Vision KITES- Foreword

Education is the backbone of any nation, but how well have we been able to

keep it strong in the past? Can it be made any stronger? How far have we come

ahead from where we had begun? Or have we only fallen behind?

This is an ever-changing world and we need to keep up with the pace. Should

education be left far behind? Education is not a process which points to one end,

i.e. just the students. Administration, Teachers and students, all need to get

together and co-operate to achieve the ultimate objective because all three co-

exist.

The majority of agenda driven education should realize the very contingent

need of a shift to vision driven and a mission driven education, with a well-

established objective and well-defined methodologies to achieve the said

objective. A vision statement may describe an institution’s ideals, its core

organizational values, its long-term objectives and what its students will learn or

be capable of doing after graduating, which brings to us another very important

factor which is the employability quotient. Lately, the focus from IQ is very

rightly shifting to EQ. But we need to work on the employability quotient too,

because a major percentage of graduates are left idle after shelling out time and

money, only because they lack practical knowledge or the ability to use their

knowledge in the right direction. We also need to focus more on skill-based

understanding of students and come up with methods that make education both

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interesting and fruitful to students and all. We also bring changes to the

traditional campus learning and make it more rigorous and efficient than it

already is.

To mention an instance for the same I would like to quote an example below:

In one school they had built all the walls in class as whiteboard and the idea

behind it is that if everyone can see what the others are doing then they can be

corrected by their peers, and not wait till they fail the exams and then repeat and

waste another year to learn where they went wrong. Not to forget that when

students discuss among themselves and learn, the outcome is better and the

understanding is also better.

Also, education doesn’t limit to the creation of just doctors and engineers and

other mainstream jobs with the graduate to vacancy ratio not in equilibrium. We

need to make the students look beyond the obvious which is why we have come

up with the concept of vision KITES which breaks down into Knowledge,

Innovation, Technology, Entrepreneurship and Sports.

Education has broadened its horizons and extended its reach and coverage. the

education has come a long way from its traditional system of Gurukul where all

the education cantered around the Guru. there is a paradigm shift in classroom

learning and learning beyond the classroom. so why shouldn't knowledge base

not undergo a change is a million-dollar question before all the educationists?

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well, successful teachers all over the world became teachpreneur or teaching

executives. they take every pain to integrate knowledge with innovation and

technology. no doubt reading is one of the best ways to increase knowledge, but

along with that, a child has to be taught how to be self-confident and express

with confidence. For students definitely watching documentaries or educational

videos, enacting roles in classrooms, interacting face-to-face with some skilful

persons equips them with excellent communication skills which are perhaps a

need of the hour too. Competitions like debates and declamation contest polish

their communication skills.

Besides this, the children should be asked to build projects in groups in which

they collaborated with teachers also. They should be motivated not to complain

about the problems in school, rather be made to involve themselves in a

collective team and find solutions to those problems. This would make them

creative and innovative. The children should further be inspired to use the

information and knowledge, impart to them and apply it to find practical

solutions. The students need to be challenged by their teachers. For this the

teachers must embrace technology and use it with a purpose so that they

become role models for the students. And they also start using technology or a

person for a purpose.

The entrepreneurial skills should be developed among the students at a very

young early age. They should be motivated and guided to develop, patent and

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reach sellable products with the help of technology. students should also be

trapped in such an environment that they can’t escape that without some

creative thinking. Also, in scenarios wherein their IQ can be put to test, which

might give you out of the box solutions. Which helps them to obtain and nurture

talent and skill-set. Simultaneous involvement of children with professionals

and experts from various walks of life can bring about a remarkable pool of skill

set among the students, which may differ from one student to another Which in

turn might affect their overall development for facing the real world. Also,

insights on the requirement of the real world. The skill sets for an

entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship also teaches the skills of wise investment of

money and resources. The importance of teamwork, brainstorming ideas, taking

calculated risks, face failures and getting up again.

Similarly, Sports, is also one of the greatest concerns with respect to the current

scenario of country’s development. The idea of sports although considered a

hobby among the Indian parents yet needless to say a far-fetched idea even in

the twenty-nineteen. However, it is undeniable to completely justify the

inadequacy since India is home of more than a billion population. The school

sports in India and the unnerving issue of the lack of measures in addressing the

issue, as well as the suggestions for a world of possibilities is what the KITES

intend to propose with the edition. Thus, Sports is among the pillars of the

framework for the educational culture of the progressive youth of the nation.

