My vision for education in India
The neighborhood school concept should be given a shot at by encouraging parents and students, in particular parents, a school nearest to their place of residence rather than undertaking marathon travel through the chaos of traffic in our cities.
The HRD Minister has embarked on a series of educational reforms both at the school and higher education levels. These proposals are set to usher in sweeping changes in our educational system. If implemented these could result in drastic overhaul for the betterment of the educational system as a whole. The first change I would like to propose is having a single educational board instead of multiple central and state level boards we have at present. The reason being that every student should have a uniform level of education which unfortunately is not possible in the current environment. Some board standards are different than the others.
Uniform syllabi and books will level the playing field among students hailing from different regions and background. So none can have a grouse as to having been at a disadvantage due to their place of residence or economic status. Another significant change, I would like to propose is the standardisation of infrastructure in all schools and the quality of education provided, particularly for the teaching staff. The neighborhood school concept should be given a shot by encouraging parents and students, in particular parents. This is because a school nearer to their place of residence will motivate students rather than undertaking marathon travel through the chaos of traffic in our cities. This ultimately results in wastage of time and energy. No doubt there are many hurdles, grievances and genuine complaints in following such a system. There would be loud complaints about inadequate number of schools in the particular area or the quality of education being imparted. Status issues will surface with parents willing to shell out extra cash for cosmetic education involving air conditioned class rooms, buses; multiple uniforms etc rather than prefer a substance filled holistic education in the nearby modest school with no trappings of elitism. Private education players thriving on demand for seats by collecting exorbitant amounts will surely cry foul. Teachers too, will have their own grievances which will have to be addressed with sensitivity. But then think of the true secular feelings and tolerance such schools would generate in the future crop of young Indians So my solution here is- a bit controversial but some thing to pick your minds on, nationalise schools with the help private players in certain areas! All schools are brought under one system with uniform fee structure, allowances being made for those from underprivileged sections, and all teachers with fixed rate of uniform salary, qualifications, and experience with added benefits as required. Private players who have already been engaged in the education sector for some time could be roped in to assist the government in the management and administration of the schools. By bringing all schools at par with others, one can hope to eliminate some of the class and status distinctions in our society. For e.g. in Mumbai where multi millionaires and slum dwellers co exist cheek by jowl, there is the possibility of a child from elite family rubbing shoulders with a maid's child in the same class. The added factor out here is that by making this system as preferred model the economically backward people are not made to feel as though they are patronized. A uniform fee structure will help in this process and as for the economically backward, the government could subside the education through a voucher system. This can lead to another positive effect as reservations in higher education strictly based on the caste system could be made redundant. As all would have benefitted from the equal opportunity system. Instead reservation based on the basis of caste, the economically backward sections could be given scholarships once they have cracked the entrance tests. That looks to be the future of entry in higher education system. The social benefits from such a model are immense. The rapidly advancing divide between elite/middle classes and poor working class is already making ripples in our society with one section of our people talking about double digit growth rates and other about prices of essential items being out of their control. Education in any part of the world is considered as one of the most important component of economic growth. Following the suggested model not only will stimulate our economic growth but also make it inclusive. This is what government planners are striving for and this could also potentially be the key solution to for the Maoist problem.
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