course, the teacher being empathetic towards the child, they would pick up on that.

Speaker: And plus, sometimes a child doesn't have a safe space at home, you know, and they can find that safe space and empathetic and nice teacher.

Speaker: You know like Tare is a moon bird, how the... Dead poet.

Speaker: For our audience, yeah.

Speaker: Like for our audience, how the child was autistic, so his parents couldn't understand him, but the teacher could.

Speaker: If the teacher was just focused on skills and learning, like the other teachers in the school were, he wouldn't have become the child he had the potential to become.

Speaker: So it's important, I think, for a teacher to be empathetic.

Speaker: And I think that not just parents are responsible for imbibing those values and empathy in the chat.

Speaker: What do you think about that?

Speaker: Definitely.

Speaker: I think it's the responsibility of the adults as a collective.

Speaker: So both parents and teachers fall into that category.

Speaker: But at the same time, when a child is spending eight hours of his everyday life in school, the time and money that is invested there, it's natural expectation of the parents.

Speaker: I've seen my parents really going through all the reviews of the best schools in town.

Speaker: I've seen my neighbors that are searching for the best schools.

Speaker: And so parents put in so much to find the best schools because they have that natural expectation of what the school would provide, the system would provide.

Speaker: And plus the thing that I mentioned that, you know, things can be done in two hours, which the school stretches for multiple days and multiple hours.

Speaker: So we do have plenty of time in the entire day.

Speaker: And that time should be

Speaker: taken out for other moral values for other activities that develop, you know, spiritual qualities, spiritual values in a person that develop the character that develop the empathy and compassion, the teamwork, the bonding.

Speaker: between the kids as humans and yeah so I don't think I mean when we speak of home education the entire responsibility that's why I say the parents really have to be up in their game if they are home educating the students but when they are putting their kids in like the best schools possible the responsibility comes in to the school to the teachers definitely

Speaker: for sure yeah and honestly my friend here in switzerland i was a bit jealous of her because her school was so different than mine so her school experience and i'm not saying this because um like only indian schools produce robots and the rest of education system is nice that's not right but it's the differences in india people just put their adult bias when they are interacting with their children and

Speaker: That's the thing that I saw doesn't happen outside India, but it's not like they are not producing robots.

Speaker: They are doing the same thing here in Switzerland.

Speaker: If in university you fail a subject twice, you are blocked throughout the country to do that subject.

Speaker: forever for your life so what is this school teaching you that you can't fail which is impossible in life you fail you learn and then you get up and then do that thing again that's how life works but we were taught that failure is so bad that we became so result oriented that even now even if i'm writing the script or maybe producing a podcast i have i i

Speaker: Sometimes this thought creeps in that what if it isn't good and then I procrastinate and I say I'll start when I'm in my element and the result I produce can be good, can be presentable.

Speaker: but then I have to take a step back and realize that it's not about the result it's about the process it's about what I have to put out there and if it's not good this time it'll be good next time that's completely fine so yeah that's the thing that education system all over the world has but some things that I found better here was you know my friend they weren't um

Speaker: I don't even want to use the word because we were kids we were small young we were young girls and even then we were slouching even for applying nail polish or whatever so here my friend could do anything she wanted she could get streaks in her hair she could get nail polish tattoo anything it was all allowed in school and

Speaker: But even if we would apply mehendi, just mehendi, which is a part of our culture and has significant and proved effects on anxiety even.

Speaker: Even then we were slouching that, oh, are you married?

Speaker: Why are you applying mehendi?

Speaker: And I was like, no.

Speaker: Anyways, this was a very, I would say, not as horrible as once I went through.

Speaker: And I was even in school at that time in Triksha.

Speaker: I just went to school to collect trophies.

Speaker: So we passed out.

Speaker: We were out to 12.

Speaker: And we had to collect, you know, this trophy which we got during Founders Day.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: So I went back and first I had to go to a teacher's place and she said, no, it's in school.

Speaker: Then I went to school.

Speaker: So it was hot.

Speaker: It is India.

Speaker: It's 35 degrees.