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 Knowledge

Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of

progress, in every society, in every family.

-Kofi Annan

This is the first pillar of this Bible of Transformation which shall also form the

basis for the other four pillars to be elaborated upon ahead.

What is Knowledge?

Knowledge simply refers to knowing something, whether from facts, skills,

principles, understanding, facts, experience and education.

Why is knowledge important?

Knowledge is the building block of existence. One can keep learning and there

will still be a mammoth amount of knowledge left to be acquired. It is the

knowledge of doctors that has made deadly diseases curable, it is the knowledge

of astronauts that have helped us find life outside earth, it is the knowledge of

scientists that explains why things are the way they are. It is the knowledge of

philosophers that explained why we are the way we are; to mention a few.

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After our species evolved from apes into two legged humans, the early man kept

learning to make life easier. It was the knowledge that made him discover fire

and make vehicles, to make clothes, the knowledge that he learnt by his own

experience thus proving the Charles Darwin’s ‘Theory of Evolution’ of

‘Survival of the Fittest.

Hence, as a teacher, a life coach, a guide, an administrator; one needs to

understand how important it is to make the student not only literate but also

educated. Stemming from the age-old Indian culture of Gurukula and Nalanda,

knowledge is the most important pillar not to just students but to everyone.

Knowledge is the base of all education. It makes a person proficient enough

distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. The methodology of

disseminating education might change and keep changing but the motto must

remain to create students who are educated, wise, hardworking, full of integrity,

capable and eventually employable.

Knowledge does not pertain to science and technology and the fields we study

in books. Knowledge is also very important to shape our personality and perfect

our behaviour and dealings with people. Life not only in a workplace but also

outside of that requires a person to have rich logical and critical thinking as well

as decision making skills which need to be instilled as early as that during

school. Knowledge might be aimed at raising the Intelligence Quotient of the

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students but schools should also focus on improving the Emotional Quotient

and the Employability Quotient.

Knowledge is a primary factor to anything we possibly do which is then

followed by persistent and consistent practice. For example, if a cook doesn’t

know the difference between salt and sugar, we can’t even imagine what the

food shall taste like.

Also, to not forget the very famous proverb that ‘Knowledge is Power.’

Knowledge might not make a person omnipotent, but a person with better

knowledge and skills can overcome a situation better than a person who doesn’t

have enough knowledge about it. Knowledge helps us discover more about

ourselves as we gradually learn of things outside.

How to Impart knowledge to make a difference?

For a teacher, imparting knowledge to students is more than a responsibility, it

is an amazing opportunity to shape and influence students in acquiring

knowledge which will in turn help to create a stupendous future for one and all.

And the efficient propagation of knowledge can only happen with active mental

participation from the students’ and teachers’ side for which studies need to be

interesting.

A teacher who has knowledge is the necessity but if he is unable to percolate the

knowledge among students, it just stands nullified. Their needs to be an

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interaction among students and teachers to improve the involvement that they

have and make the studies more impactful and not limit it to just coming to

class, taking lessons and going back home. The knowledge being imparted to

students should have a life changing effect. Students need to be praised more for

what they are doing right than being condemned for what they are doing wrong.

The teacher must try to connect the lessons taught with the related events that

happen in real life, in this way students will learn that knowledge is just not

limited to the text in books and to passing the exams but is applied to real life as

well.

The teacher must give the students challenging tasks which will make them

think out of the box and work outside their comfort zone.

The idea that students need to acquire and master knowledge before they should

attempt to do things like apply, analyse, or synthesize, or create strikes as a not

only traditional but limiting approach. While it can yield some benefits, it

misses an opportunity to build other vital skills simultaneously and this is where

we so often lose students interest and engagement. The teacher should be as

interested in conducting the lesson as he wants the students to be because

according to a research from Harvard University, the emotions you feel are

contagious and can affect the people around you. Thus, it is very important for

the teacher to have a positive outlook and approach to the class.

