By Vimal Kapoor
During our school days students feared surprise tests, unfinished homework, and the classic sentence: “I’ll call your parents.” We tried to comprehend what our teachers were scribbling on the blackboard and then attempted to answer according to our grasping power, grey cells and hard work. We used to go home and often consult our friends who were better in a particular subject in order to give a better answer.
Now the scenario has changed dramatically. Now students can listen to lectures from the best universities online, solve problems using artificial intelligence, and get answers within seconds. What is left for the teacher to do? Has the role of the teacher become downsized?
The concern is understandable, but this debate is based on flimsy ground. Information has become plentiful. Understanding has not, and wisdom certainly not. During our times, teachers were the main source of knowledge. Books were limited and prescribed by a set syllabus. In fact, syllabus was some kind of a holy book that everyone explored religiously, with a pencil in hand to tick or underline what has been conquered. Today, a student with a smart phone can explore advanced topics easily. This change does not remove the need for teachers, rather it changes their role. Artificial intelligence can organise information efficiently, but it cannot replace human judgment and reflection provided by teachers.
I can bet our Principal Mrs Ghose could have drawn the map of any country faster that AI. We had Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” as a part of our English syllabus in board exams. Can AI teach the various nuances and layered subtleties of the characters of ‘Antonio’, ‘Bassanio’ and ‘Portia’ the way our English teacher Mrs Jain taught us? I doubt it!
AI tools can assist in calculations and suggest solutions. Though they cannot make you grasp the basic fundamentals. A teacher helps students understand the basics of any subject and promotes flexible learning that will help you for a lifetime. AI can show a path, but it cannot decide where to go. Just appreciate the paradox here. Ease of access is not the same as depth of understanding. Real change happens in classrooms and in brainstorming between teachers and students.
Examinations remain a major challenge. We say we value creativity and problem-solving, yet we continue to test memory and speed. If exams continue to reward memorising abilities, teaching will remain inadequate. Marks and percentages rule the roost, both for the school as well as parents!
At a basic level, students must learn to ask three simple questions: what to study, why to study, and how to study. These questions are the basics of any meaningful learning. Reading carefully, thinking deeply, and expressing ideas in one’s own words are essential habits. The simple tools of learning, paper, pen, brain, and books, remain as relevant as ever.
The future of education is not a contest between teachers and technology. It is a partnership. Artificial intelligence can handle routine tasks and provide quick access to information. This allows teachers to focus on mentoring, guiding, and developing critical thinking. The challenge is not to compete with AI, but to do what it cannot do. Teachers who adapt to this shift will become more important, not less. They will guide learning, shape thinking, and uphold academic dependability.
(Vimal Kapoor, a Dehradun resident is passionate about literature, creative writing, cricket and exploration through travel)
