Ms. Shreya Ghodawat
Growing up, education was always about the ‘what’ — what to memorise, what mathematical problems to solve, what marks to get. But the valuable lessons, the ones that stay with us, come from the ‘why.’ Why is our environment different than it was a decade ago? Why are animals seen as products instead of living beings? Why do girls still fight for seats at tables they’ve more than earned? As a kid, I was taught to follow the rules, to learn and accept what was written, to do as told. But education isn’t about blindly memorising words on a page. It’s about questioning, challenging, and changing the world around us for the better, little by little, and at large. What if classrooms didn’t teach climate as a chapter you can close, but as a call to action; an urgent, undeniable need of the hour? If kids learned that their decisions impact forests, oceans, and innocent lives? What if we raised a generation that didn’t ask if girls can lead, but instead questioned why there aren’t more women in leadership roles? Knowledge without action is like planting seeds and never nurturing them. When we advocate for sustainability, we’re not just passing notes; we’re empowering our children to ask for cleaner cities and greener policies. When we talk about veganism, we’re not simplifying it to a diet; we’re helping young minds recognise how every decision leaves its impact on animals, ecosystems, and economies. Education, from this perspective, then becomes a catalyst for change. Because the test of what we teach isn’t in exams or essays, it’s in the conscious choices we make long after the classroom lessons end.