Speaker: I was wearing sneakers.

Speaker: I didn't even think of anything.

Speaker: I just went in.

Speaker: I had to pick up the trophy and to come out.

Speaker: But so there was this new principal at school at that time.

Speaker: And then she said, oh, come with me in the office.

Speaker: And I was like, why?

Speaker: So she got me.

Speaker: So she calls me in and then she just goes on on me.

Speaker: And my mom sees me going into her office and she follows me and she comes in and she's shouting at me like, what are you wearing?

Speaker: And you know her exact words.

Speaker: I was shocked.

Speaker: It was like, what are you wearing?

Speaker: You can't wear this.

Speaker: You will distract all the boys that are studying.

Speaker: These were the exact words and I was like, oh my god, you're a 60-year-old woman, what are you even saying?

Speaker: And we would have said, even if, okay, this is not appropriate for school or I wasn't even going to, so I was just there to collect the trophy and it was nothing very revealing.

Speaker: It was just a sleeveless t-shirt.

Speaker: And then yeah, those were exact words, which is something I think no adult should say to a teenager or a teen.

Speaker: That's ridiculous.

Speaker: If it makes things any better, she's not part of the system anymore.

Speaker: But like, do you remember why the main thing again, first, again, I strongly feel for the sex education because I'm my mind is blown with the kind of mentality that my that the boys had in my own batchmate, which I kind of got to know years later.

Speaker: and what their entire perception of life of girls of the opposite gender really is.

Speaker: But other than that, do you know why we were separated from the boys?

Speaker: Despite saying that this is a co-ed school, why was the separation done?

Speaker: I don't know, maybe they wanted to prevent us from hanging out with each other.

Speaker: That could be their inherent motive.

Speaker: But the actual reason because my father came to the school and had this conversation because we've always vouched for like co-education.

Speaker: This is a co-education school and we wanted that for like healthy upbringing.

Speaker: I've grown up with playing with the boys.

Speaker: I've grown up with my brother and

Speaker: And so the reason that the administration gave was because the girls are going to have their periods.

Speaker: And we don't want to make anyone uncomfortable.

Speaker: And for everyone's like comfort, we are doing the separation and that is going to carry on for the rest of our lives then.

Speaker: That's why guys don't know anything about the years of my quality.

Speaker: You know what happened in your own class when guys were throwing around the sanitary napkin?

Speaker: They were throwing around sanitary napkins.

Speaker: You've blown the mic out.

Speaker: They were searching for a tiffin.

Speaker: So instead of taking out the tiffin box, they took out a sanitary pad.

Speaker: And they were so...

Speaker: Weirded out by it?

Speaker: Not weirded out.

Speaker: They didn't know what it was or how to handle it or whatever.

Speaker: Guys in 11th grade?

Speaker: 11th or 12th.

Speaker: And they were throwing it around to each other.

Speaker: So that's what happens when you kind of hide things from the kids.

Speaker: Even like when I speak of sex education, that has to be things like consent, things about...

Speaker: Treating each other with respect, being really curious about how we are as humans and having that healthy bond is really important even like we are entering.

Speaker: We do not have to like we shouldn't wait it until high school years.

Speaker: I believe that education should start way early because that's how we will be shaped.

Speaker: That is an important aspect of life and things like consent and things like body anatomy and all of that.

Speaker: So those things should be introduced early on.

Speaker: Yeah, I completely agree.

Speaker: But I didn't know about this sanitary bad thing.

Speaker: Interesting.

Speaker: I'll tell you the exact things after we are done.

Speaker: Oh my God, we have so much to talk about after the session.

Speaker: I'm surprised that you didn't know of because it's like close people around you.

Speaker: Maybe it might have happened because once I came to my class and I saw my tiffin was empty.

Speaker: So it might be my bag.

Speaker: There's no surprise.

Speaker: But yeah, this used to happen.

Speaker: That wasn't your bag.

Speaker: Okay, cool.

