In the first part of this article I talk about “struggle for education” and then I draw my attention on “struggle with education” in this country.
For whatever reason in India primary education never got the importance or attention it needs. Surprisingly the educational institutions in India are largely run by private organizations unlike America where it’s funded mainly by the state. I believe that a public good like Primary education should always be a responsibility of the state. Not so surprisingly state has failed to deliver their promise. People have taken it up on themselves and hence we see these private organizations or NGO’s spawning up in huge numbers.
Well the good news is the young people in India see the need for education and their parents feel likewise. People see the financial and social costs of not being educated, so there is demand for education and slowly but surely government is acting on it too. They have started a education cess which is 3% of all the taxes collected, and this comes upto 3 billion dollars a year dedicated for education. This is unprecedented amounts of money spent on education, but the problem still persists in the distribution network. I think this is going to be resolved sooner or later because there is money flowing in and there is demand from public. Need of the hour is in finding a way to connect them.
Now days we have a new problem in hand, I call it struggle with education. To say that our education system is bad would be an understatement. Our system is defeating the very purpose of its existence. Education is to impart knowledge into the students which would then help them in leading a healthy and prosperous life. But the focus of our present education system is on percentage of marks they score in the exams rather than the knowledge they gained from it. It’s a real shame that students now days are put under tremendous pressure to achieve targets that their parents or teacher’s set for them. In short there is very little pleasure in studies these days.
It’s a pity that a 2nd standard kid in a school is made to sit between 4 walls of a classroom from 8:00AM to 8:00PM six days a week. I just wonder what a kid would learn in such an environment. Focus has clearly shifted and worrying fact is that parents themselves drive their kids in to these schools. There is no escape for children. This, in my book will be regarded as Torture and nothing else. This is seen more in states like Andhra Pradesh which have predominantly middle class educated population. I just hope for those kids that people change their mindset towards education.
India has an edge on the world; it’s the only young country in an ageing world. To make use of this unique opportunity it is vital to get out education system right.
- Srikanth Achanta
For whatever reason in India primary education never got the importance or attention it needs. Surprisingly the educational institutions in India are largely run by private organizations unlike America where it’s funded mainly by the state. I believe that a public good like Primary education should always be a responsibility of the state. Not so surprisingly state has failed to deliver their promise. People have taken it up on themselves and hence we see these private organizations or NGO’s spawning up in huge numbers.
Well the good news is the young people in India see the need for education and their parents feel likewise. People see the financial and social costs of not being educated, so there is demand for education and slowly but surely government is acting on it too. They have started a education cess which is 3% of all the taxes collected, and this comes upto 3 billion dollars a year dedicated for education. This is unprecedented amounts of money spent on education, but the problem still persists in the distribution network. I think this is going to be resolved sooner or later because there is money flowing in and there is demand from public. Need of the hour is in finding a way to connect them.
Now days we have a new problem in hand, I call it struggle with education. To say that our education system is bad would be an understatement. Our system is defeating the very purpose of its existence. Education is to impart knowledge into the students which would then help them in leading a healthy and prosperous life. But the focus of our present education system is on percentage of marks they score in the exams rather than the knowledge they gained from it. It’s a real shame that students now days are put under tremendous pressure to achieve targets that their parents or teacher’s set for them. In short there is very little pleasure in studies these days.
It’s a pity that a 2nd standard kid in a school is made to sit between 4 walls of a classroom from 8:00AM to 8:00PM six days a week. I just wonder what a kid would learn in such an environment. Focus has clearly shifted and worrying fact is that parents themselves drive their kids in to these schools. There is no escape for children. This, in my book will be regarded as Torture and nothing else. This is seen more in states like Andhra Pradesh which have predominantly middle class educated population. I just hope for those kids that people change their mindset towards education.
India has an edge on the world; it’s the only young country in an ageing world. To make use of this unique opportunity it is vital to get out education system right.
- Srikanth Achanta
Dude, don't curse the primary education of India by comparing it with a well furbished and developed country like the US(do u see a comparison at all?). And as for the cess, it goes to cover the mid day meal program and Sarva Shishka Abhiyan which I think are doing well with no major complaints(I lost track of the national policies long ago, you know ;) ).
ReplyDeleteAnd the mindsets of parents huh? I think it takes another generation to realize as the sufferers of this age becomes the saints of the next age (when they become parents).