The Flowers at the Feet...

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This has been boiling inside me since so many days... the education system around me.

Multiple languages, multiple religions, multiple political ideologies, multiple cultures... India is already torn into hundred and one pieces. We claim of Unity in diversity, but the fact remains to be seen by all...

There are very few elements that bind all Indians together, most powerful among them being Cricket. If we search for such elements, there are very rare positive instances of this country becoming united... in expressions, views, deeds etc.

Added to this is the inequality planted by our education system, which makes privileged get good education, and underprivileged get government education. Of late I’m in dilemma... government education system is meant for whom, and what is the purpose. The rural children who are bright but don’t have access to the private schools are getting educated in government schools, deprived of the courses running the current trends.

Education is a booming business today in this country. Too many International Schools, Residential Schools etc, with hi-fi syllabus. All the privileged kids reared to international standards. Much sophisticated, capable of speaking English and meant to go places. India’z developing finally at a faster rate!! Sounds good. Feels good.

On the other hand there is Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, meant to ‘universalize’ the education system across India. More of activity-oriented, performance of student measured with grades, no marks, no ranking. The idea is novel.

Everything would be fine with this system till the kids reach 10th standard. Later they will have to enter same privatized / governmental colleges. Same entrance tests for Engineering/ Medical. (No other occupation is fascinating enough for most of the Indians..!!) Same old system with examinations, marks, ranks, merit-based assessment. The novel idea dies there.

The fear now is, these kids may not be competitive enough to deal with the system of examinations, marks and competition. A doubt, that how can a kid who doesn’t have the practise of writing any exam till 10th cope with answering so many questions in so and so time. The kids who learnt in private schools with the conventional exam-based system for 10 years would obviously be better than these..!!!

I see those innocent kids in my village who don’t know what is central syllabus or international syllabus, content with what they are learning. And the parents who are worried about the future of these kids, and how to make them competitive enough to be an engineer or medical graduate.

These kids are going to end up being second-class citizen, with no white-collar, high- earning jobs. The divide is going to be bigger.

No one cares a damn. Not media. Not educationists. Not the government. The few shrill voices against the wind are not heard.

The Sarva-Shiksha Abhiyan and the privatized education look like two opposite poles to me. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan appears like an ointment applied to a wound, keeping the thorn inside. If the media, educationists, government, and constitution can wake up so that something is done to remove the thorn...

Let’s not forget the flowers at our feet, while we aim high up in the sky...

Comments

Jagali bhaagavata said…
i wrote one on reservation long time back on a similar lines. 80% of our children do not have access to private education system. Concern is genuine. But the solution may not be simple.
May 10, 2007 at 7:56 AM
Anonymous said…
Right thinking, Today no one want to think about this. Today people are worried abut self than others. Our good system so called government should look about this but they are failing to do so. We can find hardly very few people like you think in this direction. If something has to be done to correct this first we have to ask our self how we are contributing to resolve this. May be with continuous effort can bring some light on this, a thought.
May 11, 2007 at 9:08 PM
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