Speaker: okay once we were playing some a game um you know it it was a stupid mobile game so there was a question um people ask questions about something and it was like what is the weirdest thing you have in my pocket so we were three girls and one guy and the guy wrote tampon and we all of why would that be weird that would be the normalest thing someone could have in their pocket

Speaker: That is way better than throwing around sanitary napkin, Manna.

Speaker: I can't say other things, no, here.

Speaker: I want to keep PG-13.

Speaker: Okay, so like what finally, what changes do you expect our system should have?

Speaker: Because clearly the system is here to stay.

Speaker: We can't throw the system out all of a sudden.

Speaker: The government will be taking care of the system.

Speaker: But what things can be done?

Speaker: Yeah, I think that this will be a very, very slow change.

Speaker: And...

Speaker: People, even in my DMs, when I post something, they come, I hate school, I hate learning.

Speaker: And I'm like, you don't hate learning, you just hate what they are imposing on you.

Speaker: But I don't know what to reply to them because I can't say, oh, you should leave school or this is going to change or you should...

Speaker: you know, make that changes.

Speaker: But I am not yet sure where these changes should start.

Speaker: But what I would like to see in an ideal education system would, it should be, first of all, there should be critical thinking and it should not all be based on memorization, a very big aspect.

Speaker: Since the beginning, the critical thinking aspect should be there.

Speaker: And then I think the curriculum should be wider, more subjects.

Speaker: And if the child can't take it, you just make them choose the ones they want, like the ones they like, make them try it.

Speaker: And then if they like something, they think that's aligned with them, they should take it, not like just teaching physics, biology and mathematics in science.

Speaker: school and yeah so I think it should be more inclusive in extracurricular terms as well better dance teachers better acting teachers pottery painting there's so many things in the world but we are just shown that dull side of education in school so I think that's some changes that should be made these are like easier changes don't even require great institutional shift so good starting point for me I guess

Speaker: Yes, absolutely.

Speaker: I agree with all of that.

Speaker: I appreciate the Gurukul system a lot.

Speaker: So in modern world, of course, we can't be going and living with the Gurus, with the Acharyas, but we can adopt like a lot of things where at one hand in Gurukul system, mathematics and science was being taught.

Speaker: At other hand, there was time, specific time allotted for the creative muscle to work for the arts and crafts and music.

Speaker: And at the same time, there were spiritual practices like yoga meditation and mantra chanting.

Speaker: Plus, there were daily chores that provided a child with a sense of mindfulness and empathy and teamwork and all of that.

Speaker: So there's a lot that can be adopted from the Gurukul system plus the homeschooling parents are already adopting those things.

Speaker: Again, the curious mind, the free thinkers, the critical thinkers, I think I'm on it with you on that.

Speaker: Plus the tools for spiritual and emotional growth, I think they should be there because the time is there.

Speaker: Also, I feel like the being able to have respectful conversations with each other, because we can have opinions, you can have different opinions, I can have different opinions, but at the same time,

Speaker: we don't turn like really on each other like have like a really disrespectful way where we are cutting each other out and we are getting triggered by each other but that quality where how to think and how to be

Speaker: And not be apathetic, not be anxious, negatively competitive driven student.

Speaker: You know, those things I think should be taught in school, should be made a part of the curriculum.

Speaker: And I, again, I highly feel for the purpose driven path instead of like the singular focus where we are like, hmm.

Speaker: focusing on the upcoming exam for getting into the next grade.

Speaker: Like every year, every student has different gifts and should be provided that opportunity to commit to things, to figure out if that is there for the long run.

Speaker: Because I think you mentioned about...

Speaker: You know, you procrastinating, maybe if given the chance, right?

Speaker: Or maybe you'll not be disciplined.

Speaker: But the thing is, if you are given the opportunity to think and commit to one particular gift of yours by the school, right?

Speaker: So the actual way is to allow you that commitment to allow you that platform that you'll commit.

Speaker: Whether after one year or not, you like it or not, you have the option to kind of drop it.

Speaker: But to have that experience in a really disciplined manner, in a manner where you have the right teachers, the right environment who are really passionate about that particular gift.