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There should be regular debates, extempore and Group Discussion on current

topics to not only increase the amount of information with a student but also his

confidence and public speaking skills which are necessary to put the knowledge

to use. There should also be competitions on live projects and working models

to ensure if the textbook knowledge is being manifested into practical reality.

Here we conclude our 1st pillar, knowledge of the vision KITES. The pillars to

be discussed ahead will have knowledge as the foundation.

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 INNOVATION

A little backstory on Indian education

India was one of the wealthiest of nations in the pre-colonial times. Our share in

economy was a whopping 23% of world trade, including world-renowned fine

garments, diamonds, exquisite spices which the rest of the world craved for.

The one thing that was famous across the world other than those was our

education. Our educational system was one of the most advanced and the best-

in-class. The ancient universities of Takshashila (Taxila — 5 or 6th century

BCE), Nalanda (5th century CE to 1200 CE.), Pushpagiri (3rd century AD) etc.

attracted students from all over the world and taught advanced mathematics,

science, philosophy, religion, astronomy, crafts, social welfare, life science and

many more subjects.

The teaching from these ancient universities and institutions were all very

advanced and was taught across institutions in ancient India. Many renowned

travellers and historians from around the world have mentioned this in their

texts.

The history of education in India

“In every Indian village which has retained anything of its form, the rudiments

of knowledge are sought to be imparted. There is not a child, except those of the

outcasts (who form no part of the community), who is not able to read, to write,

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to cipher; in the last branch of learning, they are confessedly most proficient. —

 Ludlow, British India, 1858 ”

The colonial rule changed everything. As the British took over, significant

efforts were made to wipe off the age-old tradition of gurukul education and

schools run by the British was established instead. The notion of white

supremacy and aboriginal inferiority was spread across the colonies. As the

history goes, Thomas Macaulay was appointed by the British parliament on a

“mission to civilize indigenous people”, and he executed that plan brilliantly. He

managed to instil inferiority complex in the unsuspecting Indian minds and

brought the traditional educational system to the ground.

But putting personal conflicts aside, the British did introduce standardised tests,

new subjects like technical skills and management, and a system of schooling

which was intended to provide employees for British Indian civil services.

During the British rule:

“Efforts were then made by the Government to confine higher education and

secondary education leading to higher education to boys in affluent,

circumstances This again was done not in the interests of sound education

but for political reasons. Rules were made calculated to restrict the diffusion of

education generally and among the poorer boys in particular. Conditions for

recognition for ‘grants’ — stiff and various — -were laid down and enforced, and

the non-fulfilment of any one of these conditions was liable to be followed by

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serious consequences. Fees were raised to a degree which considering the

circumstances of the classes that resort to schools, were abnormal. When it was

objected that the minimum fee would be a great hardship to poor students the

answer was — -such students had no business to receive that kind of education.

— Sir Sankaran Nair, Minutes of Dissent”

Clearly these notes speak for themselves.

The educational reforms during the age of colonisation had its merits too. It

united the diverse communities in India under a common roof of formal

schooling, gave us a global perspective, gave us English and industrial

technologies etc to name a few. Many of the Indian independence leaders

advocated for the English education to bring a new, grounded approach for the

independence struggle.

What we have now

Then came the Independence. Several laws and initiatives from various

governments such as the Article 29(1), — Article 29 and 30, “Free and

compulsory primary education in the country” Article 45, the Kothari

Commission etc. were appointed to raise the quality and integrity of our

education.

Despite these efforts, the educational system pretty much retained its pre-

independence structure. The colonial school system with its formal educational

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environment, progressive learning, teacher-centric approach, standardised tests,

and even the syllabus were all inherited and kept unchanged. The outcomes, and

aptitude of the students didn’t actually benefit much from this system.

When coming to the present age, we are seeing many reforms and changes in the

way we teach and learn. the introduction of the internet is now playing a huge

role as a delivering tool and as an independent source of information. New

methods of instruction like the flipped learning, Outcome Based

Education (OBE), learner centric approach all have slowly made it’s way into

the system. Quality has become a concern for the students and parents.

Though the change is still small, our general perspectives is slowly, but

definitely changing. New innovations, startup culture, and concern to preserve

the creativity has at least changed some institutions and education boards to

accept the fact that there are better ways to educate children.

