Skill developments in Pre - schoolers : Why Pre - primary students should not write in ruled notebooks.

 Topic -  Why Pre - primary children should do pattern writing or alphabet writing using red and blue lines (ruled notebooks).

Why shouldn’t they be free to draw / write / reproduce / express what they have learnt without having any barriers or restrictions?

I am an educationalist with 6 years work experience with the Pre-primary students. This is my concern related to the skill developments in preschoolers which I would like to share. 

In India, since the Vedic period, education has always played a very important role in people’s life. During that period, the objective of education was not only to pass on the knowledge to younger people generations, but to enable the student to learn life skills and develop one's wholesome personality. After we got our independence, over the years, the original purpose of education was lost. It became a mere rat race for getting a higher percentage and a cut-throat competition for admissions in better schools/ colleges.

With the recent National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) approved by the Union Cabinet of India on July 29, 2020, we are definitely taking a big leap towards a new educational reform in the country. As per the new National Education Policy 2020, it states that:

• 3 years of preschool or Anganwadi, followed by classes 1 and 2 in primary school is the foundation stage, which will cover children of ages 3-8 years. The focus of studies will be in activity-based learning.
•   Classes 3 to 5, which will cover the ages of 8-11 years is Preparatory Stage. It will gradually introduce subjects like speaking, reading, writing, physical education, languages, art, science and mathematics.

I believe that in the Indian education system, we are just preparing the students for the exams that they have to write in the future - right from Nursery grade.  Many pre-schools in India are focusing on pattern writing and alphabets writing in ruled notebooks even for the Nursery grade.

We are preparing them for what we feel/ think that they should be able to write in their board exams (10th standard) and then we do the back working and start preparing them for the next grade which means prepare them for 10th standard in Grade 9 and so on goes till the Nursery grade.

I have had an experience working in the surroundings of an ICSE board school and an International (Cambridge board) school. During my work experience in the Cambridge board school, I learnt that the Cambridge board mainly focuses on the skill development of students, in terms of listening, speaking, understanding, reading, critical thinking, presenting ideas. But in our Indian education system, Writing is the skill which is given top most importance hence we directly start with writing first. Even if the child doesn’t speak or understand, it is OK, but he/ she has to write and score marks.  The child, right from a very tender age is expected to do pattern writing and to write letters using the ruled notebooks with red and blue lines or square boxes. Why?

This is the question which has boggled my mind since the time I started working with small children.

Some of the parents, teachers, schools and tuition teachers want the children to write a lot of pages as their homework as they think children need more writing practice.

I have always felt that small children should learn to listen, to speak, to reproduce sounds and to read letters and words first. No writing. Writing using the red and blue lines or square boxes can come in later stages – like Grade 1 and onward. I think that small children should be given the freedom to exercise their creativity. They should be able to draw or write freely without having any barriers or restrictions. They should be allowed to explore their creativity and imagination however they want because I feel it will be more helpful in allowing them to express their thoughts and feelings freely. If we want to prepare them to face the world, we could help them develop all the skills – and not just one skill. We are limiting their progress by putting restrictions on their thinking or expressing abilities. If a Nursery child cannot write the letter 'A' using the red and blue lines, it is fine as long as he/ she can read and understand that the letter 'A' signifies 'Apple'. If we are looking towards a bright future with our children towards our eyes, are we teaching them the right way? Are we just training them to learn to read and write and pass the exams with good scores, without actually understanding what they are learning? 

Most of the schools are sometimes concerned only about the portions to be completed before exams. Hence too little importance is given to comprehending, thinking and other important skills than writing and completing the portion.

Today, knowledge is easily available everywhere - just a click away.                    

What today's children actually need is proper training and guidance to use the knowledge - not only in academic subjects but in moral values, life skills and being responsible. Are we really preparing them for the future? This is a question every parent, every teacher, every school must ask themselves. If we want to build a nation of smart future citizens, we have to start right from the grass root level.

As rightly said by Malcolm X –

"Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today."

With the new National Education Policy in picture, I urge the schools, parents and all the educators to  give a thought to our ways of creating the future. As the hope lies within.

Ulka Parab                                                                                                     Educator