Let
us divide this note into two segments: School Education and University/College
Education. The thoughts are based on last few years data from my own observations,
discussion with a large number of students, parents and educators across India
schools (largely CBSE, State Boards and ICSE).
School Education
The
fear of “being successful” has taken over the whole education process and
system at almost all Indian Schools (there are few exceptions). “Being
Successful” is defined as getting “good marks” and getting into “good” colleges
and then “good jobs” and making good money.
So
much so that a large number of schools start the dreadful testing and
examinations from Grade 1 itself, wherein a child needs love and care to play
& learn. The process is so rough and un-concerned with the children’s needs
that it continues to focus on these exams and marks, in a way that most
children either fall-in line or fall-out. Their confidence, self-esteem and
self-worth is totally shaken.
This becomes so absurd and
obnoxious in schools now-a-days in senior classes.
To take an example:
In Senior schools – there is
substantial change in curriculum from Grade 8 to Grade 9. A school will start
class 9 immediately in March with rushing through the subjects and then
organizing a number of tests and exams (one after another), so as to finish
everything by January/ Feb next year. Again they rush through starting the
grade 10 with rapid fire speed to finish the syllabus and having so many exams
till February next year (term, half yearly, 2nd term, annual, first
pre-board, second pre-board etc). The child is so exhausted by the time they
take the Grade 10 board exams; that many brilliant students also show a sign of
tiredness in actual exams.
This does not stop here. By
the time they finish their board exams by first week of April; schools start
the next session of grade 11 in second week of April and the same story of 9th
and 10th is repeated in Grade 11 and 12.
The process of choosing
subjects in Grade 11 is quite funny and dis-heartening. Schools will ask kids
to choose between Science and Commerce (some may offer Humanities) – but with
limited choices (both CBSE and ICSE board gives enough choices and any
combination to students). However, this is totally ignored and many subjects
are forced upon students to study and then get good marks – to be successful
!! There is no focus or discussion or
intention to understand that each child is different and may need time to think
and decide. One school I met, mentioned that they want students to choose
subjects in which they want to make a career like MBA :-) (out of 8 subjects – choose any
5). World is so big with so many options and they just want to limit the
children to their own selected 8 subjects only.
In this whole process parents are either helpless or agree with whatever schools are doing ; adding to the stress and pressure on children.
So many children will do
science and then Engineering and after that realize that this is not what they
wanted or liked at the first place. The whole process removes any creativity or thinking capacity of the children.
University/ College Education India
The university and college
education is really out-dated with curriculum not updated for last 30 years in
some of the best colleges. They teach subjects and topics which are redundant
in the actual world. However, who will question them? As the education system
itself classifies few people as Gods and not to be questioned and this is
surmounted by the ratings given to these colleges. There are few universities
and colleges who are trying to give innovative education now; however these are
like few drops in a ocean.
So most students do not get
admission of their choice and study subjects which they don’t like and then graduate, totally confused.
In Engineering colleges – the
fear of getting talent started around 10 years back when companies started
offering jobs to students after their pre-final year. (This was not so in 1980s
and 1990s). So most of the students don’t study in the final year and then
corporates get shock of their life when they land for jobs in the companies.
The emphasis on Vocational
Skill building is still in nascent stages in India. Its ancient when
compared to Europe, Korea, China and Singapore.
I wish the sense prevails in
the so-called policy makers and decision makers and things change both at school
and college level in India. Otherwise we are creating a generation of fearful
humans who will lack self-worth and empathy over others and will always feel
that “Life is a Race – where they have to win by pulling others down”.
