lissome's blog

Education is the key – a truth that has come up over and over again whenever we have gone into intense debate over any issue. It is the only bulwark on which one might harbour any hope for the future. Children need to be educated in the real sense of the word, not as fact [...]

I have had so much negative crap in the last two days that I need to heal. And the only way to heal is to give. Let  me share with you  all something that I had devised recently to help the reluctant child writer. Those of you who have children or know of people who have children, [...]

 This is a lecture I have given at various fora and most recently as guest speaker for Rotarians with teenage and young adult children. Thought I would share it with you.  When we talk of growing children in a changing world notice that both words ‘growing’ and ‘changing’ are about flux. We are seeking permanence [...]

Early thinking believed that the child was like a computer that comes straight from the factory, with pre loaded software and ready to process information. All we had to do was turn on the switch. It used to be thought that an infant’s brain is hardwired before birth, suggesting nature’s rigid genetic code on how [...]

TEACHER’ S DAY MUSINGS Teacher’s Day like other Days earmarked for particular tribes, sees speeches and high  praise all around. It is a ritual on every September 5th even as we are critical for the rest of the year. The hypocrisy is depressing.  So what exactly should these teachers possess, to be able to deserve the [...]

Education  in real terms means the facilitation of  fluent deep thinkers.  Recently TOI’s masthead space advertised a thinking online programme for children. The site turned out to be another version of question answers, much like the quiz programmes on TV that examine facts and numbers in the academic merry-go-round that we call Education.  How much [...]

 Talking of the need for a change in the curricula of business schools in his post ‘Trouble in Paradise’ Ajit Balakrishnan  writes: “On the other hand, things like communication ability, interpersonal skills, leadership and, most importantly, “wisdom”, the ability to weave together and make use of different kinds of knowledge, are less easily taught. Paradoxically, [...]