The challenge for India’s schools
The challenge for India’s schools
Education has tended to play a critical role in development stories for nations. However, literacy and universal schooling was not a priority in the first few decades of India’s Independence - the caste system limited the success of rural schooling and state control of education limited investment. Successes here have been slow and hard-won. MGR (a South Indian politician) introduced the mid-day meal scheme which started bringing kids into schools. The elite finally came to conclusion that primary literacy was of the utmost importance. This first led to the introduction of SSA (a Central Government scheme for total literacy) and subsequently to the introduction of a 2% education cess on all taxes. There was also increased demand from the poor for education, preferably in English. This has provided the impetus along with the efforts of various NGOS to finally put the task of full literacy on the agenda.
November 21st, 2008 at 10:18 am
Hi Nandan,
Great to read your mind and experiances through your book !!.
Primary Education is critical not only to illeviate poverty and tranformation into prosperity but is the root to create strong value system for tomorrow:
Still lot of concerns around the way primary education is imparted and its reach into the rural areas.
1. Archaic Delivery methods and content
2. Commercialised motives alignated from the core objectives to impart right education
3. Improper Infrastruture
4. Placement and training of the teaching workforce building the future of tomorrow at the right age with right environment and experiances
5. Socio-Cultural issues for right to education
States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Orissa, NE, JK, parts of AP represting the majority of population and yet to drive the growth and will define the values, culture and future still far behind the face of India as portrayed as growth engine.
Rather GROWTH is yet to happen…..Its has yet to come when rest 800 Million will be standing at par with the rest 200 Million….and the threat is that if we are going wrong with this 800 Million then it will be threat and if its the time now if we can transform this major force to +ve energy with right value systems will create place India into league of extraordinary with ignited minds working coherently in sync for the better.
Looking for your feedback.
Regards
November 23rd, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I think this “idea” of “schooling” all our kids is such a British idea. When an early survey was taken of the Madras presidency, the Brits were surprised to see 85% literacy with all kids attending small rural schools (taught primarily by brahmins- a much maligned word in today’s “secular” India)- children of every “jati” went to these schools. My grandma was sharing how she had girls from different social backgrounds who went to school with her in their native village. Of course this High rate was NOT palettable to the brits who wanted “ENGLISH” knowing citizens- what use Tamil and Telugu?
Interestingly, when we had “artisans” who were well versed in their family trade (without issues of Intellectual property rights, the trademark secrets were handed down within the family), modern economic estimates puts the overall exports of India pre-colonial rule to be about 25% of world GDP.
And all the “English” learning has not brought us more than a measly 2% of global GDP today. Technically today, we have schools that cover the literacy needs 98% of our children (GOI stats) However, the Pratham reports will show the abyssmal levels of reading and math skills of kids Std 1-8. A large percentage of school going kids do not have basic literacy skills, and under some half-baked “Western” ideologies cannot pursue their family business be it farming, weaving, cattle rearing or whatever, because it will be a human right violation or a child labor case. Having a “pet” in the West is NOT cattle rearing, but having a head of “cattle” that provides you with economic freedom is “child labor”- WOW!
Tell me- what is the ultimate GOAL of any education? Economic freedom, right? Then why do you think ONLY ENGLISH Learning is going to give it to these people? Why cannot they be encouraged to innovate their skills that they already have? This is the success of Lijjat papad, of Amul of any scheme that has given economic freedom to their co-operative “owners”- NOT English language learning.
India has been the repository of traditional farming practices that has maintained our bio diversity over millenia. Cotton has been grown on this land for eons. Sadly, with the advent of BT cotton, we have seen a rise in farmer suicides and indebtedness- this is NOT good economics.
If you research the origin of universal public education, it will lead you to the door of European industrialization.
I see India leading the world in the Green economy- IF we stop nodding our heads to vested Western interests and “export” our green technologies that ensure a next-to-invisible carbon footprint.
December 11th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Hi,
I am half-done with the reading of Nandan Nilekani’s “Imagining India” and one can only be awestruck by the range of issues that he puts his thoughts on. I am particularly impressed with Nandan’s concerns on the scenario of school education in the country today and more so, of the government schools, which so sadly are in tatters. Being associated with the business of developing education materials for school children, I tend to share this concern more than at an academic level and venture to suggest some concrete plans that, in my opinion, would help some meaningful learning happening in these schools.
It’s an irony that the three “L”s (Library, Laboratory & Lavatory) that are basic to have a semblance of a functioning school are woefully lacking in most of our government schools . While development of the second and the third “L”s are capital-intensive projects with very little scope for private partnerships, the development of the school library can definitely be a private initiative that would address a major lacunae in the system.
To make these materials purposeful, the books have to double both as a resource book as well as an activity material. To talk about a scenario, there would be three books, each per class, covering three core subjects- English, Maths and EVS with tear-off activity sheets. While the book itself will be preserved in the school for repeated use over years, the child can work on the activity sheets which could also be made available separately. These books would be mapped to the learning requirements as envisaged by various educational boards in the country and the graphics and text are so designed that these can be easily duplicated into multiple languages. This way, it brings down the cost of books to the child to negligible levels which contributing towards developing a pool of resource materials in the school.
I need to emphasis here that imaginatively created books definitely help in achieving goals that are measurable as our experience working with UNICEF teaches us. Macmillan India was involved in the development and popularising of “Meena Communication Initiative” a UNICEF program that is designed to sensitize on the issues of the girl child. We worked with government agencies to popularize these books among the rural and semi-urban children and this has, in turn, contributed in raising the awareness on issues of gender, education, health, sanitation etc and are recommended materials under the central government’s Sarva Shiksha Abhyan (SSA).
This is one idea I thought I should put across to Nandan.Today, our country definitely has the creative minds to contribute towards making a giant leap in achieving vital social goals that are so very fundamental for any developed society and persons like Nandan Nilekani, with their enormous stature, can provide the necessary impetus towards actualizing these goals.
Thank you very much!
Yours sincerely
Narayanan.K.
Sr. Manager
Research & Development Services (School Education)
Macmillan India Ltd
2/10, Ansari Road,
Darya Ganj,
New Delhi- 110 002.
Ph: 2327 3814, 23263969.
Mobile: 98181 48591
May 7th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
In India we mis-spell literacy for education, and theirin lies all the woes of our education system. Education is a progressive process of creation of ROOTS first and then WINGS through a concerted and systematic effort involving the children being inspired by teachers to :
i. Walk
ii. Talk
iii. Think and
iv. Feel.
Is this what is happening in our schools and colleges? The most literate state in India - Kerala and the most literate industry in India - IT are reported to have the highest per capita incidence of suicides, divorces and mental depressions? Educated people don’t commit suicide, they don’t engage in divorce , they don’t get mentally depressed becoz they know what to do and when. They know how to share, how to listen, how to help, how to inspire, how to guide and generally how to lead one’s life. Sadly literacy doesn’t teach you any of these discretions.And therein lies all our woes !!
Unless we dare to go deeper into the type of education we are imparting in India, all efforts would finally be a waste..
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:31 am
Literacy is a introduction for education.
In india, education becomes commercialised.
Govt also silent.
Govt is not able to provide all facilities(which are required at primary education).
Private rich people wants do get money & Profits.
Social service , Those people are doing service not sufficient for the present population.
Review of education system to be invited for every 10 years from the govt itself.