Education- Then and Now

A beautiful evening with your good old grandma and cousins and you all sit together talking about the past and the present over the tea. What shocks you meanwhile are the things she tells you, differentiating the condition of Education now and that of the past. It seems like the difference between day and night, one following the other but totally opposite. Isn’t it? What could be the difference between both? Well, there seem to be many such reasons to justify the difference.

Previously the culture of society was different, which has not only evolved over the years but have also imparted a sense of attitude in the individuals. Yesterday the rules and regulations were meant to be followed and people actually used to abide by them in respect. Whereas today, the same rules are considered to be boring, ridiculous protocols which are actually broken by every individual stating “Rules seem to capture us in a cage”

The most drastic change seen in any aspect of education is discipline. Previously the students followed discipline thinking them to be the set of rules which actually governs their mind, body and soul whereas today as times have evolved, discipline has changed in reverse gear. It is disappointing to see people considering discipline to be a burden for them.

The present era is devoted to technological advancements. So how can it be possible that the techno-freakism does not touch Education? The methodology has changed quite a lot over the years. The blackboards, chalks and dusters are replaced with Screens and projectors. When the books turned to e-books, we too don’t know. The boring and tiring homework disappeared behind the creative projects and assignments. The tools changed and so did the approach. A teacher-student relationship is supported with the friendly atmosphere created in and out of the class.

You may get to hear from some people that even the marking system has been changed. It is not just about cramming and writing all what the brain is able to record in it and at the end you think you will get full marks to show off to the whole batch. The student’s psychology is seen in what they write and judged on the basis of all aspects of wisdom. The standardized, computer based, computer adaptive techniques of marking are used now-a-days.

 Aspirations are different now. People don’t go for education just to get good marks and a good job. They want the overall personality development. They are ambitious to know everything with perfection. To them, what they can gain out of education is as immense as the sky. Students are not happy getting just a first division, they want excellence. This is all because of their career consciousness. It is not the old era when you had specific career options based on your family background, financial strength and gender. You choose to work what you love to do, what you are passionate about.

Over all the years many things changed. Many changes were good and maybe some were bad. But the only thing which can never change is the Importance of Education because education is something that can change you from the way your life was to the way your life will be.

Education v/s Experience

Two guys applying for the same job. They both have a great interview, but one has 10 years experience and no college degree, and the other is fresh graduate with no work experience. Who gets the job? The answer is still not fixed. Can experience make up for the lack of a degree, or does a degree provides something that experience cannot? Is one more valuable than the other?

There are some careers where experience trumps education and vice versa. The real answer to whether experience or education matters more is that it depends—on the employer and the line of work. Someone with experience but no formal degree could be favored for certain jobs, but they may struggle to advance professionally. On the other hand, a college grad with the best education may be completely unaware about how to deal with real-world work situations with no prior industry experience. Not all experience or education is created equal.

Why employers prefer college degrees? Maybe they find that as a proven ability to analyze problems, conduct research and produce solutions or to learn complex, difficult subject matter. They may take a degree as a proof of motivation, drive, intelligence and better interpersonal skills. It’s difficult to argue that these characteristics are consistent with all who have earned a degree.

In the case of experience based choice making the assumption could be that candidates with relevant work experience have the practical skills. They have an awareness of the importance of customer service standards. They are more likely to have an ability to show initiative at work. When you show that you are willing to go the extra mile really speaks volumes at the interview stage- nothing could beat that.

As an employer, one should ponder some basic concepts to help you make a sound decision. But we need to take the time to properly identify and develop the required behaviors, abilities, knowledge and skills of the position. It is need to understand whether or not these required competencies can only be obtained through the process of earning a degree or if they can be acquired through experiences before completing the job description.

So what to do if you lack education or experience? For fresh graduates, internship offers a great opportunity, and the same goes with volunteering. There are several other ways too, like co-operative work placements, industrial training,  apprenticeships, freelancing, and more. If your resume lacks in education, look at taking classes in the field to show the interest. And online courses are also available now-a-days. There is no clear winner in this debate. One has to strengthen both the parts.

The truth of the matter is that it’s not so much about education or experience, but education and experience. They’re not mutually exclusive, but actually go hand-in-hand in charting out a person’s career growth. With the right combination of a successful academic career and relevant experience in your field, you could be giving yourself a leg up against the competition.