Friday 16 March 2012

The Crap They Sell Us at Schools




What is India heading to? It must be total anarchy or may be something worse. When confronted with the question of what I would like to change in the society if I could, I went over an awful lot of possibilities. I considered personal stuffs like changing my hairstyle to my stop biting my nails and universal stuffs like a world without boundaries (we ought to talk about that some time sooner). But then it struck me very of handedly that the one thing that must be changed in India is its Victorian ‘tailor made for slaves’ education system by our huge hearted well-wisher Lord Macaulay. But with all the crap that we are being fed in our schools now one has to ask themselves is it still called ‘education’ anymore.


I must be unfair in placing the blame on Lord Macaulay; in fact I am wrong in doing so. His intension was not to create the entrepreneurs scientists and thinkers who would one day propel the nation to unprecedented heights but his was an even harder job. His job was to create an educational system that would create enough donkeys who would work on the largely underpaid and ‘sub-standard‘ jobs that they could just not watch an English man do. And he was fair in churning out our matriculation system that we still proudly uphold today. One cannot call them schools they must be called cattle farms. He was a complete success in what he did, but we were the real idiots who bought their sinister plot with not a thought going into it.  


But, now our educational system which, I was once a part of a few years back was indeed not all that bad. There were some good things in it too like raisins in a cake. But now it’s just like a nightmare gone horribly wrong. Each person adding his whims and fancies into it doesn’t really give us a comprehensive and informed educational system. When todays educationalist go on to the extent of defining a forest vaguely as ‘a group of tree’ , the doubt starts arising in one’s mind whether they really are educated enough to be called educationalist. I think they get some kind of sadistic pleasure by ruining the life and dreams of today’s bright ones.


We need to revolutionize and revitalize our educational system or at the very least make our ‘antique’ system catch up with the today. What the nation now needs are brilliant entrepreneurs, stratergicians and researchers who would become the corner stone of its continued success. When a nation such as ours finds itself in the middle of a fast evolving world it need to put up its best face to be part of that world and to continue being there we need educated and capable people’.


Simply copying any educational system from the west may not be a very good alternative. Though highly successful in generating quality research and enriching potential, the cultural aspect and the mindset of the prevalent society play a significant role in its success too. What we need is not a ditto copy, but of possible inclusion of its best practices to our educational system and make the exaggerant focus on marks must go dim. It’s true we need more quality people but that doesn’t mean more people with maximum marks but we need more people who understand what they do.


If one thing must change about the mindset of the people then it must be this, the parents should stop pursuing the career of their children. They should realize that they can’t live their child’s life too. They should give their children a chance to live out their dream. Children may not be best judges of things but they know their hearts and their odds, if they believe they can succeed, shouldn’t they be given a chance to try. If this one factor about our society does change, there will be a reciprocating change in our educational system and a transformation in it for the best. The only thing that drives entrepreneurship and research is passion and its severe shortage is what the nation is suffering from, and why is that? The simple answer is the overwhelming focus on a ‘safe career’ forced upon today’s children.


Indeed our educational setup is plagued by a hoard of problems; the only reason for it can be the lack of timely changes that never happened. Now we are faced with a problem, whether to radically alter our system or slowly change it such that it can play catch up at the cost of valuable time. I incline towards a radical transformation, I believe a couple of unrest in the department will be all the resultant problems from such an action but it will produce the desired results in time. But I need not be the final say in that matter. It is a complicated and sensitive issue and requires an equally though-about and subtle solution. But one thing is sure, we have already reached the precipice now all we have is total oblivion or a resurrection and the choice is ours to act about.


55 comments:

  1. We are too lazy to change our ways.. that I feel is the root cause for many of the issues

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  2. I completely agree with the change that you want to bring,...good one...good luck

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  3. you couldn't have hit the nail harder. Our education system is so outdated with the facts. They teach stuff that is almost extinct and the very concept of "learning by heart" needs attention.

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  4. @ Harish

    That laziness is costing the nation billions of dollars worth of innovation everyday, they just dont understand it or even if they understand it, they dont want to change it.

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  5. @Kajal

    Indeed so true are your words.

    The only focus nowadays is in some how getting good marks and not in understanding what they study, Most students dont know a thing about any subject even if you ask on the very next day of the exam, the study to pass the exam and not because they want to learn. The students life is all studies and absolutely no learning.

