Beyond rote

 Beyond Rote: Listening to What Our Children Aren’t Saying

by Nidhi Guglani

I recently had a conversation with a parent who felt their child was suffocating under the pressure of rote learning. The curriculum didn’t seem logical or engaging, and the child had begun to withdraw, showing no willingness to take initiative or explore further. That made me pause and think — is the problem rooted in the system, the curriculum, or in us as teachers and parents?

There’s no single answer to this; it’s subjective and multi-layered. Personally, I feel that even the existing content — if delivered with purpose and creativity — can become interesting for most children. The issue may not always be what is being taught, but how it’s being taught.

At the same time, how will a child ever discover their interest in a subject if they aren’t first exposed to it properly? Take mathematics, for example. If a child says they dislike it, is it because they fear the subject itself, or are they scared of the teacher? Is it the complexity of numbers or the pressure to perform? Understanding the why behind a child’s discomfort is essential.

In chemistry, do we need to memorize reactions blindly, or can we help students see how these reactions connect with daily life? History, too, isn’t about remembering dates — it’s about understanding patterns of human behavior so we don’t repeat past mistakes. The “why” and “how” are often more important than the “what.”

Fortunately, with the New Education Policy in place, I’ve seen some welcome shifts. When I reviewed this year’s Class 10 papers, I noticed a meaningful connection being drawn between real-life situations and the curriculum. That, to me, is a step forward.

Still, the core remains — every subject must be introduced the right way. The goal should not be to create passive listeners, but active thinkers, observers, and analyzers. Every subject has the potential to spark curiosity, if taught with the right intent.

Of course, not every student in a class of 40 can be equally engaged at all times. But involving them in discussions, nudging them to reflect, is always possible. We, as teachers, are often overburdened — with administrative tasks, expectations, and large class sizes. The teacher-student ratio continues to be a major barrier. If classes were smaller, we could address individual needs more effectively, providing personal attention and tailored strategies.

The problem isn’t just about content or curriculum. It’s about a lack of innovative approaches, the overwhelming workload on teachers, and at times, a missing synergy between parents, teachers, and students. We often forget that education thrives when there is trust — what someone once beautifully called a mutual trust triangle.

This triangle breaks when:

• A parent blindly supports the child without assessing the situation.
• A teacher dismisses the child’s voice or behavior.
• The child stops trusting the intent of both adults.

And once broken, everything else becomes ineffective.

I also believe students need to be more vocal about their interests. At the same time, unlimited freedom isn’t the answer. Children need guidance, not control. They need choices, but also the maturity to understand consequences — and that’s where adults step in.

This conversation, of course, is endless. There’s no final word — just the hope that somewhere, somehow, we can reimagine learning, together.