Education' it is indisputability one of the most important aspect of humankind and also a pressing need in the modern era. Education is not all about degrees, certificates and marks but also about human development. Its basic job is to enable a human being to differentiate between right and wrong, it may seem an idealistic notion in the modern cut throat world, but such values should not be underestimated.
Unfortunately the true meaning of the world 'education' has been diluted in the Indian context. The list of problems is endless and no matter how moderated one wants to portray it, it's impossible not to feel radical about it. The entire system lies in shambles and is a rotten mess. The semester system and its introduction may be the brewing debate but that is hardly the issue, there are several underlying problems which easily get papered over.
The debate about education will inevitably relate to the higher education model, but the root problems as always is at grass root level. It has become commercialized and far too expensive for most, but the quality is lacking. An expensive school with the state of the art infrastructure hardly guarantees quality education. Students are overburdened, discouraged to pursue extra-curricular activities and meticulously trained in rote learning. It is hardly a surprise that students are clueless even at the graduate and post graduate levels. As Karl Marks points out, if the bass is week, the super structure bound to fail.
The worst part is that professors with frightening C.Vs (curriculum Vita) encourage such follies only to mask their own incompetence. The formula is simple, memorize by heart without understanding, fill up the examination sheets and carry home the marks. If such is the condition with the nation's elite universities, one can only shudder to think of the condition of others. It's the case with all streams. Creativity is despised, simply because of the patience needed to harness it. Social sciences suffer quite badly and actually are considered reserved for girls (blatant patriarchal norms) and weaker students. A student in a working class family either becomes an engineer, doctor or complete and M.B.A, not always because he wants to, but as he has no option. I am not against any stream, each one has his relevance, but only whenever properly channelized. Vocational education is completely absent. Education is only complete when one enjoys it, not when one grinds it through.
Societies, civilizations and nations have always developed through criticism, people have questioned in an attempt to develop and change for the better, and unfortunately questioning a teacher in the Indian system is blasphemy as it is considered insulting a Guru. The culture still seems to continue from the Vedic days of memorizing texts by heart. A teacher – student relationship is wonderful one build on mutual respect, where both learn from each other, it does not need restrict hierarchical regimentation where by students are even afraid to look at the teacher, let alone ask questions.
The movie 3 Idiots clearly sheds light on all these problems by potraying it beautifully. It's quite absurd to study something without understanding it, it takes no racking of brains to memorize a book, a set of notes or a guide book and vomit it, but it takes far more effort to create something or spontaneously come up on the spot solution. After all, the personalities who came up with theories and inventions were not from another planet but human beings like rest of us.
Education has to be based on quality not quantity. One can make all the laws for providing it or provide meals as incentives, but one cannot be forcefully thought. Quality education ensures that one wants to study because he or she likes it. It may not be fair to compare with other countries but learning from others may not be a bad idea. It's not a co-incidence that our best brains from all streams settle abroad and serve other nations or that bright young students frustrated with the system want to go abroad to crave out their own niche as (through) education has no respect or value in the country. The only obsession is with money and to earn a livelihood (a luxurious one). A radical overall is need it where by young dynamic people joint the educational sector to get rid of the dead wood (some of the so called professors may not even be able to crack the Net exam). The nobility of teaching must be restored.
A country has no future if its educated youth does not participate in its governance and its only obvious that criminals fill in this vacuum. Only a proper qualitative education (not necessarily degrees and gigantic marks) can prepare a nation's youth. A teacher is not the one who can help it's students get undeservedly high marks but the one who can help each student achieve his/her true optimum potential and creativity. In short we need an (educational renaissance).
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