What we need

That being said, we are still far behind in developing a nationwide learning

culture based purely on knowledge, innovation, and R&D. The schools and

colleges still turn their heads away from daring innovative ventures of

students. Students who are innovative and creative often may not always be

good at a system of studying through books. We need to accept that and devise

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new ways to nurture and improve learning among a widely diverse types of

students.

Our common mentality of a risk-averting community must also be put into

check. Start-up ecosystems and incubating centres springing up across the nation

offers a huge support for young entrepreneurs.

India is one of the top countries to provide generous R&D-related tax

incentives. However, we lack innovation because this doesn’t count too much in

areas such as collaborative R&D tax credits (offered for spending to support

research at universities, national labs, and research associations), and

opportunities to commercialise innovation. Our innovation amounts to research

and research only.

We have discussed some of the major reasons behind the lack of innovation in

India in the prequel of this article. You can read that one for more info.

Do we have a bright side to look at?

The new age of technology is of great hope and optimism. Never before has

been a time when the learner decides the limits to their own education.

Opportunities are there for the willing and anybody can learn anything online.

The resources and requirements for learning something has set to the bare

minimum of an internet connection.

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Educational domain in India is experiencing a paradigm shift which if

channelled correctly might improve the quality and standard in all areas. The

impact of globalisation and exposure to international standards has created a

positive vibe which has catered this shift. Educational institutions are opting

to support the education with technology for better management and

delivering techniques. Information and communications technology (ICT) in

education is opening up new doors for institutions to up their efforts and improve

the overall quality.

Governing and certification authorities like AICTE, NBA, and NAAC pushes

limit forward and assure a better quality in education. They are encouraging

institutions to implement better learning methodologies like Outcome Based

Education (OBE) and Student Centric Learning (SCL).

Also, new researches are done daily on how to improve our educational system

in a manner which benefits all the stakeholders at the same time. Quality has

become a major concern for most, if not all, the institution which will eventually

end up pouring better teaching-learning environments and new practises like

technology assisted learning.

The future seems well lit for our education. Government, institutions, and the

industry working together paints a new picture of our future where education is

prioritised and designed in a way that it provides the maximum value to our

society and creates a nurturing environment for research and creativity.

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The future providers of education will be those who react to the needs of the

learners and the changes to the technology.

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 Technology

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

― Arthur C. Clarke, Profiles of the Future: An Inquiry Into the Limits of the

Possible

Technology and its Evolution

Technology is the innovation in knowledge devoted to creating tools,

processing actions and the extracting of materials. We can describe technology

as products and processes used to simplify our daily lives.

With the evolution of technology, we have come from using the room sized

First Generation Computers in 1940 to 1956, to using cell phones in the 21 st

century which are of the size of our palm.

With the sharp speed of technological evolution, it is no wonder many people

have struggled to keep up. We left the passive ages to where we are today.

Search engines were created to sort through and save and browse through the

massive amounts of data online. With each new upgrade technology compounds

existing technologies to create something better than what was previously used

before. Looking back to the 1990’s, the Internet was a new development many,

but not all, households and businesses began to gain access.

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Why Technology?
Is it a secret anymore that we live in an ever changing era where the internet has

made the world a smaller place? And like we’ve already mentioned time and

again that education is the backbone of any nation, then how should education

be left behind from the influence of technical development.

Students use electronic and telephonic devices outside classroom all the time.

They are defter at using them and technology has now become a part of their

lifestyle. Technology is a necessity for the learning environment. Technology is

being used in every walk of life from booking a cab to buying groceries.

Technology has gradually been seeping into the educational curriculum; with

tests, exams and registrations being conducted online. Paperback books are

giving way to the e-books and video lectures and webinars have gained

popularity. However, this is not a standstill or saturation. There is so much more

that will change in the coming future. Technology changes every day and if

students are made to make use of technology to go about taking their lessons,

they will have to be more aware and more steady to keep up with the changing

times.

Books have slowly been giving way to e-books. Outside India, in most of the

developed countries, schools have employed e-learning quite long ago. As per

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the Vision 2030, it will become a culture in India too. Students carry heavy bags

to school where most of their energy is exhausted only in carrying it from home

to school to class to back home. There will come a time where they will go to

school with just a kindle in their bags with an access to better and more

information.

