Education is an equally important basic need along with food, shelter and clothes. Do you not agree that education can buy all the other three for an individual? Gone are the days when education was a privilege to the crème de la crème. Now it is the right of every citizen. The transition from privilege to right, speaks volumes of its growing importance.
Is our education system good or bad?
If you say good, then whom are you comparing with?
The same applies to when you choose to say the opposite.
The facts: A student commits suicide per hour in India (no emotional support from school), CBSE question paper leak and the fate of children is uncertain, students’ voices are suppressed and the truth is concealed. The schools, colleges and institutes are churning out millions of educated, mostly are incapable and mediocre. Has education in India just zeroed down to procuring a meaningless certificate?
Lack of uniformity: With four major boards; CBSE, ICSE, State board, and IB, we are the only country that gives a choice. This can be a good point, but it also points at the lack of uniformity in the courses across the country. The CBSE syllabus is congruous with all the competitive exams. But the rural India heavily relies on the State Board syllabus, which means students from rural areas are inept, for which the government is responsible.
No emphasis on creating ‘thinkers’: The school, and teachers believe in conventionally performing their duties. The emphasis on churning out thinkers is lesser. A student must be encouraged choose a discipline of his interest. The education system must empower the students.
We must speak: Parents, students, teachers and employers must aggressively demand to institutions on producing quality and capable candidates rather than awarding meaningless degrees and certificates. Often students are suppressed and parents choose to ignore. If not the government school, parents move their ward to the private, and if not there, then a tuition acts as a savior. Is the child benefiting at all?
Grading criteria to be revised: How is the grading done? One who answers as taught in the class scores higher grades. But thinking and writing differently is not encouraged. Teachers stick to old school of thoughts, wherein asking question(s) and thinking differently in the class is rude.
Pressurized to go abroad for higher studies: Due to the poor quality of education, Indian students succumb to the pressure of pursuing their higher studies degrees from abroad. Ironically, renowned Indian institutes offer jobs to candidates with degrees from abroad over home schooled candidates. Does this not question about the lacunae in our education system? The race is tougher for home schooled students. In return, Universities abroad generate humongous revenue from Indian students by charging ridiculously expensive tuition fees. Yet the government in ignorant.
A young nation with an amazing workforce and an inept education system, will never shine. There will be millions of youngsters on the streets with certificates and degrees that hold no credibility. Certainly, the jobless youth will be compelled to choose the wrong path for survival. Imagine a nation full of jobless and frustrated youth! Substantial changes in the system can avoid the catastrophe.
Our nation’s children definitely deserve an excellent education system.
