On Education... [Part 1]

This post was long back in my mind since June. Its a pity to have such a pathetic system for education here in India. Thank the British for everything.

Let us have a look at current education system. A child that is 3.5 to 4 years young, is all set to join the nursery. Some may have joined a bit early and very rarely, some kids have the opportunity to enjoy their childhood even a bit further. Some have the misfortune to join a pre-nursery or crushes at the age of 1.5 or 2 years or even earlier(Sad!).

There was a joke in one of the films I saw that one has to apply for schools while he was in his mother's womb. Strangely, in some schools, they have that custom (I have no idea about them. Enquire your neighbors if you're interested). They say that our's is a prestigious institution and getting a seat here is not that all easy. You have to reserve it 2-3 years before in hand. Some schools are a bit liberal here where they reserve just a year back to admission.

Admission into any school isn't easy. You should have taught the kid atleast a bit of the basics which might include the English alphabet, numerals and a few popular rhymes. If not, you're kid is unfit to join OUR school is what they say. Check out the irony. Its not that the parents haven't taught the ward anything, what are schools for?

Okay! You passed the test. Well and good. is that all over? The donation drama is yet to begin. There is building fund, school maintainence fees, etc which they force you to pay, lest your ward will not be admitted. And they do not forget to mention that they have a wonderful ground for the kids to play (at the max 50ft X 50ft ground), they teach him Karate, kung fu and all martial arts, classes for music, computer education, best infrastructure in the city for schools... I leave it upto you all to decide.

Middle class vanity wives force their hubbys to pay the donation amount so that their child gets a seat in that institution, just to boast in front of their friends and relatives that we have admitted the kid to such and such prestigious institute. Poor husband, pays the lumpsome arranging it through debts which are heaping on his head. Some wives who are working also share the load but vanity is for sure.

Okay, is that all over after the donation? NO!! you have monthly fees, transportation fees, sports day fees, and what not? They grab the opportunity to rob you with these fees at any cost. If you delay (or sometimes deny) paying them, your kid will be treated somewhat like a second grade citizen in the school.

Forget everything. I just enquired my own school, just a few steps from my home, where my brother (Uncle's son) is studying now in the 4th standard. He is paying monthly Rs. 450/- while I was paying Rs 25/- when I left the school in 5th standard in 1994. A whopping difference of Rs. 425, 17 times more in just 15 years.

Okay, coming to the core part of education... Paying so much, the foremost thing you expect is better education. Atleast, are they providing that? No is what I say (There might be exceptions as always). All I see is kids mugging things up. I've seen teachers asking the children to mugg up things they don't understand. I've seen a teacher mugging things up to teach as to what she would be doing in the class. Even you might know/experienced such things. There are a few students who really understand things and write answers in their own words. Such answers will not be entertained by the teacher as here are some quotes she says

1. This is not what I had taught you... (Well, is what I've written wrong??)
2. You havent written as you have it in the text... (Ask a robot to copy the text, not a human)
3. You havent covered the topic fully... blah blah blah

I've seen some teachers getting furious if any student asks a doubt. They ask him not to interrupt him while teaching and any doubts are to be asked at the end of the class or at the staff room. Some make a flying comment on the doubt posing that its cannot be categorized as a doubt, its just your foolish thought, I need not answer them. Kids get demoralized in such situations, stop asking doubts and become dumb in some fashion. Some joke at the doubt making the student a laughing stock in the class. I've seen such teachers.

If a student is dumb and not scoring in the tests and exams, the Class Teacher or the Principal of the school will call his parents asking them to look after their wards' education in a better way. Some notices will be sent to his house before doing that.

Once the parents come to the school to check the progress of their ward, teachers start complaining that he is poor in studies... Don't you take care of his studies at home? Please pay more attention to it... blah blah blah. What are teachers for? I'm not saying that parents shouldn't bother about the kids education, but teachers also play a major role. Aint it?

As a remedy to this, if both the parents are working and can't make time to teach the kid, they send him to tutions [a seperate post dedicated to this is near future].

Is it any better in tutions? NO! He's the same. Its the same teaching as they do it in school. Just a waste of money.

Education has become a business today. [Continued...]