In my experience of working with government departments on public policy, there is a common refrain that something in the system needs to be fixed urgently, be it the public health system or education. Within the education system, there are a myriad of organisations -government, private as well as public-private partnerships, working actively on making the system more effective. I wanted to understand what it is that really needs to be changed or fixed when we talk about changing the system.
When we engage with public policy, we understand that the system is extremely complex, with a lot of interconnectedness between the stakeholders and microsystems, which makes it difficult when we work towards shifting mindsets towards thriving of every young person. The education system includes various stakeholders such as teachers, students, principals, parents, community members, government officials and policy makers at multiple levels. When I started working with the government agency or even before that, there was a preconceived notion in my mind that the government style of working is extremely rigid and it is a closed structure, which makes it incredibly difficult to be open to accept any external views or strive for change. This notion was broken with time through my own experiences, when I saw senior government officials accepting external views and working with individuals, experts and organisations towards making the education system more effective and holistic.
I realised that my own biases about the government had stopped me from making any effort in having conversations. Working closely with them, I unlearned my beliefs and exposed myself to new learnings. I also got an opportunity to observe deeply the nuances of these complexities which are beyond the judgement of right and wrong. People within departments have different approaches and ideas about an effective education system. When we try to understand these nuances and see people as allies invested in a positive change, perhaps with some different proposition, it is the beginning of a change.
For instance, while working on one of the aspects in designing the implementation of National Education Policy, 2020 with a key national government agency, I observed that the people in the education department sought ideas and were receptive to innovative ways of bringing a shift in the education system. However, when any idea gets incorporated, it also needs to be accepted at different levels requiring some synergies at multiple levels of the system, otherwise it would remain an idea or a concept in isolation. My lens of viewing the government department as a closed space shifted when I was able to communicate the rationale behind my ideas and it got accepted when a government official also shared the same vision.
I now realise that a space always seems closed or unapproachable unless we adopt a lens of acceptance. Thinking of systems change, Mahatma Gandhi’s famous quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world” keeps coming to my mind. We certainly want to see the change in the world but are we ready to see the change in ourselves is a question that we must reflect upon. A common behaviour we often see in our day-to-day lives, where most adults complain about children not listening or paying attention to them, however it is most likely that as adults, we also don’t listen to children or pay attention when they speak by being on our phones. We tend to overlook the fact that we are also responsible for the change in behaviour that we do want to see in the lives of the children.
While working with government departments, I have noticed that while each department is working efficiently to bring about positive changes in the curriculum, improving the quality of teachers training, changing the way assessment is being conducted or bringing a positive shift in the school culture, yet the gaps remain, which is often attributed to other departments. Each government body has its own structure of functioning and limitations, making people work in silos. There is a fault in the design, where enough space is not available for collaboration and communication to happen between departments. When we introduced such spaces in the form of facilitated workshops for government officials to reflect on their experiences and listen to each other, they shared that this is the first time when they have a space to listen and understand each other, despite having worked together for more than a decade
While the problem in the education system is being discussed widely by different experts, educators, teachers, parents, students and so on, the onus to fix it lies with each one of us. It is essential to look at our own beliefs and biases, accept them and initiate change. We are all a part of the system, and we can bring the change we envision when we truly accept our role in creating it.
About the Author:
Sneha Jha is a Development Practitioner and has been working in thematic areas of Gender, Child Rights and Education, and is keen in understanding their intersection with Law and Public Policy. She has Masters degree with specialisation in Public Policy and is passionate about qualitative research, facilitation and networking. Presently, she is a part of the National Partnerships team at Dream a Dream.