India, Dec. 23 -- When Finland revises its curriculum, it begins by retraining teachers. When Singapore introduces new competencies, educators are upskilled well before students encounter the change. Across high-performing OECD nations, education reform starts with strengthening teaching capacity, not demanding student adjustment. India, however, follows a different sequence. Reforms are announced with fanfare, policy documents multiply, acronyms proliferate, and students are expected to adapt immediately. Teachers, meanwhile, are left to translate ambitious vision into classroom reality-often with little preparation, minimal consultation and growing administrative pressure.
If education reform is genuinely the objective, one uncomfortable...