INDIA - A Developing Nation?- Part Uno - Educational Predicaments

When it comes to the overview of the holistic development of India, a certain phrase seems synonymous, “the same gift, re-wrapped in a more attractive wrapper”. We are the same ignorant people, part of a system run by the same kind, with the only difference being, the fact that now, we earn better.

“ An Indian father and son got into a heated debate which unfolded as follows –

Father- What is the sole most important thing India provides the world?

Son- Tech Support

**SMACK!** “

The above was a joke, published on a certain website. A joke, which almost seems surreal, Why? Because, that father, that son, me and you reading this, know for a fact, that it’s true.

It’s the year 1970, a farmer toils all day at field, and somewhere in his mind echoes “mera beta bada hoke engineer banega”, “mera beta daactur banega”.

Let’s time-travel to 2011, a big executive at an MNC works all day, with the EXACT same thought. Hence the reference to the gift-wrapper phrase.

India, as we already know, along with China, are the leading exporters in labour, labour of all kinds. Ranging from opening the country for various BPO’s to set up, to generate employment to sending executives to respective countries to work there, as we are the only breed of earthlings to readily work week-ends, for a much cheaper rate and way lesser benefits.

It’s a vicious cycle, from parents, to children to their children where the whole concept of “living your life to its fullest”, doesn’t even feature on the credits.

The cycle goes something like this,

You study, in most cases forced to, something you hate, put in 10-12 Hr days at the office doing something you hate, earn what seems to be a large sum with the ‘$’ sign, have a major epiphany when you have your first heart-attack about how you pretty much did nothing you ever wanted to or made you happy all your life and then die.

Why can’t Indian parents see their children as, football/basketball players, Artists, Photographers, Writers, Actors, Video Game Designer, doing something which makes THEIR life fulfilling without being frowned upon?

More so, the same Indians, who want to be safe, who want everybody around them safe, who complain about the Indian Political Scene and doubting the abilities of the India Armed Forces, here’s a question,

WHY do you NOT encourage YOUR child, to be a politician? or an Army man?

The relationship between a parent and a child, is one of a kind, and the strongest around. The protective and possessive nature’s justified, doubting that, or a parent’s love is not the aim of this piece.

Just, as the parents expect the child to understand, the child feels the same need too, even more at times.

Times change, encourage whatsoever the kid wants to do or become in his/her life. Stop trying to live the life you always wanted through your children, the feelings may not be mutual.

Try and be a guide, not a jail warden.

A Nation Of Examination

The Head of Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, C.N Rao had penned down a letter to the P.M, pointing out the faulty educational system of India comprising of multiple entrance examinations, autonomous Universities and their examinations.

His statement, “India does not have an education system, but an examination system” has really struck a chord with todays youth and has become quite “viral” on various social networking websites conducting “polls” and “questions” based on the same harvesting millions of “hits”.

Gautam Nair, a mechanical engineering student from a well known college in the city says, “The feeling is subjective, for high-scoring students will score high in any case, but these multiple entrance exams, give us mediocre students a chance to enter the market”. Whereas, Shantanu Shah, a class XII student, dreams of a world without examinations and with innovative ways of learning.

C.N Rao, in his letter, has put forth an idea based on the American system, ONE common entrance exam for all universities, like the SATs, which would be a major leap forward compared to the present system which is, chaotic, least to say. At the same time, it will also reduce the burden on the students by a great deal and make Education “fun again”, instead of making students fear it, and run away from it, and thats just the education aspect of it, its better not spoken about the quality of the teaching faculty in today's universities.

Statistically, the rate of student suicides is going up exponentially, with every year as children fail to “meet the standards” of their/their parents’ “Dream Institutions/ Universities” and are afraid to face the ones they love, let alone the world. Students give up years of their lives trying to get into these “high-end” institutions. Parental Pressure, makes things worse.

Yes, our Nation’s education system needs a makeover, and it needs one fast.

For which, we need to get back to basics, comprehend the real meaning of the word “education”. In the Oxford Dictionary, Education means “the act or process of acquiring knowledge”. Another states, “acquiring a skill/knowledge for the overall dynamic development of the individual”.

Nowhere, does it state, OUR nation’s interpretation of “education” which goes on the lines of “the act of enforcing 12 sets of examinations on a child, and decide his/her future FOR him/her on basis of ‘marks obtained’, which can be easily done by rote-learning everything in the reference books “. And also, “suppress any form of creativity and understanding” or “the act of creating low-cost, willing-to-work-weekends, drones for foreign companies”.

There are two kinds of people in the world, the street-smart and the book-smart, our youth needs to be the perfect mix of both, and not end up like the above mentioned “drones” who, are neither with no practical subject knowledge and lack of remotely ANY social life.

Hence, the “low-cost” and “willing-to-work-weekends”, our education system, in simpler terms, churns out donkeys for the richer countries, who work weekends, for something they THINK is a lot of money and are taken advantage off.

Why? Because they are not equipped to be authoritative and command for what their work deserves, the “$” sign before the three to four digits is what they work for.

Seriously, Its time to Turn the Page.