According to the ‘Internet and Mobile Association of India’, 65% of the Indian

population goes online to search for educational content which throws light on

another very important comparison between the conventional education and the

education propagated deploying the use of technology which is that the books

that we carry are limited with the content covered with little or no scope for

frequent updating whereas Internet on the other hand is unlimited with the

amount of information available and the content can be easily updated as and

when needed. With the help of internet, students and teachers alike can have an

access to the information given outside of their books too. Also, not to forget to

mention that there are mammoth number of videos on YouTube accessible for

free for any possible topic. Learning like this, using the internet, the modern

technical devices and the videos makes the lessons more engaging and

interactive and the entire learning procedure more fun than mundane. The

studies are becoming more hands on.

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Let us now introduce another dimension to the use of technology, this another

dimension which has undeniably become an integral part of our lives; which is

Social Media.

“How can you squander even one more day not taking advantage of the greatest

shifts of our generation? How dare you settle for less when the world has made

it so easy for you to be remarkable?”

-Seth Godin, sethgodin.com

There is a close connection between social media and students. It helps improve

connectivity and bridge the gap between students, their fellow classmates, their

teachers and the administration. For example, there are groups on WhatsApp,

where the question that one student posts can be seen by the others and the

teacher can answer for everyone to know. Sharing of information between a

large number of people is now just a click away. Students can also collaborate

with their own classmates and teachers on a more personal level via technical

and social media applications. There are pages on Facebook, Instagram and

Twitter to mention a few that share informative articles and quizzes on a daily

basis. Social Media like Skype and other similar applications facilitate the

conducting of webinars for when students can’t be gathered in a classroom or

for students who are dispersed which eases the process of long distance and

online learning. Social Media provides platform to assess, analyze, retain and

share information on a widespread and on a frequent timeline.

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Moreover, there is a surging demand for jobs in related fields like Digital

Marketing, Information Technology and Data Science to mention a few where

learning of programming languages is now not only fancy but also necessary.

Hence, educating students in this manner can disperse the students in various

sectors of jobs available in the new era.

How Technology?
Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and

motivating them, the teacher is the most important.

-Bill Gates

The traditional passive learning model is broken. It is easier to update and

distribute information on internet than do it in the written form. Slowly books

are being replaced with e-books.

Lately, the concept of using Smart Classes was introduced in schools which

made learning easier, interactive, interesting and easier to retain. What we see is

easier to retain than what we read. Hence, videos make the retention better.

There are numerous ways in which technology can be used in class to propagate

the knowledge in better way. Classes can be conducted using slideshows. When

applicable, try to include:

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 • Images

• Graphs

• Pictographs

• Podcast clips

• Sound effects

• Short video lessons

• News, movie and television show clips.

Provide online activities to the students, play motivational podcasts in class.

There could also be online groups where each student mandatorily has to post

something informative. The teachers must study, review, preview and critique

content on webpages. There can also be student blogs and online mind maps.

The school administration can also weekly hold an event where an informative

movie will be shown to the students and they will be asked to create

presentations on the same.

These are just a few ways in which we can incorporate technology into

classroom learning. However, it must be without fail incorporated because it is

here to stay not long but forever.

So, to sum up Technology the third pillar of the mission KITES which is

supported by the former two of Knowledge and Innovation and will form

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the foundation, alongside the former two for the coming pillar of

Entrepreneurship.

‘Every once in a while, a new technology, an old problem, and a big idea turn

into an innovation.”

-Dean Kamen.

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 Entrepreneurship

The success of the young entrepreneur will be the key to India's transformation

in the new millennium.

-Dhirubhai Ambani

Who is an Entrepreneur?
“An entrepreneur is an individual who, rather than working as an employee,

founds and runs a small business, assuming all the risks and rewards of the

venture. The entrepreneur is commonly seen as an innovator, a source of new

ideas, goods, services and business/or procedures.

Entrepreneurs play a key role in any economy. These are the people who have

the skills and initiative necessary to anticipate current and future needs and

bring good new ideas to market.”

