Comments on: Is the Learning Experience Different in Arts and Aesthetics vis-à-vis Formal Education? http://www.sastwingees.org/2009/06/06/is-the-learning-experience-different-in-the-arts-and-aesthetics-vis-a-vis-formal-education/ Knowledge is Scrumptious Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:24:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Abdul http://www.sastwingees.org/2009/06/06/is-the-learning-experience-different-in-the-arts-and-aesthetics-vis-a-vis-formal-education/comment-page-1/#comment-14607 Abdul Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:31:44 +0000 http://www.sastwingees.org/?p=1372#comment-14607 Thanks Revathi. I could not agree with you more about the commercialization of arts. It has also taken on some very unfortunate dimensions in the form of reality TV programming which is bad enough for adults but putting children through that experience is giving them a wrong message about what they are expected to do with their lives. As someone was saying recently, the message that we are giving to the children and youth of our nation is that unless you are a "celebrity" you are a nobody ! That is the pathology of "visibility" everywhere around us carried too far ! Being and becoming child prodigies in the natural performance of the child at ease with him/herself and his/her craft is fine. We have seen so many examples before the advent of reality TV. This is a new kind of TV performance forced on children that in yesteryears we only used to hear about greedy star parents. Parents egging the children on in this is pathetic when I saw a case of a girl collapsing in the studio, taken to the hospital for neurological treatment which the doctors maintained would take some time for the child to recover. Whats the point about subsequent blame game between the program producers and the parents when the damage has already been done. Let a thousand flowers bloom among the children but let not a single one feel the burden of the ill-conceived route map for him/her. Sure Revathi, you are speaking about the context in which this learning takes place. Both for formal and aesthetics-oriented it could be commercialised and non-commercialised. Regardless of that, i.e., in either context, my post was about the method, the approach and the epistemology within such learning is driven. Thanks Revathi. I could not agree with you more about the commercialization of arts.

It has also taken on some very unfortunate dimensions in the form of reality TV programming which is bad enough for adults but putting children through that experience is giving them a wrong message about what they are expected to do with their lives.

As someone was saying recently, the message that we are giving to the children and youth of our nation is that unless you are a “celebrity” you are a nobody ! That is the pathology of “visibility” everywhere around us carried too far !

Being and becoming child prodigies in the natural performance of the child at ease with him/herself and his/her craft is fine. We have seen so many examples before the advent of reality TV. This is a new kind of TV performance forced on children that in yesteryears we only used to hear about greedy star parents.

Parents egging the children on in this is pathetic when I saw a case of a girl collapsing in the studio, taken to the hospital for neurological treatment which the doctors maintained would take some time for the child to recover. Whats the point about subsequent blame game between the program producers and the parents when the damage has already been done.

Let a thousand flowers bloom among the children but let not a single one feel the burden of the ill-conceived route map for him/her.

Sure Revathi, you are speaking about the context in which this learning takes place. Both for formal and aesthetics-oriented it could be commercialised and non-commercialised. Regardless of that, i.e., in either context, my post was about the method, the approach and the epistemology within such learning is driven.

]]> By: Revathi http://www.sastwingees.org/2009/06/06/is-the-learning-experience-different-in-the-arts-and-aesthetics-vis-a-vis-formal-education/comment-page-1/#comment-14409 Revathi Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:26:41 +0000 http://www.sastwingees.org/?p=1372#comment-14409 In my childhood, learning the arts was a hobby, a passtime in which you could indulge in your vacations. It happened in a leisurely fashion, learning from parents/elderly relatives/gurus who taught at their own pace. Children were taught to unwind with these arts. Today, the scene is so commericialised, I sometimes pity the children who are pushed to excel in this as well. You can't be an ordinary performer, but a child prodigy. If you are a good performer, then you need to win prizes in popular contests. So it leaves me in serious doubt if teaching methods are any different in arts today. arts/academics, I guess it is the whole outlook that has changed, not just the teaching method. As long as the objective for any learning today is earning and popularity, it affects all aspects surrounding our learning I assume. In my childhood, learning the arts was a hobby, a passtime in which you could indulge in your vacations. It happened in a leisurely fashion, learning from parents/elderly relatives/gurus who taught at their own pace. Children were taught to unwind with these arts.

Today, the scene is so commericialised, I sometimes pity the children who are pushed to excel in this as well. You can’t be an ordinary performer, but a child prodigy. If you are a good performer, then you need to win prizes in popular contests.

So it leaves me in serious doubt if teaching methods are any different in arts today. arts/academics, I guess it is the whole outlook that has changed, not just the teaching method. As long as the objective for any learning today is earning and popularity, it affects all aspects surrounding our learning I assume.