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  6. I totally agree with you... our kids are reading or rather we read something that will not be helpful at all at any point of time in our lives... The history we studied is not in our head.First the teachers aren't dedicated enough and passionate about their profession and secondly, these things are forced into us.. We are not studying things that will be helpful to us, the kids are overburdened.. the education system should be changed CPR and swimming should be made a part of education... Education has become another lucrative business in India.. Nice read.. :)

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  7. @ gayathri

    Its so true

    Swimming must be included in academics and other life skills too, I know its not easy to afford the infrastructure but any school capable of it must do so and other must be helped by the govt.

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  8. Really, you don't seem to see the consequences of changing the education system itself.

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  9. @Rohan Shankar

    Any change comes with a price tag and in the fear of paying that price haven't we destroyed enough lives now. How can we justify ourself in continuing this outdated outcasted education system just because the changing it has some minor consequences. Its late for a change I agree, But isn't late better than never?

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  10. Its a such a valid point that you have raised here.Our educational system has so many deficiencies.Instead of churning out students who go ahead and help take forward the nation, schools today are churning out memory wizards are students with only bookish knowledge.Its such a sad thing to realize when you enter the real world that whatever you have learnt all your life till now is of no good!

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  11. @upasana

    Absolutely, They no not the first thing about life, I bet not even one student knows the cost of one kilo of rice or the name of India's President. All the know is a bunch of formulas and answers to predetermined set of questions on subjects.

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  12. Loved it .. I think everyone should read .. tweeting it !! Cheers

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  13. Good insight in to the educational system..:-)nice blog.

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  14. So true! You totally outlined the stone age ways of Indian Education System! Firstly these people at the board are too old and then they are too lazy! And with corruption on the rise..i dono what becomes of the nation!! Nice one Rupert.Really well written!!

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  15. Being recently out of school, I agree with you. I mean, Yeah we have an outdated system, I have been part of the 'max marks' race but somewhere, somehow they are doing it right? Isn't it?

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  16. Hello Friends.........

    Great information.Thanks for sharing this useful information with all of us.Keep sharing more in the future.

    Have a nice time ahead.

    Thanks

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  17. Kapil Sibbal talks of change but nothing happens.

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  18. @Jen

    I totally agree with you, Some of these so called board members are either too old to think or too illiterate to understand education, with such kind of a kinky panel deciding what the nation gets served at school. I must say the future of Indian Education System is shabby

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  19. @Stuti

    Its true there have been individual sparks of good things happening here and there, small steps of much needed reforms. But we need more than that we need to actually have the change speak for itself through the increased quality of educated people. Our children are just as good as the Harvard Pass-outs, but we need to give them that quality education that will set them apart in the world.

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  20. @Upcoming bank exams and @Sriram

    Thank you

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  21. @Indu

    Its so true all we have is talk talk and talk and no action

    the politicians whom we sent up there goes there loots our money and does blah blah blah!

    They only care if it looks cool in print and media and not whether it matters at all.

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  22. as soon as I saw the title of the post...I became pretty sure that someone has shared the thoughts that I always keep wondering...
    That's an excellently written post...couldn't imagine anything better...right now I'm also in the education line(student) and don't understand why they teach us and don't let us explore the things that are important for our future...

    Seriously Indian education system is shitting around on the name of education...The biggest surprise that I got when I heard that this time 12th boards is having "Grading System"...everyone knows they will pass somehow and I guess from now on Indian government system shouldn't be expecting any competitions in the student...whether u get 91 or 99...all u have is an A+...then y do they compete...??? :O

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  23. A very simple answer to the problem: pay handsomely to teachers to ensure that the finest brains of the country enter the profession. Do you know that quite many teachers in the country today work for a few thousand rupees, even as low as 3ooo rupees per month!?

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  24. The recent results where India stood right at the bottom of the ladder just above Kirghistan is a case in point. Good post..

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  25. Very well summed it up!
    A change all of us waiting for!!
    Time we realize, marks is again just a number!
    Regards:)

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  26. @cynosure

    When I actually heard about the Grading System, I was happy that it would reduce the competition and now I know the only thing it reduced is the quest for knowledge. It was so poorly implemented that even a person who did not know the ABC of the subject could get an A by simply doing a good assignment( obviously copied or paid for), which left me with the question what was the use of it all.

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  27. @matheikal

    Wow! that's deeply troubling, Teachers ought to be paid more and paid handsomely, We have to ensure that they love their job and then their passion will transcend into the kids heart too.

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  28. @themoonstone

    That's just downright shameful. Is Kirghistan's education system that bad?

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  29. @Kinara

    That is so true its just a number

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  30. Indeed educational reforms is something we would really look forward for. Very need and candid post was this. Good job!

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  31. Well written..my friend..and well-intended...:-) But I was recently having a talk with the mom of a 8 year old..and she was saying,the techniques which the school was using to teach her kid things were pretty modern and used concepts of child psychology..So you know,maybe the situation isn't as bleak for the new crop of kids joining schools..

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  32. Education has off late become a money making business rather than a system. Changing it is very very vital.
    Unfortunately, change doesn't happen easily. With over a billion people, it must be tough but it is always possible. Hope it changes soon.
    All the best for the contest. Nice read.

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  33. i agree with you .. the parents must stop pursuing their career and their dreams through their child...let the child have his own dreams!

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  34. Ok. Basically, what I mean to say, is that a few things can be knocked around here and there, but the pillars are rather rigidly in place. If you go to a government free school, you will realise that the state board is ideal there, because anything else is just over their head. We do not have teachers for it.

    Change CBSE more and more, more parents will go for state, because of orthodoxy.

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  35. That was hard hitting post. Brilliantly penned down. I too wish the education system gets revamped.

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  36. Poignant post! Though much has been talked on the subject and still the talk is on...don't know where it will lead to... hopefully something relieving and that is best!

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  37. Totally agree with you, the education system is long due for an overhaul. As far as I am concerned, there is no more room for half measures. You are right about parents having to butt out of children's careers. We, as a nation, do not value soft skills or even confidence in a child -- confidence enough to question what needs to be questioned, even if they have to question adults. Innovation and problem solving (even emotional problem solving) skills have to be the basis for any education system that hopes to develop people that will go beyond its boundaries. We currently we only produce worker bees by the thousands.

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  38. yes indeed that system is so full of mugging up and marks centered. there is no room for creativity and nothing noble to pass on to those young, keen minds.
    revamping the system is definitely the need of the hour. well written :)


    sarah

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    www.sunshineandcyanide.wordpress.com :)

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  40. I'm a CBSE student, so I can really understand this post. I plan to blog about such a topic myself. :)

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  41. Change is posssible only through a Root cause Analysis and a holistic approcah to the issue. we have too many social body loooking and observing the issue.....but they are too many...and they have too many agenda....and there are too many issues within themselves

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  42. Great points, Rupi.

    The problem is not only in India, but across the world. We're being taught to be team players, etc. so that we can conform to norms and standards set by companies we join. They aren't looking for people who can improve things; just implement things they want. And then those manufactured goods & services are sold back to us, telling us that money spent is a respite from those fallacious hours spent at work. Thus, we adhere to what is wanted, spend more & make the rich richer, and keep languishing and complaining.

    The culprit here is education; it's moulding our mind to think like the herd does, not encouraging us to break away from the standard.

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  43. It sure is laziness and the three magic words "I don't care". When Darwin said that life is always about survival of the fittest, he sure wasn't wrong.

    Brilliant thought provoking post.

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  44. Wonderful post.. and yes! i totally agree too!

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  45. "todays educationalist go on to the extent of defining a forest vaguely as ‘a group of tree’ "
    Above words perfectly portray state of affairs in our education system.
    One important change I believe should happen here is inclusiveness. Education should be really basic so that every child from every background will be able to grasp easily. We should not try to teach them more, instead we should teach little and clear. We professionals know perfectly well that education we obtained has little to do with our work. So basic intention of education should be to sharpen minds and open up opportunities for everyone.

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  46. Actually we need an education system that doesn't spoon feed theories! We need something that will actually "educate" the students and teach them to open their minds to love, life, education & society. Also we need to get rid of this notion that only doctor/engineer & MBAs are capable of doing something worthwhile!

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  47. Do the kids feel motivated to want to know more or do they feel dull and addle brained? Is it only brain fodder and no physical activity? What is the ratio of teacher to student? How well are teachers trained? Do they constantly upgrade their own knowledge? Do some kids get denied an education because the "donations" are prohibitive? Just some of the questions parents need to ask.

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  48. As a student of this horrendous education system, I totally agree with what you have to say. We are just forced to get good marks, get into a good university and get into the same cycle over there, as well. Granted, it makes our lives easier but, is it worthwhile? I don't think so.

    I've written a post quite similar to this. Would you like to read & promote it here?

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  49. Wonderful post.....and yes I agree too.....

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