Technology has slowly crept into every corner of our lives, and education has not been left out. Yes, it did seem exciting at first. Schools becoming more modern and systems becoming more digital. But seeing how it's actually being practiced makes me pause and wonder if all of this is really helping students the way it should.
Take my younger siblings' school for example. Not long ago, the school updated their website so teachers could upload notes, assignments and lessons outline to the website. Parents saw it as a modern touch and teachers could proudly say the school is keeping up with the times. But what I've seen makes me question whether this so-called progress is really benefiting the students.
These days, my younger brother and sister spend more time copying notes from phones than actually learning in class. They are scrolling through the school's website to copy materials word for word. What's worse? They can copy the entire term's worth of notes on the very first week of resumption. Because the teachers are asked to upload everything before school resumes. All the teacher needs to do is upload, and their "job" is considered done.
Where is the explanation? There will be no interactive questioning between the teacher and student, nor moments where a student would raise their hand in confusion and the teacher patiently breaks down a topic until understanding dawns on them. That connection, the real teaching is disappearing.
I've even seen my siblings copying mathematics this way. If there is any subject that actually needs step-by-step explanation and guidance, it's maths. You can't just hand a child the notes for simultaneous equations and quadratic functions and expects them to magically understand. But that's exactly what's happening, the notes are dumped online and the children are left to teach themselves through copying.
It makes me wonder if they are actually raising students who are learning or just note copiers. These things are just making both the teachers and student lazy.
The sad truth is that many schools mistake this for advancement. Instead of chalkboards and textbooks, students are now bent over glowing screens, copying and disengaged. The problem isn't solved, it's just simply modernised.
I'm not against the use of technology in schools. Far from it. Technology absolutely has a place in education. It can open doors to resources, make learning interactive and give students opportunities beyond the classroom. But it should never replace teaching itself, it should serve as a bridge instead. It should help teachers teach better, not excuse them from teaching altogether. Students should be encouraged to use technology for exploration, research and problem solving, not just transcription.
Image is mine
