Who was Edward de Bono, and why does he matter to education reform?
Edward de Bono was one of the world’s most influential thinkers on how humans think. He coined the term lateral thinking and spent his life challenging the idea that intelligence equals rote learning, memorisation, or exam performance.
He believed that thinking is a skill — one that can (and must) be taught — and that education systems worldwide fail children by rewarding conformity instead of curiosity.
If de Bono were alive today and looking at Indian education, he would probably say what many of us already know: we are training children to answer yesterday’s questions using yesterday’s methods.
What was de Bono’s biggest criticism of traditional schooling?
His core criticism was simple and brutal: Schools teach what to think, not how to think.
Traditional schooling optimises for:
- Obedience over originality
- Right answers over good questions
- Exams over understanding
This creates students who are good at following instructions but terrible at independent thought — a disastrous outcome in a world where knowledge is freely available and change is constant.
How does ApniPathshala align with Edward de Bono’s philosophy?
ApniPathshala is a living embodiment of de Bono’s ideas.
Instead of classrooms that enforce silence, uniformity, and fear of mistakes, ApniPathshala creates:
Safe learning spaces, not pressure cookers
Freedom to explore, without the tyranny of a fixed syllabus
Peer learning, where children learn with and from each other
De Bono believed creativity flourishes only when learners feel psychologically safe. ApniPathshala provides exactly that — a place where curiosity is encouraged, not punished.
Why would de Bono reject exam-centric education — and how does Eklavya fix this?
De Bono repeatedly warned that exams measure memory under stress, not intelligence.
Eklavya.io flips this model completely:
- Students ask questions instead of memorising answers
- Learning happens on demand, not on timetable
- Understanding matters more than completion
Eklavya treats students as active thinkers, not passive recipients. This is precisely what de Bono meant by teaching thinking as a skill.
What role does ApnaPC play in lateral thinking?
ApnaPC is not just a device — it is a thinking workstation.
De Bono believed tools shape thinking. A chalkboard and textbook produce one kind of mind; an open digital environment produces another.
ApnaPC:
- Gives students ownership of their learning tools
- Removes dependence on teachers as the sole source of knowledge
- Enables exploration, creation, coding, writing, designing
In de Bono’s world, thinking improves when learners control their tools. ApnaPC makes that control real.
How does this ecosystem promote autonomy and agency?
Autonomy is not granted by lectures; it is built through practice.
Together, ApniPathshala + ApnaPC + Eklavya:
- Let students choose what to learn
- Allow them to decide how and when to learn
- Encourage reflection instead of rank comparison
- This ecosystem treats children as thinking adults-in-the-making, not empty vessels waiting to be filled.
- De Bono would strongly approve.
Why is “self-directed learning” central to de Bono’s thinking?
De Bono understood something many educators still resist:
No one can think on your behalf.
Self-directed learning trains students to:
- Identify gaps in understanding
- Seek resources independently
- Evaluate information critically
That is exactly what Eklavya’s AI tutor enables — a thinking partner, not a spoon-feeder.
How is this ecosystem future-ready?
The future does not reward syllabus completion. It rewards:
- Problem framing
- Creativity
- Adaptability
- Lifelong learning
De Bono predicted decades ago that jobs would change faster than education systems. Our ecosystem accepts this reality instead of denying it.
We are not preparing students for exams.
We are preparing them for thinking in the real world.
Is this anti-teacher or anti-school?
Absolutely not. De Bono never argued against teachers — he argued against teachers being reduced to content-delivery machines.
In our ecosystem:
- Adults are mentors, not dictators
- Guidance replaces control
- Curiosity replaces compliance
- Teachers regain their most important role: helping students learn how to think.
What would Edward de Bono say if he visited an ApniPathshala today?
He would probably smile and say:
“At last — a place where children are allowed to think.”
And then he would challenge us to do more.
Final Thoughts from Dr Malpani
India does not have a shortage of intelligent children.
It has a shortage of systems that trust children to think.
Edward de Bono spent his life fighting that battle.
ApniPathshala, ApnaPC, and Eklavya are our attempt to carry it forward — quietly, practically, and at scale.
Help us improve India’s first free AI Tutor for JEE students at app.jee.eklavya.io!
We want students to become independent self-directed lifelong learners.