Source: Investopedia.

We can also include freelancers in this category who take up work as and when

it comes and suits their needs.

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Why Entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurial education has gained pace in the last few years to inculcate in

students the skills and mindset and knowledge to start their own enterprises

because isn’t knowledge without action anyway meaningless? With the kind of

unemployment that our country has been witnessing and the kind of growth in

the demographics, it is but imminent to strike a balance between the number job

creators and job seekers. Generations have lived to believe that it is only

familial businesses that thrive or even survive. However, this is not true. And

many Young Entrepreneurs these days have been constantly proving it. The

culture of self-employment has been on a massive popularity be it a free-lancer,

a cottage industry or a big startup.

Entrepreneurs are in simple words the sellers of an idea. There are a lot of

youngsters who have creative minds with ideas that can really be sold in the

market, that can create a supply which will potentially be strongly demanded;

but these young minds are plagued with the fear of failure and a dislike for risk

taking. It is very important to educate these young minds to not let their talent

go waste. If properly guided, people can do miracles. It is mandatory to educate

students on tolerance, patience, perseverance, confidence, risk and time

management. Entrepreneurship consists of thinking out of the box and being

self-reliant because to sell your product must be unique and there’s no one you

can look forward to at most times.

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There has prevailed a static mindset of job searching but in recent times the

dynamics have surged the trajectory towards entrepreneurship; the motivations

being any out of money, flexibility, control, legacy or to create an impact.

Here, the purpose of entrepreneurial education is to create value in addition to

success. Colleges have started courses based on guiding entrepreneurs but

school is what forms the foundation for basic mindset. Hence, entrepreneurship

education must become a part of the curriculum in school because the world

needs the doers, the makers and cutting-edge thinkers. Because

entrepreneurship fosters these kinds of character traits of risk taking and

persistence, it promises to benefit all students—not just those from low-income

backgrounds.

Entrepreneurship education benefits students from all socioeconomic

backgrounds because it teaches them to think outside the box and nurtures

unconventional talents and skills. Furthermore, it creates opportunity, ensures

social justice, instills confidence and stimulates the economy.

The entrepreneurs contribute a great deal to the GDP. Entrepreneurship is

concerned with the production of goods and services in the economy. Thus, it

directly affects employment, revenue generation, and foreign exchange. Therefore,

it affects the whole economy in general which eventually will be beneficial for the

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nation and also inspire other students to take the path of their heart’s desire without

fear.

How Entrepreneurship?

Everyone is an entrepreneur. The only skills you need to be an entrepreneur: an

ability to fail, an ability to have ideas, to sell those ideas, to execute on those

ideas, and to be persistent so even as you fail you learn and move onto the next

adventure.

-James Altucher

Around half decade ago the government of Kerala announced that it will grant

the engineering students who aspire to be entrepreneurs a one-year break from

regular studies. When their break ends, these students will be allowed to return

and continue with their engineering studies. Certain prestigious engineering as

well as management institutes of India have introduced ‘deferred placements’

for their students. All these initiatives by colleges, supported by Government of

India, are aimed at promoting entrepreneurship among students.

However, at school the habits that need to be inculcated are those of creative

thinking, perseverance, confidence, leadership and self-reliance. Relevant

curriculum could be to assign a project to each student in which they have to

come up with unique and creative ideas. Each student should also be made a

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team leader at some point to develop the qualities of leadership and team-work.

They should also be given tasks in which they don’t succeed in the first attempt

and have to try again so they learn how to persevere. Schools can also start

various clubs for different areas of interest. Moreover, education should be

more skill oriented than exam oriented; this can be achieved by assigning case

studies to students on frequent basis to maintain consistency. The paradigm shift

from conventional jobs to entrepreneurship can further be supported by making

the students read the stories of successful entrepreneurs who started from

scratch.

This concludes our discussion on the 4th pillar of the vision KITES which is

supported by the prior three that have already been discussed. Knowledge in the

sense that without proper knowledge, a foundation for successful business can’t

be laid, Innovation because creative mindset is the basic need of

entrepreneurship, Technology because manufacturing or marketing or both are

the only things that can sustain a business.

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 SPORTS
• Sports is such a waste of time.