]]> By: Abdul http://www.sastwingees.org/2009/06/06/is-the-learning-experience-different-in-the-arts-and-aesthetics-vis-a-vis-formal-education/comment-page-1/#comment-11450 Abdul Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:02:42 +0000 http://www.sastwingees.org/?p=1372#comment-11450 Raghu, also its good to know about the Kuruvila Jacob Initiative for promoting excellence in school education. Non-state actors have played a vital role in the past in promoting education and would continue to do so. In fact, from the vantage point of industry itself this is one of the key approaches to solving any talent mismatch issues that which entrants have and those which they need to have. Good to hear that you are part of such an initiative. Raghu, also its good to know about the Kuruvila Jacob Initiative for promoting excellence in school education. Non-state actors have played a vital role in the past in promoting education and would continue to do so. In fact, from the vantage point of industry itself this is one of the key approaches to solving any talent mismatch issues that which entrants have and those which they need to have. Good to hear that you are part of such an initiative.

]]> By: Abdul http://www.sastwingees.org/2009/06/06/is-the-learning-experience-different-in-the-arts-and-aesthetics-vis-a-vis-formal-education/comment-page-1/#comment-11418 Abdul Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:23:37 +0000 http://www.sastwingees.org/?p=1372#comment-11418 Thanks Raghu. Its good to read an enthusiastic comment about one's post. Macaulay was a problem and to the extent that his legacy permeates our system today is still a problem. However, we are now 60 years into a free India and cannot keep blaming Macaulay. For one Macaulay has possibly been reinvented several times to suit the needs of the times. Secondly, it is difficult to blame Macaulay when a large part of the absorption of University graduates (of all streams) is done by the private sector too. So probably we need to look at how employment and related educational needs has figured in relation to the market over the last 60 years. Thanks Raghu. Its good to read an enthusiastic comment about one’s post.

Macaulay was a problem and to the extent that his legacy permeates our system today is still a problem. However, we are now 60 years into a free India and cannot keep blaming Macaulay.

For one Macaulay has possibly been reinvented several times to suit the needs of the times. Secondly, it is difficult to blame Macaulay when a large part of the absorption of University graduates (of all streams) is done by the private sector too.

So probably we need to look at how employment and related educational needs has figured in relation to the market over the last 60 years.

]]> By: Raghu http://www.sastwingees.org/2009/06/06/is-the-learning-experience-different-in-the-arts-and-aesthetics-vis-a-vis-formal-education/comment-page-1/#comment-11396 Raghu Sat, 18 Jul 2009 06:45:52 +0000 http://www.sastwingees.org/?p=1372#comment-11396 Very interesting post, Abdul. This is an area where I have a lot of interest in, both in my professional capacity, and as a parent. I do some work with the Kuruvilla Jacob Education Initiative where they have been trying to introduce Activity-based Learning in Corporation schools, in order to create greater interest in studies among students. My children go to The School - KFI where the educational methods are quite different from what we see in most other city schools, and the emphasis is on allowing the child to discover his potential, instead of getting caught up in the usual competitive race for admissions to Engineering colleges. Unsure of what the ultimate outcome, I do hope that this will eventually make a difference in the way my children will learn or love to learn what they learn! :) What are the differing motivations of the learner in art and aesthetics as different from formal education? Formal education, as is present today, was probably devised by Macaulay with the intention of creating "babus". I can't think of too many people who will grow up thinking their life's purpose was to be a government clerk, officer, or even a programmer! However, there is a direct correlation of what time you spend on your art (or sport) to what you want to be. The day we are able to build relevant correlations between what we study as part of formal education to our goals in life, we will probably discover ways of making formal education also far more exciting! I would surely want to come back to this post again to look at more learnings I can take away! Thanks. Very interesting post, Abdul. This is an area where I have a lot of interest in, both in my professional capacity, and as a parent. I do some work with the Kuruvilla Jacob Education Initiative where they have been trying to introduce Activity-based Learning in Corporation schools, in order to create greater interest in studies among students. My children go to The School – KFI where the educational methods are quite different from what we see in most other city schools, and the emphasis is on allowing the child to discover his potential, instead of getting caught up in the usual competitive race for admissions to Engineering colleges. Unsure of what the ultimate outcome, I do hope that this will eventually make a difference in the way my children will learn or love to learn what they learn! :)

What are the differing motivations of the learner in art and aesthetics as different from formal education?
Formal education, as is present today, was probably devised by Macaulay with the intention of creating “babus”. I can’t think of too many people who will grow up thinking their life’s purpose was to be a government clerk, officer, or even a programmer! However, there is a direct correlation of what time you spend on your art (or sport) to what you want to be. The day we are able to build relevant correlations between what we study as part of formal education to our goals in life, we will probably discover ways of making formal education also far more exciting!

I would surely want to come back to this post again to look at more learnings I can take away! Thanks.

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