The Hazards of being Miseducated
“Education has mainly two aspects: the cultural aspect which makes a person grow, and the productive aspect which makes a person do things. Both are essential,” said Pandit Nehru. Is the so called `Education’ doing the needful, or are we chasing the wrong “shadow?
What about the hazards of being miseducated? Year after year, the Indian universities are churning out `miseducated’ disillusioned young people, totally out of tune with changing tune.
The saga of so called ‘good education’ begins with the tender school years, when the ever-increasing burden of syllabi stifles the creativity of children. The hapless student is sandwiched between school and tuitions, which are treated at par with vitamin supplements. The cutthroat competition, the ‘need to be one step ahead, completely drains the students by the time they leave the portals of their respective schools. The prospect of joining a college infuses a new lease of hope—albeit short-lived.
India has two hundred and thirty-two universities and innumerable colleges to choose from, however, the main question that arises is, whether this vast infrastructure is adequately equipped to meet the global standards? Unfortunately, it falls short of international standards.
Education in India has more to do with theoretical knowledge rather than equipping students with practical skills. Higher education is maligned by ‘frozen syllabi’ which are often not changed for years on end. These antiquated courses are pushing students into a `time warp’.
There are very few, make savvy, vocational courses, the need for which is immense today. Our system of education has been branded as outdated and unrealistic with undue emphasis on examination that gives sleepless nights to many, and only, encourages ‘rote learning’. There is very little assimilation or application:
However, with the new education policy there is a’ ray of hope. There is a definite endeavour to vocationalise education in order to equip students to take up the profession of their choice at the end of the school education. If this can happen, perhaps what Gandhiji envisaged as Nat Talim or his concept of basic education would materialize. The question of delinking jobs from degree would be the next logical step.
Today, the concept of the nation is characterized by two attributes—rational organization and commitment to development. It is only education that provides a citizen with knowledge, skills and attitudes that go into making of a modern and rationally-organized nation. Therefore, education must be modernized and should keep pace with the changing times.