• Sports is just a hobby- a distraction from studies.

• Our hard-earned money is to ensure that you have good education – not

to play sports.

Some of the most common excuses that one may hear from an average Indian

parent in the matter of sports. But is that all the importance of sports? As a

student one might always have come across the proverb-

‘A sound body holds a healthy brain.’

An anonymous yet one of the most effective quotes. Sports is one of the most

important part of an individual’s development. Although education is an

integral part of human development, it is vital to embrace studies in school for

every student growing up in the country. Education being the foremost of all, it

forms the cradle of development of every great nation, and so is it considered in

India. However, Sports is also an equally important cog in the wheel of a

nation’s development. Developing nations like Nigeria, Jamaica etc has time

and again proved this statement with their proficient medal scoring consistency

as well as progress is Olympics and other International levels. Yet the people as

well the government of the country like India, with population of a billion and

above, with a potential of at least few millions of sports enthusiasts is yet to

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entertain the reality of the lacking, and its development. The culture of school

sports and recreational activities, a vital ingredient to be addressed in the

curriculum of the system of schools are yet to be fully effective in practise apart

from its inclusion in the curriculum schedule.

The scenario in reality is however yet to be taken into consideration. Sports and

recreational activities are integral part of a child’s overall development of

his/her persona, just as nourishment is for the children. It can also be judiciously

considered the right of a child, just like the right to vote or equality of every

citizen. Also, it is a matter of fact irony that, everyone in India agrees to this

argument. And is an enthusiast to add-on that they should play as often as

possible. Yet the question remains, where should they play?

The growing urbanization has significantly undermined the children’s play area

and the concept of sports as an ideal of children’s significant development. It is

hence need of the hour to protect and develop the system of children’s sports

involvement by way of school curriculum in the form of physical education.

The school sports could play a major role in the control of major ailments and

lifestyle diseases cropping up among the young generation like Obesity,

Diabetes etc. to a large extent. However, the physical education still a part of

curriculum the structure is not always used to promote its agenda, because of

the popular manifestations of the crowd regarding the afore mentioned ignorant

thoughts. Also, sports provide significant opportunities for the young minds to

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develop a healthy lifestyle, and in some cases a career too. Thus, it’s important

for the school to provide a scalable and sustainable resolution for getting

children to play.

Some of the critical hurdles in the empowerment of school sports-

• The synchronisation of children-

The ignorance of the follow-up of physical education as a physical compulsory

activity period in schools. If the schools embraced the structure of the sports

calendar system, and initiated proposals to effectively utilize the period, much

of the hurdles of present-day middle-class parents could be solved. In order for

the children to be not deprived of physical education they tend to admit them in

sports coaching centres and under trainers, and also face the extra hurdle of their

transportation to-from the locations. Such hurdles could inevitably be avoided

had the school adopted a schematic and practically compulsory physical

education periods. Also, the interaction among the students of the class,

being of the same age category, could evolve the collective psychic of the

group.

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 • The lack of spaces-

The urbanisation of cities, and even tier II and tier III townships of our country

has seriously deprived the school of spaces. Even the schools of metropolitan

cities are cramped up, and lack the spaces for school sports. The only way to

tackle this issue would be to structure and design the space for sustainable

fitness training. Often, it’s a misconception between match play and sports

among the adults that the idea of dwindling spaces become a major reason to

tout the lack of sports space in the schools. According to methods followed by

the best of physical fitness coaches, a real fitness regime just requires the area

of a primary basket ball court. Even the players of major match sports are

trained for physical endurance and fitness, in less than quarter of a playground

before their practice matches.

If players of professional teams could play in such confined spaces, why can’t

the children of our schools? Thus, the schools should structure, and design

sports spaces in the available area with efficiency, so that children could

achieve maximum fitness, and physical activity.

• The school sports fees-

Often in most educational institutions the parents pay an amount entitled

‘physical education fee’. However, they are less often put to efficient utilisation.

The schools might lack efficiently structured or planned school sports area; a

qualified physical education instructor; basic amenities required for the physical

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education of the children. Such scenarios are also some major issues in the

realm of the physical education or school sports culture of India.

