A couple of years ago, I heard someone talking about educational reform. This person talked about a goal, to which he named “Agency”. Now this word struck a chord.

In a way, we all indulged in multiple things in order to let our children have this AGENCY. To be able to elaborate on it or define it is not really easy, but I think it means the self-confidence and competence it takes to collaborate with the world. Also its about trusting on your own independence. A free agent-and agency, to some extent, concentrates on its definition as someone whose deeds are not restricted or constrained by others.

Sadly, the excessive, the instructional intervention is in schools, the much less agency, in fact, students are in a position to develop. They are extra likely to become sheep than free agents, unless by some great chance they deny believing; that schools are performing in their exceptional and best interests.

More often, I witness the parents, quite busy figuring out, and being extravagant towards the program that they feel can develop those traits of AGENCY. But the question is what happens when they actually see children exhibiting agency?

Strong denial is seen. Adults progress, as one of their goals, a desire to change the child’s life, a desire to change the world. This has been trumpeted as a goal for hundreds of years. This presupposes that there is no real human problem that won’t be solved-in the generation to come -if children spend enough time being conformists and follow the schools and adults around them.

Parents, schools, should aim at, NOT having a desire to change the world,but on being prepared for the future. Should be able to encourage AGENCY. Should be able to rely on the natural genius of children to navigate the world of ideas. The culture should be such where children can discuss, play with, think about, and consider ideas.

To me, any kind of effort to change the world is political because it presumes a particular way in which the world should be changed. This is not what is paving towards empowerment. From the point of view of a child, there are problems. Children feel if adults get this in their heads that, we may not naturally follow their expected prescriptions, they will take actions to cajole or threaten us to be different. This is at the heart of the coercive model that pervades the education system. This is done because from ages it is believed that changing the world is more important than treating children humanely or respecting them as independent persons.

The need for the time is to start treating children as individuals who can have the freedom to say, do, think, in their own way. This is how creativity will breathe, innovations will fly in the air, Decisiveness will be their natural trait.