"Stop the commercialization of education", "Education is not business", "Save knowledge from the businessmen", screamed the hoardings. The scene was a demonstration outside Dadar Station in 2002. I saw these on my way to Vidyalankar. And guess what? I was a silent supporter of those people then. Those were the blue-eyed days of the first semester when I still had great expectations from engineering.
But four (or rather 3 1/2) years of enduring the 'education' system has turned me into a die-hard convert. The whole system from the start till the end is a big farce. You have to go through it to know whats it like!! It's the classic case of the socialist state.
Good intentions (In theory at least).
Idealistic expectations.
Improper Implementation.
No feedback.
No changes.
The system turns into a farce that everyone has to live with.
Lets have some examples of the farcicial process that is called 'education' today (I have used my experiences in engineering here):
1. Assignments:
Intention : To make students think and use their analytical abilities to better understand the course.
Reality : One master copy of the assignment comes out and the speed with which the rest of the class churns out copies would put a photocopier to shame.
2. Journals :
Intention : Students should learn the experimentation process and document it.
Reality : Journals are passed on from one class to the next like traditional heirlooms with the same readings. And like the game of 'telephone', after 3 or 4 such 'generations', the journals hold remarkably garbled messages which will can readily lighten up a sour evening.
3. Lectures :
Intention : To help students gain an intuitive knowledge of the subject coupled with their textbooks.
Reality : For a change most students do learn things here: some learn GRE wordlists, some practice fine art in their notebooks, some learn poetry, some equip themselves with the extremely practical art of copying signatures, while others learn how to appreciate nature (looking out of the window). All this while still maintaining a face thats soaked with sincerity. (Talk of multitasking!!)
4. Practical sessions :
Intention : To help students back their theoretical knowledge with practical experimentation.
Reality : In the cheerful happenstance that the CRO, power supply, breadboard, multimeter do decide to work simultaneously, it becomes increasingly obvious to the 8 students crowding round the apparatus that the only guy who has any idea of what is going on is the lab incharge (not even the professor).
There innumerable examples to sit and count here, from elective courses to final year projects, from incompetent teachers to irrelevant courses, from library facilities to paper presentations, from seminars to industrial visits etc. etc. I will save a lengthy elaboration for some other day, but you get general idea that nothing is working the way it is supposed to be. Everyone around knows everything and everyone has to live with it. And the best part is, the state is least concerned. Given the general scheme of things, the only thought that comes to my mind is that education as it exists is very bad business. Why? It is a unique business in the sense that no one cares for the customers (the students) here who are conveniently made shortshrift of. A business that has been forcibly tagged with the burden of charity and whose progress is stifled in a market circumscribed by socialist boundaries. It would be really funny if not for the fact that it is laying waste the potential of an entire generation.
Will continue tomorrow with how I believe educational reforms can change this. Have to prepare for my IITB interview now.
Next:
Education is Business II
Education is Business III
Education is Business III contd..
But four (or rather 3 1/2) years of enduring the 'education' system has turned me into a die-hard convert. The whole system from the start till the end is a big farce. You have to go through it to know whats it like!! It's the classic case of the socialist state.
Good intentions (In theory at least).
Idealistic expectations.
Improper Implementation.
No feedback.
No changes.
The system turns into a farce that everyone has to live with.
Lets have some examples of the farcicial process that is called 'education' today (I have used my experiences in engineering here):
1. Assignments:
Intention : To make students think and use their analytical abilities to better understand the course.
Reality : One master copy of the assignment comes out and the speed with which the rest of the class churns out copies would put a photocopier to shame.
2. Journals :
Intention : Students should learn the experimentation process and document it.
Reality : Journals are passed on from one class to the next like traditional heirlooms with the same readings. And like the game of 'telephone', after 3 or 4 such 'generations', the journals hold remarkably garbled messages which will can readily lighten up a sour evening.
3. Lectures :
Intention : To help students gain an intuitive knowledge of the subject coupled with their textbooks.
Reality : For a change most students do learn things here: some learn GRE wordlists, some practice fine art in their notebooks, some learn poetry, some equip themselves with the extremely practical art of copying signatures, while others learn how to appreciate nature (looking out of the window). All this while still maintaining a face thats soaked with sincerity. (Talk of multitasking!!)
4. Practical sessions :
Intention : To help students back their theoretical knowledge with practical experimentation.
Reality : In the cheerful happenstance that the CRO, power supply, breadboard, multimeter do decide to work simultaneously, it becomes increasingly obvious to the 8 students crowding round the apparatus that the only guy who has any idea of what is going on is the lab incharge (not even the professor).
There innumerable examples to sit and count here, from elective courses to final year projects, from incompetent teachers to irrelevant courses, from library facilities to paper presentations, from seminars to industrial visits etc. etc. I will save a lengthy elaboration for some other day, but you get general idea that nothing is working the way it is supposed to be. Everyone around knows everything and everyone has to live with it. And the best part is, the state is least concerned. Given the general scheme of things, the only thought that comes to my mind is that education as it exists is very bad business. Why? It is a unique business in the sense that no one cares for the customers (the students) here who are conveniently made shortshrift of. A business that has been forcibly tagged with the burden of charity and whose progress is stifled in a market circumscribed by socialist boundaries. It would be really funny if not for the fact that it is laying waste the potential of an entire generation.
Will continue tomorrow with how I believe educational reforms can change this. Have to prepare for my IITB interview now.
Next:
Education is Business II
Education is Business III
Education is Business III contd..
1 comment:
Well written and very impressive, Ankur!You reason out well.I appreciate your concern of our system of education/judicial et al which is evident in your writing.
Keep up the good work.Best of luck for your interviews.
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