To the editor,

It was initially shocking to hear our best local school drop accreditation with the Department of Education. But when I went into it deep and realized what it really meant, the scenario changed. If there were restrictions to what the school could teach interfering with the overall academic development of the student, I feel released now. It should always be an open curriculum for what can we offer as education to a learner. If this means bringing in professionals and workers to impart skills to school kids beyond syllabus, we all should be open to such endeavors.

Vicksburg has institutes of national importance and it presents opportunity for students to gain invaluable experience and knowledge interacting with them. Besides that many practicing/retired professionals could also guide pupils in the right direction and show them avenues to success. I as an erstwhile architect would love to introduce design and CAD to inquiring minds.

I feel learning is not all a one-way classroom expression but exploring for yourself what the world offers and what befits you. The new generation has a wider playing field as compared to the last with new work streams and ideas to flourish. Diverging from century old teaching schemes is a demand, which we should support in these testing times. This would help us build a stronger and relevant future generation.

Michael Thakur

Vicksburg