Abhijit Speaks :

In the flashback series, I will be posting my older posts that were somewhere else. I’d try to update the posts so as to make them relevant in the present context. This is second of the flashback series.

There has been a considerable ruckus about the proposed reservation system in the IITs and IIMs. Though, this issue is important and deserves attention and dialogue, there is a far more important issue, largely un-noticed, which calls for a much diligent attention. The issue at large is that of the “education system” in India. We need to fix some basic building blocks before we can argue about the issues which are largely peripheral, yes I consider the issue of “reservations” a largely peripheral issue. Let”s get started.

First and foremost, the education system under which most of us have studied is, “Lord Macaulay”s gift to us, the system developed to create “babus” that will obey and ask not many questions, serving the purpose of the “empire”. Post independence, in our “tryst with destiny” did we undertake any educational reforms? Did we ask ourselves the questions, is this the education system, on which we will found the “Independent Nation”? The answer is loud “NO”. We just carried forward the education as we did largely with law, post and railways. We did certainly miss an opportunity there, an important one. And the present state where we are is largely a consequence of such ignorance.

Once we never paid any attention to serious education, we employed the system of reservations for the under-priviledged. Which probably made some sense five decades ago. But the very system did fail to create a young generation which asked questions and thus we created babus, yet again, not serving the cause of “empire” this time, but learned (rather literate) and busy maintaining status quo. The result is where we stand today. If one notices, the state funded schools (one of the schools where I myself studied) are suffering from lack of funds to hire any serious teachers, further aggravated by the mandatory reservations for teachers, where a student is denied a quality education. In comes the “International School” (and they have very funny names, some have names like “Education Valley” just like “Amby Valley” and one went on to the extentof naming one school “Sharad Pawar International School”. Naming “National School” would have been adventurous enough!), run by private organizations, charging exorbitant fees. Now this leads to a bigger problem, that is – access to these schools is possible to the people who can afford to send their children to these “International Schools” ie. well to do people or the IT upstarts. I am not too sure about the quality of education in the international schools, which may be good. But the proliferation of such “elite only” school has fundamental bearing on the upbringing of a child, in a broader sense. I will narrate my experience and juxtapose it with that of my nephews”. The school where I studied had admittedly horrible teachers and a few good ones too but it had students from all the strata of the society, economically and socially. That was important, because I was never blinded by the fact that the world is just composed of my “alikes” economically and socially. When I talk with my nephews, they have friends whose parents are from a very similar background as theirs. This results in a certain degree of monotonity in experience and that is a child”s great loss!! Thus we are encouraging almost silently, the society being divided, right from the word go, between the ones who can afford and who cannot.

Further, about the way merit is determined in our examination system, is based on the result of one particular examination and examinations can easily be hacked. And what about someone who has been good but just falls sick on the day of examination, should he be denied access to (supposedly) better education? And certain entrance examinations are our gateway to “premiere institutions”. More about that later. This issue can alone be discussed at length, but thats for some other time.

Shouldn”t it be considered primary responsibilty of the Government to ensure, free and compulsory, primary education (primary education the way I will like to define is – education upto the higher secondary school in the present british education system)? Have we not failed miserably in that? About the subject of reservation, it is important for the Government to understand, that once you make it free and compulsory, there is no question of reservations that exists.

Lets come now to the state of education at slightly higher levels, graduation – the engineering/medical colleges etcetra. At best, it is just prudent to keep mum about those, since the ones who have attended those will tell you the real story about the politicians’ cash cows. I am not going to speak about the non-professional graduate colleges (like science/arts/commerce colleges), for I have no first hand experience about them, but if one looks around with an open eye, the answers are there for every one.

Lets come to the premiere education systems now and deal with the issue of reservations quickly. If you ask my opinion, it is simple – “If yo ensure that access to free and compulsory primary education is guaranteed to every child, it is really not required to have any provisions later on.” But the problem with our premiere institutions is not just that of “reservations”, they do suffer from a bigger problem, and having studied in one of them, allows me to speak with a certain degree of authenticity about it and its not just notional. Lets ask ourselves an honest question – “What is the value that the premiere education institutes aka IITs and IIMs delivered to our nation?” They surely boast of “great alumni network” but have they constitued any meaningful, measurable value to the society as a whole? Or are they just “high profile bodyshops”? The situation is largely so – for they are known for, thanks to our media, the highest dollar paychecks that student get once they graduate from these institutes. The quality of education and that of the faculty is beyond doubt first grade, but the value contributed to the society remains almost miniscule.

A few concluding remarks – We need fundamental reforms, similar if not greater in magnitude like the economical reforms (supposedly) undertaken in early nineties by then finance minister. But human resource development is not certainly the most saught after porfolio in Goverment, and the ones who get that, are busy edititng textbooks, making astrology compulsory and reservations in the premier institutes. There is a call for a large government initiated, private funded overhaul, that will start building things ground up rather than patching up leaks. This requires far greater determination and conviction, and Mr. Arjun Singh is not the only one who is guilty of lack of that. After all people deserve the government they get.