I am biased. Whenever I see any problem outside I blame it
on Primary Education. The activist in me crave for a better education system
and curses for the education I have had. And whenever I go deep into my
helplessness about all that is happening around I get back to my romanticism of
being a school teacher..
With reference from Prof Anil Sadgopalan’s lecture on
youtube titled Nai Taleem, he mentioned that current education system is based
upon Lord Macaulay’s draft proposed in way back 1835. It majorly underlies
following points:
- Dialects in India are so poor that worldly knowledge can’t be told with those
- Alone Europe’s books are more knowledgeable than rest of the world’s books
- Nobody can progress alone with mother-tongue. Propagation of English is therefore necessary
- With India’s restricted resources it’s not possible to impart education to all
Jyotirao Phule, who is considered to be pioneers in
imparting primary education to women and oppressed classes in 19th
century addressed to Hunter Commission in 1882 putting forward following
points:
- Government collects revenues from poor workers however it spends those on upper caste and class people
- Primary education is not good; not useful and not vocationally oriented. Entire machinery is driving to giving jobs. System requires complete change. We want teachers who will hold ploughs in their hand; should have capability to link/befriend oppressed classes. Curriculum to be adjoined with agriculture and skill-oriented options.
- We just don’t want primary education but higher education as well. No nation can move ahead without higher education. Whatever is required in primary education for a skilled teacher comes through higher education.
He vehemently proposed that thoughts and ideas of education
in India are imported from Oxford and Cambridge. British were looking forward
for creating a clan which would work in British’s various government offices
and factories (the mentality which still prevails!) Farmers’ next generation do
not want to get back to farming!
Kal- Aaaj aur Kal.. Nothing much has changed since last 200
odd years. Many activist educationists claim that we are continuing Macaulay’s
agenda in school system, like the revenue system. To start with the language in
school used is state language (Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi etc. In central India its mostly hindi). However
when I see around in tribal dominated regions, people prefer expressing themselves
in their tribal dialect. If teachers are not well-versed with local linguae
franca, then language of communication becomes hindi. In such attempts of
mainstreaming tribals, they are losing their dialects - a culture is getting
wiped away slowly. Statewide variation of languages as means of communication
in schools should have to be there.
As said above by Jyotirao Phule way back in 1885 has not
been pondered over and acted upon. The rural youths who are getting educated in
mainstream systems are loosing their touch with soil. There are not enough opportunities
available for government and private jobs. There is limit to which they can start
their own businesses in rural areas. However there are enough opportunities in
agriculture. If the agriculture is done scientifically then India can achieve
several fold increase in current agriculture growth of 2 -2.5 %. Agriculture and
allied agriculture (Fishery, Horticulture, Piggery etc. ) should have to be a
subjects in rural India. Government can create several lakhs new ‘jobs’ by
making next generation as proud farmers!
Above point also leads to another very crucial point missed
by our country which is ‘rural dominated’. The syllabus for both urban and
rural India is same within a state – whereas the livelihood opportunities sought
by both the sections is very different. No doubt that even rural people should have
opportunities for best education but additionally they should have options to
pursue other vocational options. Probably developmental assumption behind these
attempts that Development of rural areas for us means Urbanisation! We should
with immediate effect have different syllabus for both urban and rural India.
With recent rape and murder of Amanat in delhi, Gender Sensitization
forums should begin from schools itself. Our sociological formation has gone
seriously wrong by our patriarchal mindset. This should be urgently dealt by us
across various layers beginning it from Primary School.
Most of the schools in villages do not have science labs. They
are taught sciences without practicals. In this case science becomes a theory
for pupils – authority written in books
which has to be followed.
Recently temporary teachers in Chhattisgarh had gone on
strike to increase their salary and make them permanent. Majority of teachers
in CG are temporary with salaries meager as 8000-12000 – 25% to 30% of their
same experienced permanent teachers. Schools
are crucial for nation building – as they prepare generations to face the
challenges of the world. Teachers and their satisfaction are crucial for it to
succeed. If they are not fulfilled, how would they teach students? Are our rest
of the expenditures are so important that we can’t divert our fund to teachers’
salaries.
Let’s
see what J. Krishnamurti says who has written extensively on Education and went
on to found schools like Rishi Valley.
The Function of Education
Don't you notice how little energy
most of the people around you have, including your parents and teachers? They
are slowly dying, even when their bodies are not yet old. Why? Because they
have been beaten into submission by society. You see, without understanding its
fundamental purpose which is to find extraordinary thing called the mind, which
has the capacity to create atomic submarines and jet planes, which can write
the most amazing poetry and prose, which can make the world so beautiful and
also destroy the world - without understanding its fundamental purpose, which
is to find truth or God, this energy becomes destructive; and then society
says, "We must shape and control the energy of the individual." So,
it seems to me that the function of education is to bring about a release of
energy in the pursuit of goodness, truth, or God, which in turn makes the
individual a true human being and therefore the right kind of citizen. But mere
discipline, without full comprehension of all this, has no meaning, it is a
most destructive thing. Unless each one of you is so educated that, when you
leave school and go out into the world, you are full of vitality and
intelligence, full of abounding energy to find out what is true, you will
merely be absorbed by society; you will be smothered, destroyed, miserably
unhappy for the rest of your life. As a river creates the banks which hold it,
so the energy which seeks truth creates its own discipline without any form of
imposition; and as the river finds the sea, so that energy finds its own
freedom.
J. Krishnamurti
Think On These Things, Chapter 24
In USA, during emergency wartime all the civilians have to
join military even for a short time. Aren’t we are living in emergency where
more than half of our population is barely literate? Why not working in
villages as teachers in rural areas should be made mandatory for each graduate.
It would not only enhance the quality of education but would also sensitise civilians
to be better citizens. What if government proliferate private participation in
primary education as it has greatly facilitated in higher technical education. If
NGOs run some schools in rural India. CSR take charge of some of schools in
rural areas. We need to be more creative since we have limited financial
resources instead of compromising on the quality of education.
We need to act with alarmring urgency and immediate effect,
as many things are seriously goofed up around us. Doesn’t that disturb me?