This can only be changed with tactical spread of awareness on the importance

of school sports and consequences among the teachers, parents and students

alike. The governments as well as NGOs are acting and trying to bring about an

efficient and sustainable changes. The right of sports of students should

certainly be questioned and acted upon to bring about a healthy nation, rather

than a nation with just manipulated, work-driven, robotic masses.

Ways to develop school sports culture-

• Encouraging the child to participate in school sports-

Children should always be encouraged to involve themselves in school sports.

Teachers as well as parents should encourage the children to actively participate

in any types of school sports. Also, they should be unbiased of their

appreciation of the talents and calibres of different children. Not all children are

born to be an engineer, doctor, accountant, or any other professional. Children

achieving any type of excellences in sports should be promoted for further

training and to hone their skills irrespective of whether he/ she is an achiever in

class. The importance of participation should be imparted to the students, the

result being the individual developing into an efficient and empathetic

individual in future. The participation also leads the children into developing a

healthy lifestyle.

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 • Increasing local sporting events and their accessibility-

The schools, teachers as well as children can actively play genuine roles in

changing the lifestyle in localities. Working in collaboration with local

authorities, schools can effectively play roles in increasing the local sporting

events. This in turn can automatically imbibe an interest and sense of

participation among the children both of the schools as well as the neighbouring

areas, there-by increasing the social exposure of the children, sense of

sportsmanship, acceptance and idea of coping with real life situations. Also,

such platforms provide opportunities for the development of future sports stars,

while catering to the healthy life style of children.

• Sports stars as model icons/ role models-

It is often less to come across educational institutions who equally, and

judiciously entitles sports stars as role models in their complexes along with the

several successful personalities from different walks of life. The idea of sports

education and practice will start to progress once the schools, teachers

effectively address sports stars from various types of sports as role models of

success. In a country like India the imbibing of a sense of appreciation and

encouragement into the value of sports, the contributions of successful sports

personalities, the values of prestigious awards like the Arjuna award for the

Remarkable achievement in sports would certainly evolve the school sports

culture.

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 • Sports as a rewarding career-

It is evidently a need of the hour to effectively fight against the existing

prejudices. A young child or a teenager will naturally be inclined to actively

involve himself in different sports under the impression of positive

communication about the sports, its importance and opportunities. Small steps

taken by the responsible entities like the teachers and effective guidance and

measures assisted from schools even in minor ways would open up a major

career option for an individual who might be effectively passionate to any kind

of sports. Also, the onus of such steps may also result in the rise of a champion,

who might one day proudly represent the Nation in-front of the world. Thus, the

responsibility of developing an individual into a successful person by way of

sports is also one of the responsibilities of the schools and teachers alike.

SPORTS- The fifth pillar of KITES

KITES an acronym for Knowledge, Innovation, Technology, Entrepreneurship

and Sports, effectively placed the last acronym of S- Sports for a reason. The

scheme understanding the importance and effectiveness of Sports in daily life,

as well as the importance of a healthy lifestyle among the school children.

KITES also recognise the need for individuality among the growing youth of

the nation, and along with the 4 pillars of education and development has placed

the fifth pillar of Sports as a manifestation focusing the idea of differential as

well as talented sportspersons’ in the future.

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 FRAMEWORK

As we have discussed all the elements of KITES in extensive detail, though

there is a lot of data and ideas still left untouched. We now have the idea that

Knowledge, Innovation, Technology, Entrepreneurship and Sports are the

pillars to achieve Vision of Education for 2030.

The primary objective of education has to be to make students reach from where

they are to where they want to be while maximizing their potential, to make the

process of learning engaging and interactive for the outcome to be impactful

and life changing. And the teachers and administration should utilize this

amazing opportunity to the best they can to shape young minds who will further

shape the future of our nation. These students in return become the brand

ambassadors of the school and the cycle continues.

The vision is about how teachers need to take the ownership of the educational

purpose and the mission that they are trying to accomplish. As fruitful results

show, the vision will become a culture, but creating culture is a habit and not an

act.

A student can choose to rely upon two or more of the pillars, but at least one is

important to be stuck onto for getting success with the destination being the

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students, teachers and the school. This roadmap will be the guide to crack the

code to achieve Vision KITES for education 2030.

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