The destiny of any nation is shaped in classrooms by committed efforts of dedicated teachers.
After having visited numerous schools and colleges in recent years and after having interacted with many students and teachers, I have come to the sad conclusion that Indian education system has serious deficiencies. I propose my views on how to remedy the situation.
In addition to being the cradle of banking, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts in Karnataka with 17 engineering and eight medical colleges are a cradle of private professional colleges. However, the excellence in standards of education in such institutions warrants closer analysis.
Survey results of Pratham’s Annual Status of Education Report 2017 (ASER 2017) released on 15 January 2018, fully supports this conclusion. ASER found that rural youths, ages 14 to 18, do not have foundational skills -in reading or basic arithmetic. About 25 per cent cannot read a primary text, more than 50 per cent struggle with simple division and 34 per cent could not name the capital of India. National Achievement Survey (NAS) released by Human Resources Ministry has also revealed declining learning skills in students. More shocking was the indifference of the media, which failed to draw the nation’s attention to this alarming reality.
Book-reading habits of students take a nose-dive
No student in the West can graduate from high school without having read Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, their classics. In stark contrast, only a few of our children have learned Ramayana and Mahabharatha. Even when students were urged to ask questions on topics of their interest, none responded. If these students had a solid foundation in elementary and high schools and were encouraged to ask questions and think creatively, they would surely have been better prepared to do so in college.
How teachers can bring about change…
Interactions with teachers at Besant College were encouraging. 70 per cent of teachers thought they offered good education. However, by the end of discussions, everyone changed their opinion and acknowledged the sorry state of affairs. Though, when asked how many teachers have gone “beyond the call of duty” to take particular interest in students after class hours or during holidays, barely a handful came forward to describe their involvement. The discussion also uncovered that no one could become a vice-chancellor of any university these days without paying a considerable bribe, which in turn reinforces a cycle of corruption from the top.
The most exciting interactions were with the professors of Nitte Engineering College. They were liberal in thinking and interested in contributing to the betterment of students. They were aware of the limitations of the current educational system, which is driven by rote learning to clear exams. They readily agreed to mentor students and motivated them to read books other than their textbooks.
How to remedy this issue?
When management takes an interest and teachers are exposed to new ideas, positive change is not too far away. Student/teacher communities must recognise that we have a severe crisis in our education sector, and bring about sweeping reforms, albeit within their classrooms first. It is futile to expect our political leaders to bring about the much-needed reforms. Let us remember that the destiny of any nation is shaped in classrooms by committed efforts of dedicated teachers.
