International Exchange Program
We
have all heard about these programs under which , ( for example ) students from
India would go to USA , spend a few weeks with American families and even
attend local universities
In
turn , American students would spend similar period in India ( may be , with
the parents of those Indian students who went to USA ) and attend Indian
Colleges
In
the process , both groups learn the customs / traditions / life-styles of their
host Societies
I
suppose , they also learn quite a lot about the Education Systems of host
countries
Which
would include , academic pursuit and teaching methods
But , above all , they would learn how the students behave
in the class rooms and how the teachers maintain discipline
I
believe , it must be a " Shocking " experience for those Indian
students to find that professors in USA wield unimaginable power ,
unfettered by the Dean or Chancellor of those colleges
Eg
:
*
A professor's is the final word in the evaluation of any student ( no court of
higher appeal )
*
Quite a lot of that evaluation is based on the number and the quality of
questions asked by the students
*
" Shot-gun " exams are a teacher's way of judging the progress
of the students
*
If any student absents from class room without a satisfactory reason ( ie
satisfactory to the subject teacher ),
the teacher can simply tell him to stop attending the classes ! Heavy rains or
snow storm does not count ! And
the Dean cannot question the professor's decision
*
Teachers don't prescribe any text books , but they may suggest a dozen books to
refer to
*
Many teachers just " refuse to teach " ! They insist that the
students come to class , having " self taught " the
subject and the class room is only for the purpose of "solving
difficulties" faced by students while self-teaching !
*
Emphasis is not on a student remembering the exact mathematical equation but on
knowing which equation to
use !
Hence , most professors will allow a student to look up any book during an
exam !
*
Even arriving at the exact / precise " answer " is not considered
important . It is your " approach " to solving a
problem that counts more . Were you able to suggest a non-traditional and
distinctly innovative " approach " ?
MORAL OF THE STORY :
How
about Shri Narendra Modiji ( himself , a champion of " Out of Box " thinking ) , signing an
" Exchange Agreement " with
President Obama , under which , a batch of 40 Indian Legislators ( to begin
with , opposition members of Rajya Sabha ) , are deputed to USA for 6 months (
or till GST Bill gets passed ? ) to attend the sessions of US Congress / Senate
, to learn / imbibe their ways of conducting
official business ?
Of
course , our deputed legislators must be paid a " Copycat-ing Allowance
" of $ 100 per day while in USA !
After
all , cafeteria in American Congress building does not provide
"dosas" @ Rs 2 per piece !
While
readily agreeing to the Indian request , it is quite possible that President
Obama may politely decline to send the American Legislators to attend our Lok
Sabha / Rajya Sabha's budget session ! Entirely understandable !
Dear
Shri Venkaiah-ji :
You
may get much more cooperation from all parties after 6 months !
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
www.hemenparekh.in / blogs
23
Feb 2016
hemen
parekh
Marol
, Mumbai , India
(
M ) +91 - 98,67,55,08,08
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