Features
‘The times they are a-changing’ Smita Shetty considers what we can learn from the success of ‘viral’ stars A video called ‘I just sued the school system’ by Prince Ea is doing the rounds on social media. Within just two weeks of being posted, the video had been watched 1,260,090 times. This American rap song highlights the trauma that standardized teaching (the ‘one size fits all’ approach) puts students of diverse potential through. It is no wonder that this has become hugely popular and is being shared widely on Facebook, we chat and other media. It is the nature of rap music to highlight social issues and Ea brings to light a grave issue. He deserves applause. The video abides by the characteristics of popular culture – it is dramatic (right from its title), hits out at authority figures, and uses strong accusing language. Certainly the role reversal where educationists/school management are accused of the damage they are determinedly causing captures popular emotion when Ea asks “Do you prepare students for the future or the past?” Ea points out that telephone and car Winter
Summer |
| 2017
models have transformed their appearance and function in response to changing times, but education has not! He highlights the variety in human potential using prominent public figures such as scientists (Einstein, in particular) and tugs at the heart strings of parents to back the atrocities with which, he asserts, demonic schools bludgeon their victim students. The popular artist uses all the buzz words – “innovative, creative, independent” – to call for reform in education, and the video and lyrics shout out for reform. Ea points to the education systems in Finland and Singapore as beacons of hope and the solution to learners’ troubles, but is there any such instant remedy? He advocates customised teaching, but is it practically possible in every class? Theoretical frameworks exist that recognise differences in students and are pushing towards adapting teaching to acknowledge different ways of learning. The idea of differentiating instruction and customising teaching to
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