Online teaching fails to bring out creativity in school children, says K Kasturirangan

The concept of online teaching-learning for schoolchildren has not found favour with eminent scientist K Kasturirangan who says that direct physical and mental connection is important to bring out aspects such as playfulness and creativity in them.

Expressing his views amid a debate on the efficacy of online classes for children due to the Covid-19-induced closure of schools, Kasturirangan, who is the chairperson of the National Education Policy, 2019, draft committee, stressed the need for face-to-face contact, interactions, exchange of ideas and thoughts as he backed the traditional mode of education.

“Fundamentally, the physical and mental connection with children directly is extremely important. Playfulness, creativity and many other aspects can never be transferred through online learning”, said Kasturirangan, who was chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) between 1994 and 2003.

He said 86% of the brain grows by the age of eight, adding that issues associated with the early phase of children need to be assessed and evaluated carefully and any kind of new approach needs a scientific basis. “Development of the brain is a continuous process within these eight years, and if you don’t stimulate the brain properly by continuous interactions then obviously you are missing a chance of getting the best out of youngsters in terms of brain performance, said Kasturirangan, who has been conferred many top awards including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. “There are issues which need to be analysed very carefully. Just the kind of solutions that we talk of for higher education, like online and so on may not be the way to deal when it comes to dealing with the early phase of children, he said.