Stop Copy-Pasting. Start Creating: Why Bharat's Education Needs Original Thinking

Anshul Anand

15 Jun 2025 — 2 min read

In the world of education, we're often tempted by the shortcut: a shiny new method from Finland, a tech tool from Silicon Valley, a teaching style from Singapore. We see impressive results from elsewhere and think—"Let’s do that here too!" But real learning doesn’t come from copy-pasting someone else’s success.

Education is not a downloadable template. Schools are not software programs. You can’t Ctrl+C a foreign model and Ctrl+V it into your classroom in Bharat and expect the same magic to happen.

Why Copying Doesn’t Work

Every school, every classroom in Bharat has its own identity—rooted in local culture, community, language, and challenges. What works in a metro city may fall flat in a small-town school. What energises one group of students may bore another.

And yet, we often rush to import frameworks and techniques without asking—Does this really fit us?

The result? Quick fixes that fade out. Teachers overwhelmed by "yet another new initiative." Parents confused by ever-changing jargon. Children stuck in the middle of experiments they never asked for.

Let’s pause and ask—what problem are we really trying to solve? And is the solution we're borrowing designed for our world?

Bharat Needs Tailored Thinking, Not Borrowed Tools

We don’t need to reject innovation—but we do need to adapt before we adopt.

Here’s a more grounded approach:

🔍 Start With the ‘Why’

Before picking up a new strategy, ask:

What specific issue in our school are we solving?
Will this help our children feel more confident, more curious?
Is this in line with our values—be it respect for diversity, inclusion, or foundational literacy?

If the ‘why’ is unclear, the ‘how’ will always fall short.

🏫 Honour Local Context

A classroom in Patna is not the same as one in Pune—or one in Paris. Let’s understand:

What strengths do our students already bring?
What are the gaps—academic, emotional, digital?
What does the community expect from education?

Local insight should be the compass, not external trends.

💪 Build Capacity, Not Just Collection

Jumping onto the latest edtech doesn’t help unless teachers are trained, trusted, and supported. Instead of dropping new tools every term, let’s:

Invest in professional development
Encourage collaboration among teachers
Give them time to try, fail, reflect, and improve

Innovation isn't what we use—it's how we think.

👩‍🏫 Trust Our Teachers

No one understands a child in Bharat better than their teachers and parents. If we want real change:

Let teachers lead the adaptation process
Value their instincts over imported prescriptions
Respect their freedom to modify what works for their students

There’s No Shortcut to Great Education

We all wish for a magic formula—but real transformation takes thoughtful effort. It grows slowly, through:

Learning from both success and failure
Tinkering with small pilots before wide rollout
Staying committed to what truly works for our students—not just what’s trending globally

We don’t need to be Finland or Shanghai. We need to be Bharat—thoughtful, grounded, and courageous in designing education that serves our children.

So the next time a new idea is trending, pause and ask: