Education and Academic Excellence of Indian Youth

Education and Academic Excellence of Indian Youth

India’s historical position in Education is no doubt very well-known. Since its Independence in 1947, India has made tremendous advances in every field. Be it Agriculture, Technology, Science, Humanities, so on and so forth. This was possible only because of a strong educational system. The Indian educational system has created some of the most marvelous geniuses in the world, like Dr. A. P. J Abdul Kalam, Dr. Sarabhai and many more. However with the advent of the 21st century, increasing globalization has changed the face of the world and hence major changes need to be introduced in the Indian Education Scenario as well, in order to make it competitive and relevant. How can India stay relevant in the highly charged era of information technology? Can the youth, as students, maintain learning-orientation while they succumb to the pressures of competition? Is brain drain an avoidable phenomenon? In this highly competitive arena of grade hungry institutions and societal pressures, can the youth of India maintain the basic aim of education which is ‘love of truth’ and ‘thirst for knowledge’. This paper discusses these issues with special emphasis on steps to be taken to improve the standards of Indian education system, while presenting a comparative analysis with the American System of Education. Keywords: education, globalization, competition, ICSE, exam pressure.

India has, probably, the world’s oldest history in education. When most of the western world was wandering in savage wilderness, India had a most advanced form of schooling in the ‘Gurukul System’. In this system, Students resided in the ‘Ashrams’ or the hut abodes of their ‘Gurus’ or teachers and engaged in active learning for a number of years. Only after successfully completing this phase of their life known as the ‘Brahmacharyashram’ or the student phase of one’s life, were they considered fit for a public or routine life of a householder ( A Grihasth). However, even in those days, caste had a major role to play in the imparting of education to these students. Children belonging, only to the upper castes namely the ‘Brahmans’ (the priests) and the Kshtriyas (the warriors) had exclusive rights to this ‘Ashram-based’ education and the lower castes namely the scavengers, the cobblers, the manual labourers and other such communities as well as women were denied any form of education. The lower castes were only expected to perform their duties towards their master, perfectly and women were more or less, considered instruments of child-bearing. When Jainism and Buddhism spread across India, education became more and more liberated from caste-barriers, although the caste-consciousness of Indians could not be eliminated altogether. During those days, India was considered by many as a great educational hub. Many famous Universities like ‘Takshashila’ (now in Pakistan) and ‘Nalanda’ attracted students from various parts of the world. With the Muslim invasion, Persian and Arabic came to be studied by the Indians. The British rule changed the outlook of the Indian men. Although the British administration was oppressive, its educational policies towards Indians proved to be nothing short of a boon for India. Thus, with the British education system, taking firm roots in the Indian soil, Indians began to cultivate a scientific and rational temper.
With this history in mind, let us now evaluate the Indian education system as we see it today. After its Independence in 1947, India has certainly made progress in the field of education. However, there are some deficiencies that are still remaining to be addressed. Firstly, it is very important to understand that there is a basic difference in the aim of schools and universities. “It is commonly stated that the function of a school is to provide a' good general education to its, pupils', but it is necessary to know what exactly are the elements of this good general education which will not only prepare a pupil for university work, but at the same time prepare him for practical work to earn his living if he does not proceed to a university. The university, on the other hand, should be a great meeting ground for young men and women, where they receive higher instruction from their teachers as well as prepare for life through contact with their contemporaries and their seniors.” (www.education.nic.in, 1997). When it is estimated that “50-55 per cent students actually go up for the intermediate after passing the high school examination, while the remaining 45-50 per cent do not” (www.education.nic.in, 1997), then it is a huge area of concern. What happens to this 45-50 per cent of students who do not have the opportunity of higher education? In an era of cut-throat competition do these students stand a chance of gainful employment? The answer to this question is ‘no’. A few of these students might be successful in moulding a successful entrepreneurial venture with their own inherent intellectual capacity or talent. However, a majority of these students run the risk of being unemployed or poorly employed in ‘on-off’ jobs requiring low academic skills. It is highly distressing to imagine the situation of a country with almost 45-50 per cent of its young and working population in the unemployed or poorly employed category. Solving the problem of employment of these so called ‘half-educated’ students is the need of the hour. Since they do not have time and resources for higher education, it becomes imperative to provide them with lesser expensive and relatively lower time-consuming educational facilities that could provide them with technical skills to start their own ventures. “The Sri Jayachamarajendra Occupational Institute at Bangalore, started by Sir M. Visvesvaraya in1943, which is now run by the Government of Mysore, is one such institution. It offers occupational courses in 26 branches-diplomas- in 19 branches and certificate courses in 7. The duration ranges from a minimum of 1 year to a maximum of 3 years.” (www.education.nic.in, 1997). The government of India should strive to establish more such institutions. Such institutions will go a long way in developing the potential of those Indian youth who have the technical aptitude but for some reasons cannot pursue a university education, thereby giving them a fair chance of surviving in the global scenario.
Increasing globalization also underscores the need for developing new academic content, relevant not only in India, but everywhere else in the world. There is a general notion among parents, students, coaching classes etc. that the SSC board syllabus (state board) is inferior to that of the ICSE or CBSE boards (International boards, accredited by University of Cambridge). One cannot blame them for thinking so. A casual glance at the books of these boards will confirm this hypothesis. How are these syllabi formulated? The SSC board syllabus is formulated by bureaucrats sitting in their conference rooms and often is decided by what they want the students to learn and not really what the students need to be learning. It is usually out-dated and seldom helps the student in his/her career. The CBSE methodology is but a foreign version of SSC board. As this model of syllabus ceases to be of practical use to students, they often lose interest in studies and cram their way through exams, learning very little and forgetting everything once the exams are over. The ICSE board however has special and qualified content developers to design their syllabus. These experts may include professors and subject matter experts and they design the curriculum in such a way as to be of interest to the students. A lot of emphasis is placed on creativity and practical work instead of the majorly theory-based system of SSC. This model of education comes very close to the holistic model of education and students are encouraged to think instead of mugging up and clearing the examinations. This also prepares the students for future challenges in university life, for e.g. clearing the various entrance tests, preparing dissertations etc.
Let us take the example of Neeta Mathur. Last year, Neeta decided to shift her 9 year old son, Shreyas, from an SSC board school to the ICSE board P.G. Garodia high school in Ghatkopar, with the result that her son is now more excited about going to school every day. He loves the projects given at school because he says he doesn’t sit with his books the entire day and engages in lots of impromptu debates and elocutions held by his teacher. Since the numbers of students in his new classroom are less compared to his old school, he gets personal attention from his teachers which, according to Neeta, is the reason why Shreyas has started paying more attention while studying. He devotes an equal amount of time to studies and sports. When the process of education is interesting and engaging, the result is an involved student and a happy child. This gradual shift in the mindset of parents, students and educational institutions can be illustrated from the move a lot of schools have made recently. For e.g., a few schools who have changed from the SSC to the ICSE methodology are P.G. Garodia English High School (Ghatkopar), St. Annes High School (Fort), G.D. Somani High School (Cuffe Parade) and many more.
However not everyone is as lucky as Shreyas. The ICSE board has a limited reach. The teachers here are definitely paid higher than the SSC teachers, but certainly the fee-structures of these schools are on the higher end and not everyone can afford them. So whether or not one gets to attend these schools depends on the monetary aspects of the parents. This brings us to the question why should students of one country be subjected to such a vast differences in the levels of education and methods of teaching? The government should take adequate steps to promote ICSE type schooling or best combine these methods with the SSC board and bring out one centralized board for everyone. According to Nandan Nilekani, the co-founder of Infosys, “courses should be restructured so that undergraduate students have access to all disciplines.” (Nilekani, 2009). Such an initiative would go a long way in developing rational thinking among the students. Student will have the option to learn more about the subjects they wish to study at the graduate and post-graduate level. Also, No doubt, for so many years, the control of education was in the hands of the State Governments, however now the time is ripe to introduce a change and centralization of education is one of the changes that are much desired. However, in a political situation as challenging as in India, it is a difficult nut to crack. It is very difficult to expect a change from bureaucracy, especially when it comes to a curb on their own powers. If the teaching methodology all over India is updated to international levels, students will stand a better chance of not only clearing entrance tests but also of surviving the research-oriented world of tomorrow. However at present, there is a vast difference between the levels of education received by students of different background and this fact is becoming a major cause of concern by widening the cultural and social gap between our citizens of tomorrow.
Inspite of the many reforms that the Indian Government is undertaking, somewhere there is a basic flaw in the implementation of these laws. The year 2009 was an eventful year for Indian Education as new reforms were proposed by the Governmen. The Harvard Educated HRD minister Mr. Kapil Sibal certainly deserves ‘kudos’ for coming out with certain progressive ideas. His basic premise for improving the system rests on lightening the pressure on students. Let us first understand the background because of which such reforms are needed. Increasing globalization and cut-throat competition has changed the face of the Indian corporate world. Getting a well-paying job has become more competitive. So, while our grand-parents would have advised our parents to get good grades, get a good job and eventually earn lots of money, our parents certainly preferred to tell us to top the exams, enroll in a top institution and get hired in a top organization that could pay top-class pay-checks. It might not, in all cases, be said upfront but it is almost always understood. One always knows it at the back of one’s minds. There is immense pressure on students both from parents and educational institutions. This affects the mindset of students and they find themselves stuck in a ‘rat race’ for topping the exams, irrespective of whether they have the interest or aptitude for it. “According to a study conducted by the Delhi-based Hindustan Times, north India’s leading daily, nearly 70 percent of Indian students after class VIII experience severe academic stress, especially during exam time with nearly 10 percent having contemplated suicide at some point during their academic years. In addition, there were seven suicides and nine attempted suicides in and around Delhi during this year till March-end.” (Lal, 1999) “According to the National Crime Record Bureau, students try to commit suicide every 90 minutes across the country. During 2006-07, 5,857 students committed suicide. A study by a magazine found that approximately 4,000 students commit exam-related suicide in India each year.” (Merinews, 2010). These statistics are alarming and demand urgent attention. In the light of these statistics the move by Mr. Kapil Sibal to “abolish CBSE Board exams for class X from 2010-2011 session and introduction of grading system from the current year” deserves appreciation. (Merinews, 2010). This example can be followed by state boards as well. However, it is a difficult proposal as there is a total lack of co-ordination between different State Boards. In such circumstances it is difficult to bring about uniformity between different boards. In order to bring about uniformity a centralized control is required. The reforms made by the Central Government are often refuted by the State Governments who want to safeguard their own power. Consider for e.g. the NCHER bill 2010. “Point 53 in the 7th Chapter of the bill clearly empowers the Central Government as a supreme rule-maker in the educational policy.” (NCHER Bill, 2010). However the “State governments are arguing that this is leading towards centralization of power and is taking away their autonomy of approving institutions through legislation and appointment of Vice-chancellors.” (Choudaha, 2010). One still does not know what the fate of this bill would be. Yet, there is a glimmer of hope as the government finally seems to have started taking steps towards standardizing education for the benefits of students and not for those of politicians. However these games of politics do have a profound effect on the psyche of the youth. One often blames the students for their apathy towards politics. However, at the risk of sounding judgemental, one has to acknowledge the fact that the educated youth of today cannot quite bring themselves to ‘revere’ the political system because of such a profound hunger of power that exists in a murky system. Given the ‘red-tapism’ involved, it will take years for us to see the reforms actually bearing any fruit in the society.
There are little opportunities for world-class higher education in India and the possibility of such opportunities are diminished by bureacratic concerns. Lets take for e.g., the Foreign Universities Bill-2010. Its basic premise operates on limiting the autonomy of foreign institues looking to operate in India. (Choudaha, 2010). On one hand it is a necessary measure to ensure the safety of funds involved and other such concerns, however on the other hand, it is also a major demotivating factor for foreign universities looking to set up centres in India. It shouldn’t be surprising at all that the capable minds of young India would seek foreign opportunities in education and leave the Indian soil in search of their ‘thirst for knowledge’. It is a different question that some of them go abroad purely for their thirst for knowledge while some of them go for the status attached to it. Whatever the situation, if we consider the exorbitant amount of fees they pay for a foreign higher education degree, it is a major loss in terms of revenue for the Indian government. If these students come back, they can still contribute to the growth of the country. However, if they decide to stay in their country of higher education, the loss in terms of ‘Brain Drain’ is unimaginable.
After understanding the psyche of the students going abroad for higher education, if we want to save this money going out of the country in the form of educational fees, we have to implement many changes in the Indian Education System. The government needs to understand that atleast in matters of education the ‘power-lobbying’ tactics of corrupt politicians should be handled with strictness. It is an open secret that many colleges (usually owned by politicians) take the sanctions from universities and operate haphazardly by offering ‘paid’ seats to students securing low marks and who are totally unfit for the professional training that the college offers (thanks to the meagre level of education they might have received at the primary and secondary phases). This is achieved by the give and take of bribe, which basically amount to entry of black money in the educational structure. This is effectively illustrated by the recent Tata Tea Advertisement which is aired on behalf of their corporate social responsibility venture- “Jaago-re.com”. In this advertisement two youngsters who look like seniors in a college happen to overhear a conversation in a college canteen between a father and a son who have arrived at the college for admission. The son who seems to have scored less marks is pacified by his father who says he will secure an admission by paying money. When the two seniors approach them on pretext of negotiating a deal for admission the father shows his willingness to pay 3 lakh rupees for admission in Engineering. The two seniors then come to the actual message of the advertisement. They make the father realise that he is teaching his son wrong values and his son will operate in a similar manner everywhere in his future life- by paying bribes. This advertisement covers a quintessential fact of Indian student life, “Make it on your merit, but if you cant, then atleast you will make it on the merit of your money”. It ends with a social message saying that if we stop paying bribes, we can change the system. While this thought is absolutely right, to implement it will take a robust government control on the arbitrary operation of certain educational institutions. It is not to say that all institutions owned by politicians are havens of corruption. There are glorious exceptions like the D.Y.Patil educational empire built by one of the most visionary leaders of India, Dr. D.Y. Patil. This institution till date shapes and moulds the future of thousands of deserving students, but such examples are few and far in between.
Another detrimental policy of the government that closes the doors of higher education to meritorius students is the reservation policy. Students of the backward classes, scheduled classes and scheduled tribes are till date offered reservation based seats in institutions of higher education. The students who take advantage of the reservation policy, are generally those who have secured average or less than average percentage in the qualifying exams but because of their caste they are given the reserved seats over some very meritorious students. This not only, on one hand, kills the learning instincts of the deserving students but also on the other hand drives the students belonging to the ‘reserved’ category into a complacency mode. None of the political parties in India seem to take the risk of initiating a drive towards non-caste-based reservation to safegaurd their votebank. The glorious India of tomorrow that each one of them professes to create, is filled with a frustrated but talented young crowd who have lost the reservation race. A very dangerous situation indeed. If we look at the history of reservation we will have to go back to the formation of the Indian Constitution. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar included this clause in the constitution when India was a newly liberated nation facing the challenges of growth. It was an uphill task and it was necessary to provide equal opportunities to everyone including the lower castes who had been ostracized and denied educational opportunities for centuries. Considering this situation, reserving seats for them was the only option available to bring them on a common platform with everyone else. However, today, as we enter the 64th year of independence, the scenario has changed. Many of the first and the second generations of the lower castes who took advantage of the reservation system did reach high positions of social and cultural status. The reservation system certainly helped them but many of them also succeeded in life on their own merit. Such people do have the resources now to educate their children according to the best standards. So caste-based reservations for their children, cannot be justified. If any reservations are to be made for them, it should be made only on the basis of economical handicaps and not caste. The meritorious students among the ‘Scheduled Castes’ do no need such reservations. Even Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar had recommended the reservation system only for ten years. However, today, the reservation issue is still ongoing because of political vote-bank hungry ‘netas’ who fear that relinquishing the reservation system will result in the loss of their ‘Scheduled Caste’ vote banks. Only when there is a fair and equal dissemination of knowledge can we attempt to bring out the real academic excellence of India.
In order to see where we stand internationally, let us compare and analyse our educational system with the educational system of the United States of America. It is agreed upon that these two countries have totally different social structures and national ethos and a comparison between the systems of these two vastly different countries would always be open for criticism. But we need to remember that there are some similarities in the situations between them too. For e.g. if India has its caste-problems, the U.S of A have their own race-oriented problems. In 2001, the Bush Government passed the ‘No Child Left Behind’ law in an attempt to create a more accountable system of education. This law implied that schools will have to prove their efficiency to secure educational funds from the federal government. More importance was given to Math and English Reading in the curriculum and subjects like science were neglected . The parents had the option to shift their kids to better performing schools and that too at the expense of the local districts. This move seems to aim at improving the efficiency however it was seen as a government interference in the state handled education policies. Standardized methods of testing were too rigid to allow individuality of students. The result was a decline in the quality of education. Recent reports do indicate that education in the United States of America shows declining trends. “In 2002, UNICEF compared public education in twenty four nations around the world: the US ranked 18. US 4th grade math grades have remained the same since 1995, while other countries have improved.” (Faler, 2008). “Forty years ago America had the highest graduation rate: now America is ranked as the 21st”. It is but natural that a majority of the youth of America feels a general lack of enthusiasm towards education. A huge number of American youth today dreams of making it big by being a ‘celebrity’. Very few of them dream of being scientists or engineers. Firstly, higher education is expensive and secondly, financial aid is hard to receive. In fact the increasing drop-out rates is an area of national concern for the present Obama Government. The study conducted by Center of Labor Market Studies in co-operation with the Chicago Alternative Schools concluded that there were “6.2 Million high school drop-outs in the year 2007” (Left Behind, 2009). If we compare the situation with India, the students here drop-out more because of lack of financial support than less interest in education. The Obama government through the ‘HOPE USA Federal incentive program’ is working towards restructuring the NCLB (No Child Left Behind). It hopes to help fund the re-enrollment of the dropped-out students. Re-enrolled students who successfully obtain the diploma could earn $400,000 more during their lifetimes than the drop-outs. (Center for Labor and Market studies, 2009). The American president seems to send out a message to his countrymen to get educated so that more and more jobs would stay in America and not have to be outsourced. Indian bureaucrats can emulate the prompt action taken by the American government. By putting their money where it matters the most, the Obama administration has set an example of prudent and wise governance.
In conclusion, we must acknowledge the fact that the Indian youth are gold-mines full of a promising future. Only the right policies and a strong leadership can take this potential to its highest peak, leading India to being the super-power that it is predicted to be.
Works Cited

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