Teacher-centric approach to student-centric learning

When I was in school, everything revolved around the teachers. My teachers tried to strictly control what, where, when, why, and how students learned. There was absolutely no consideration for what was best for the students. It was an undeniably teacher-centric approach to the process.

In recent years, there has been a push for student-centric learning. What does this mean? Apparently, we need more teachers so that we can have more one-on-one time and to allow teachers to better meet the needs of students.

On the surface, this may sound like a good idea. Unfortunately, what we are referring to as student-centric learning is still teacher-centric. We are starting with the teachers and using students to justify their demands. Under supposedly student-centric policies, students have no more of a voice in their own lives as they do now.

As I have repeatedly stated, education is more about the learning than the teaching. We need to look at what's best for learners before we look at how to fix our disastrous schooling system. Instead of the teacher-centric approach to student-centric learning, we need a learner-centric approach.

What does learner-centric mean? In short, it's the idea that the bulk of control over what, where, when, why, and how a student learns is primarily the responsibility of the learner. Under any truly learner-centric approach to education, the students have more say in their own lives. Such an approach would diminish rather than strengthen the role of authoritarian teachers. This approach is also vital if we want learners to learn what's best for them rather than what's assigned to them. Learning is a fundamental human right, and we need to stop investing in a process that creates obstacles purely for the benefit of the teaching profession.