Speaker: those should be there in our schools where we are trying to figure out what our purpose is, what our passion is and the opportunities there in the school itself instead of chasing the next exam and going into the next grade.

Speaker: And finally, I think like the problem solving skills and mindset because there's no right answers in our school.

Speaker: We are taught like there is only one singular way to live life.

Speaker: There is only one success mantra.

Speaker: But which is not the case in real life.

Speaker: Real life has many answers, has many truths, has many purposes and gifts.

Speaker: And you can shape your life in any way that you want to.

Speaker: So having that like real solution oriented and free thinking mindset, I think should be there while we are in school.

Speaker: Yeah, there is like, there should be coexistence of opinions or thought processes, as you said, that's true.

Speaker: And this one thing is only one answer is right thing, you know, this.

Speaker: shows when people debate with each other like you said we are respectful but I think most people when you start debating with them they don't want to listen they just want to prove that they are right which I have seen even in myself but yeah I think that's something that comes from school as well which should be

Speaker: I think that's the way I've been a debater.

Speaker: But what really triggered me in college and university is like, we were told to treat each other as shit.

Speaker: And like, there were like abuses used at each other because for the sake of winning, we used to, we have, we were,

Speaker: pushed to use strict language, violent language.

Speaker: And I was like, but I can have strong thoughts and strong arguments instead of like belittling the other person or throwing random remarks at those people.

Speaker: And that really kind of triggered me because I'm naturally an open-minded, free thinker.

Speaker: So if I have a particular opinion, but you give me another perspective, I'm all there.

Speaker: to kind of hear that out and maybe shift my own opinion.

Speaker: But when you go into that competitive state in that competition zone, you are taught to like treat the other person as shit.

Speaker: But also like I had my own experience.

Speaker: feedbacks from it.

Speaker: I learned how to agree to disagree.

Speaker: I learned how to like I won't be using those languages, but I'll make my argument stronger.

Speaker: I took my own things out of it.

Speaker: But the system was teaching me entirely different things.

Speaker: You have to be a rightist, you have to be a leftist, you got to have the political opinions.

Speaker: Our entire professors were like had their own

Speaker: agendas and inclination towards political indoctrination and yeah I kind of observed all of that and experienced all of that as well yeah I can imagine studying in Delhi there must be a lot of political

Speaker: insights that you might be seeing.

Speaker: I love University of Delhi because of the environment that we have overall because we have different people coming from different states, coming from different backgrounds and they're in that mix up of everyone.

Speaker: So that opened up my perception towards life more.

Speaker: more things happened plus the opportunities that were given in college and a delhi university i really appreciate that the events that we had the the time that we had the experience that we had again i would i i appreciate all of that

Speaker: Yeah, once, you know, I was in a class and this teacher goes, do you know which is the first university in the world?

Speaker: So somebody said University of Bologna or she said that internet says, you know, this university that was in Italy.

Speaker: But then she said, that's actually wrong.

Speaker: It's University of Takshashila.

Speaker: And I was like, yes, yes, somebody has some knowledge.

Speaker: Somebody's done their research.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: So yeah, we have had such rich history with education, with the knowledge, elements of knowledge, which we have rejected.

Speaker: Like after so many invasions, we have had this perception that intelligence is...

Speaker: equal to English, your ability to speak English.

Speaker: And I don't know, maybe it has reduced now, but your accent, how you pronounce some words, it's really strongly correlated with how intelligent you are, which is something

Speaker: Yeah, it does happen in English speaking country, but here in Central Europe, like in Switzerland, nobody cares about English.

Speaker: And that's where I was introduced to having respect for your mother tongue, having respect for speaking that language, probably instead of using correct grammar for English, because that's what we are taught in English.

Speaker: In the school, you know, do you remember you will find because we don't speak in English.

Speaker: Somebody complained about when we were in fifth grade.

Speaker: I was the school captain.

Speaker: I remember the name of the boy, but he went to the principal and he was like, our school captain is speaking in Hindi with her friends at the moment.

