While there is an increase in population in general and in cities like Mumbai in particular, there has been inadequate increase in educational institutions. This is the root of the problem.
1.Since education empowers, every parent, including poor, want to send their children to school, especially English medium school. BMC is closing Marathi medium schools and allows builders to take over the property. Surely, BMC can allow educational trusts to run the schools to meet the needs of the society.
2.Society also suffers from some inferiority complex and neglects the mother-tongue and the local language. Globalization does not mean you cut your roots. Money alone cannot be the aim of life. The language, religion and culture of India manifested in our vast land give our country a unique lustre. Only Marathi can capture the beauty of Maharashtra the way the people feel in their bones. It is so with other Indian languages as well. If we neglect our languages, we will give rise to a generation of rootless individuals who will be neither at home in our country, nor abroad.
3.Since India has youngest population in the world and would be so so for the next couple of decades, the only way India can reap the population dividend by increasing the educational opportunities for our people, including vocational education and agricultural related education.
4.Almost 70 percent of our people live in villages and 60 percent depend on agriculture. Making agriculture productive is important to improve the living standards of the people.If we can grow two blades of grass where one grew before, it would help the people. Farmers and their children have to be taught modern agricultural practices - soil testing, fertilizer use, seeds selection, cultivating fruits/vegetables, agro-industries, storage and marketing - to increase production and income. All these should be in small modules or short duration courses in local languages and should be free or at a small fee. This would empower our people rather than all the subsidies and concessions - free electricity, free ration, subsidized fuel etc.
5.Those who do not have land, should be given free vocational education - carpentry, electrician, brick-lying, dairy farming etc. They could be given all implements required for their vocation free of charge. Farm workers could be given land wherever there is surplus/vacant/ land. The aim is make people productive and self-reliant.
6. As far as the cities and towns are concerned, there has to be an increase in educational institutions from KG to the graduation level and beyond. Now the parents have to beg or use influence for admission to KG class, school, college.
7.We have a strange situation of educated unemployment and lack educational facilities. Many B.Eds and M.Eds are unemployed. Teachers are taken on contract at a low salary.There is no incentive to teach with devotion. People are ready to send their children to tuition classes at a high fee but reluctant pay higher fee to the school.
8.Education has become profit-making proposition with many schools and colleges asking for capitation fee and donations. This has to change. Setting up educational institutions should be made a part of the Corporate Social Responsibility, and the companies should be encouraged to build quality schools and colleges.
7. Conclusion :
Just as the long queue for cars/bikes disappeared after their production increased, after the increase of all types of educational institutions, capitation/donation would stop. Ask the Corporate Sector to promote education in a big way in the towns and cities even with incentives and concessions. The governments - local, state and central - should take the responsibility of providing literacy, vocational and agricultural-related training in the villages or cluster of villages.
( A response to Karmayog's discussion on 'Corruption in Education'.
May 5,2010.
******
1.Since education empowers, every parent, including poor, want to send their children to school, especially English medium school. BMC is closing Marathi medium schools and allows builders to take over the property. Surely, BMC can allow educational trusts to run the schools to meet the needs of the society.
2.Society also suffers from some inferiority complex and neglects the mother-tongue and the local language. Globalization does not mean you cut your roots. Money alone cannot be the aim of life. The language, religion and culture of India manifested in our vast land give our country a unique lustre. Only Marathi can capture the beauty of Maharashtra the way the people feel in their bones. It is so with other Indian languages as well. If we neglect our languages, we will give rise to a generation of rootless individuals who will be neither at home in our country, nor abroad.
3.Since India has youngest population in the world and would be so so for the next couple of decades, the only way India can reap the population dividend by increasing the educational opportunities for our people, including vocational education and agricultural related education.
4.Almost 70 percent of our people live in villages and 60 percent depend on agriculture. Making agriculture productive is important to improve the living standards of the people.If we can grow two blades of grass where one grew before, it would help the people. Farmers and their children have to be taught modern agricultural practices - soil testing, fertilizer use, seeds selection, cultivating fruits/vegetables, agro-industries, storage and marketing - to increase production and income. All these should be in small modules or short duration courses in local languages and should be free or at a small fee. This would empower our people rather than all the subsidies and concessions - free electricity, free ration, subsidized fuel etc.
5.Those who do not have land, should be given free vocational education - carpentry, electrician, brick-lying, dairy farming etc. They could be given all implements required for their vocation free of charge. Farm workers could be given land wherever there is surplus/vacant/ land. The aim is make people productive and self-reliant.
6. As far as the cities and towns are concerned, there has to be an increase in educational institutions from KG to the graduation level and beyond. Now the parents have to beg or use influence for admission to KG class, school, college.
7.We have a strange situation of educated unemployment and lack educational facilities. Many B.Eds and M.Eds are unemployed. Teachers are taken on contract at a low salary.There is no incentive to teach with devotion. People are ready to send their children to tuition classes at a high fee but reluctant pay higher fee to the school.
8.Education has become profit-making proposition with many schools and colleges asking for capitation fee and donations. This has to change. Setting up educational institutions should be made a part of the Corporate Social Responsibility, and the companies should be encouraged to build quality schools and colleges.
7. Conclusion :
Just as the long queue for cars/bikes disappeared after their production increased, after the increase of all types of educational institutions, capitation/donation would stop. Ask the Corporate Sector to promote education in a big way in the towns and cities even with incentives and concessions. The governments - local, state and central - should take the responsibility of providing literacy, vocational and agricultural-related training in the villages or cluster of villages.
( A response to Karmayog's discussion on 'Corruption in Education'.
May 5,2010.
******
On Tue, May 4, 2010 at 4:26 AM, <info@karmayog.org> wrote:
Several changes have been initiated in the Education sector in India recently.The government of India has introduced a new law in Parliament which prohibits the charging of capitation fee by an educational institution, that covers schools, medical, engineering and other technical colleges.The shortage of seats available for students has lead to a practice of the Management of educational institutions demanding lakhs of rupees (in cash) over and above the presecribed fees.Students with even 98% marks are unable to secure seats and often their parents feel there is no option but to pay such bribes. The number of official complaints filed with the government is low, though the media (especially television media) has conducted several sting operations exposing institutions demanding cash for seats in schools and colleges.Complaining about corruption in the education sector and sharing such information in the public domain can have many benefits:- streamlining of admission procedure to eliminate discretionary power for allotment of seats- improvement of examination system, admission criteria, fees charged, etc.- boost to second-tier institutions that do not take bribes- etc.1. Please send us brief examples from your own experiences, with details such as of Location of Educational Institution, Subject / Discipline, Management quota charges exluding fees. We will compile information received for authorities to take action on.2. You may also fill the Corruption ROKO form on Karmayog at www.karmayog.org/roko/rokoform/ .3. What are your suggestions to students and parents?Regards,VinayP.S. See over 160 responses to "Why are govt. tenders advertised in newspapers?" at http://www.karmayog.org/messages/message.aspx?id=2603 that were also submitted to concerned government authorities who have initiated necessary action. Keep the comments coming.
