Part 18 of 24 in Reclaiming Education: The Micro-School Revolution← Part 17Part 19 →
Last week, as I sat in my clinic listening to a patient express her anxiety about her child’s education, a familiar frustration brewed within me. It’s not just the relentless pressure of exams or the coaching centers that light up our highways like beacons of despair. It’s the pervasive belief that education is a ranking game, a race where only the top few win. This conviction, sadly, is one that many parents hold, and it’s one that I believe we need to dismantle if we are to leave a meaningful educational legacy.
In my years as an IVF specialist, I’ve learned that creating life is only the beginning. What follows is the responsibility of nurturing that life, of ensuring that the child grows in an environment that encourages curiosity, resilience, and kindness. These are the qualities I see in successful startup founders, those who can pivot in the face of failure, learn from their mistakes, and maintain their integrity under pressure. In the world of education, these are the qualities that are often sidelined in favor of rote learning and exam scores.
Let’s talk about what’s actually true. Education, in its essence, is not about cramming information to regurgitate on an exam paper. It’s about nurturing a mind that can pay attention, learn without being chased, and remain kind under pressure. This is the legacy we should aim to leave behind, not just for our children, but for the generations that will follow.
I am convinced that the industrial model of education will not disappear overnight, nor will the coaching centers vanish. But that doesn’t mean we are powerless. Each of us has the ability to create a microcosm of change, a small refusal to accept the status quo. A community microschool is exactly that—a refusal to treat our children as mere entries in a ranking sheet. It’s a refusal to donate their evenings to endless tuition classes. It’s a refusal to believe that curiosity is something that should be reserved for weekends.
In India, we often think generationally, but our gaze is usually fixed backwards, to the exams our cousins cracked years ago. Instead, we should be turning our attention forward. The child in your learning pod today will raise their own children in a world we can barely imagine—a world with a climate, economy, and media landscape we cannot fully predict. The gift we can give them is a mind that is equipped to navigate this world.
So, what can you do today to shape this educational legacy? Start by examining your own beliefs about education. Ask yourself if you’re perpetuating the myth that success is a number on a report card. Then, consider what you can do to create an educational environment that prioritizes real learning over rote memorization.
If you have a room, a few hours in the day, and at least one child whose mind you are no longer willing to outsource, consider setting up a Teach to Earn learning pod. You don’t have to do this alone. There’s a national network ready to support you with the unglamorous parts: the space checklist, the computers, the learning stack, and the company of other pod leaders who have opened doors in different states.
Begin this journey by reading the chapters of the handbook that appear on Indian Angels. Share the chapter that resonates with you with another parent. Then, open a door. Our country doesn’t need more opinions about education. It needs more rooms where a child is known by name and given the time to explore their own curiosity.
In investing, as in life, I’ve learned that trusting your instincts can often lead to the most rewarding outcomes. This is a lesson I’ve shared in both the clinic and the boardroom here. I encourage you to trust your instincts when it comes to your child’s education. Be bold in creating an environment that challenges the status quo. It’s a hard path, but it’s one I believe is entirely doable.
In conclusion, the educational legacy you leave is not determined by the school your child attends or the marks they score. It’s shaped by the values you instill, the curiosity you nurture, and the kindness you encourage. Let’s commit to creating an education system that reflects these values, one microschool at a time. Our children deserve nothing less.
The hard thing is doable, not because it’s easy, but because it’s necessary. And in this necessity lies the potential for profound change.