Speaker: And so I like my sir, one of the teachers, he kind of told me that, you know, you just say like, it's your mother tongue.

Speaker: And I went with absolute passion that I'm not constantly speaking in Hindi, but the phrases are going to come in my conversation.

Speaker: And it's not like I'm breaking the rules.

Speaker: But there are some phrases that I don't know how should they be converted into an English language.

Speaker: So because it's our mother tongue, so it's natural that it's going to come out of my mouth.

Speaker: But that's just like the rule that the system had.

Speaker: Plus, we were thinking ourselves of doing this podcast bilingual, or maybe in Hindi, right?

Speaker: In the beginning when we were discussing.

Speaker: Yeah, but that's because it was in flow, but then we wanted a wider audience for our podcast, not because we thought we would sound more intelligent if we did it in English.

Speaker: The more reads the better.

Speaker: I think when we have good content, when we have our deeper discussions, there shouldn't be any shame.

Speaker: People are putting all sorts of nonsense online.

Speaker: So when you think you believe that there's something that you're really passionate about, put it all out with complete...

Speaker: passion yeah no hate please okay don't put on complete hate with passion because a lot of you are doing that also like what are your final takes for our episode for today i think i would say that education is very important but it's important for empowering you to for you to enhance your skills for you to become a better human being self-development and not because you

Speaker: that's what that would essentially make you successful in life like your school traditional education that wouldn't yes if you asked me three five three to five years ago i would have said um for me success is good grades good paycheck good job fame or whatever but now i'm just like if i share my experiences my

Speaker: wisdom that I've been receiving or lessons that I've learned with just one person and it makes a difference in their life I consider myself successful and I it has nothing to do with the traditional norms that society has imposed on us so don't if you're not doing well in school it's fine you'll find your passion later in life there there is no such thing as too late you you would

Speaker: find that and you would go down that rabbit hole that information on your own so don't worry about it

Speaker: Yes, absolutely.

Speaker: I think I also speak from my own experiences, but I would say do not listen to it.

Speaker: Be in the arena yourself, be in the game yourself until and unless you have tried out things, try everything out that calls to you and come to your own conclusion.

Speaker: Be a curious, passionate thinker, a risk taker, and you're not going to die if you fail.

Speaker: If you have the courage to find your purpose, to find your passion and build like...

Speaker: empowered purpose driven life for yourself you'll figure things out for you you just gotta have that spirit and I tell people who kind of approach me for the coaching as well that if you have not done research yourself if you have never been in the rabbit hole of trying to find out what works for you what things are present there you do that first and then I'm sitting here and I'm going to guide you further but I want you

Speaker: That urge has to come from within where you're really passionate about figuring out what works for you in your life.

Speaker: And there is a way that we can still live in the system, but can find that sweet balance of when we are coming out of the system, out of the university, out of the school, there is still time to self-educate ourselves.

Speaker: And even like you feel like the system is bad and you want to discard it.

Speaker: that can again go into the wrong direction where you're not ready to decondition yourself.

Speaker: Right.

Speaker: So that can do more harm for you.

Speaker: But there's always a way out.

Speaker: You just have to be stay curious, stay passionate and find your way around.

Speaker: Exactly.

Speaker: Now, I'll just say one last thing.

Speaker: It's really small.

Speaker: So you know how you said urge to do and you'll go down that rabbit hole.

Speaker: I used to wonder in school, why are they teaching us this in English literature, you know, Shakespeare, maybe he didn't mean that.

Speaker: Why are they just finding Easter eggs in his work and saying he meant this, he connected this with this.

Speaker: And now as a Swifty, I totally understand why.

Speaker: Yeah.

Speaker: The contemporary people wanted to go this deep in Shakespeare's work and connect everything with everything and form theories.

Speaker: I totally get it.

Speaker: So as you said, if you have the passion for it, you will just find meaning where there is no meaning.

Speaker: The curtains are blue.

Speaker: That means the light is going blue or whatever.

Speaker: On that note, we'll end it here.

Speaker: Stay tuned.

Speaker: Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you in the next one.

Speaker: Bye guys.