The education scenario is changing
rapidly. It has now turned out to be a thriving industry especially when it
comes to higher education. New schools and colleges are coming up in the nearby
localities with CBSE or ICSE syllabus and offering a lot of other facilities
required for excellence and for an overall development of a child. Disciplines
catering to the modern era have been introduced for graduation and post
graduation. Specializations in varied branches in Engineering, Medicine, Law
and other fields are introduced to meet the challenges and requirements of the
future. Computer science is also given greater importance.
The parents decided to send children, with
the hope that they might accomplish what adults had failed to do. Both the
parents and their children are aware of the importance of quality and
excellence in education. A lot of students of Kumbalam who could afford such
schools are now availing such opportunities. Such nation building exercises by
such entrepreneurs are highly commendable. I sent my children, Kiran Rose
Thayamkeril and Karan Jose Thayamkeril to “The Choice School” at Tripunithura,
in Cochin. I would like to mention that the former principal of that school,
Smt. Lekshmi Ramachandran, was instrumental in making it one of the popular
schools in the State of Kerala. She was followed by Smt. Molly Cyril
Pallikkaparampil. Shri. Jose Thomas, Chairman, The Choice Foundation, is the
manger and takes a personal interest in the management of the school.
I sincerely hope that the government would
scan the promise and performance of the managements and faculty of each school
and colleges and make sure that they impart noble ideals and values to make the
children world class citizens. The entrepreneurs should not be lured by the
profit motive alone and impose prohibitive tuition fees and conveyance charges
from the students without any basis and disproportionate to the services
rendered by them. The management, teachers and other staffs shall ensure and
afford adequate protection and security to the students entrusted to them
should not be exploited in any way. It should also be ensured that
extraordinarily bright students among the poor in the locality (nominated by
the government) are also given opportunity in such schools.
The government would also ensure that the
managements of such schools paid the salaries, the provident fund, gratuity and
other benefits to the teachers and the non-teaching staffs and make certain that
they are contended. The government should also ensure that such teachers and
other staffs have the required qualification, character and integrity, and they
are terminated only in accordance with law. If the present situation is similar
to the position that existed in the 1950s and 60s when, Prof. Joseph
Mundasseri, a great teacher and scholar
that Kerala have ever seen, and who was the Minister of Education of
Kerala (1957-59), an Education bill was brought to set right the anomalies in
the private education sector, which was later incorporated into the Kerala
Education Act & the Rules. This avoided illegal cuts on salaries payable to
teachers by the private school managements. I sincerely hope that the
government would do the needful in the matter. I hope the government has
learned a lesson from the previous experiences. Therefore, it would be better
for the government to avoid taking the burden of payment of the salaries of
teachers of CBSE and ICSE schools and leaving the power of appointment to the management.
Kindly bear in mind, that too much political interference in the affairs would
spoil the school atmosphere.
I am immensely happy to learn that the UGC
has hiked the salary of professors to make them contended. There are such
senior professors who draw more than one lakh fifty thousand a month as salary
and the retired professors receive up to fifty thousand a month as pension. Now
they are contended with their pay packets. As the salary increased multifold
they are scurrying for investments in the offices of stock-brokers and stock
markets; gold, diamond and jewelers; they are into real-estate business and
money lending as well. Hardly have they find time to teach or interact with
their wards. What an irony! The government has increased the emoluments and
other benefits of the members of parliament and legislatures. The military
personnel’s and others are no exception. I appreciate the hiking. But I would
like to point out that enhancement of salaries to an unreasonable level makes
them lethargic, makes them corrupt, and inducee them to neglect their duties.
Is it fair or proper or justifiable to expend the entire revenue of the state
for payment of salary and other emoluments to 2% of the population comprising
elected members, government servants, teachers and others? Each time when there
is a hike in salary it is reflected in the price of essential commodities,
vegetables and other goods in the open market. The chasing power enhances the
price of goods. The labourers and the organized sector could clamour for higher
wages. But, where do the common man, the unorganized agriculturists and other
suffering classes go for the extra money required. Enhancement of salary is not
a solution in itself. The government shall make earnest efforts to keep and maintain
the demand, supply and price steady. Don’t we need funds for infrastructure
development?
Children of all ages are seen cramming
into three or four wheelers, and carrying a heavy load of books in a bag
flapping on their backs or shoulders. They are burdened both physically and
mentally. By the end of the day they are thoroughly exhausted. Why doesn’t the
education system be more innovative? I was taken aback while going through my
daughter Kiran’s text books. She was then studying in Std. IX. Various portions
of the Constitution of India like the preamble, fundamental rights and duties
and she was doing a project on how to enforce the fundamental rights enshrined
in the Constitution of India by invoking the writ jurisdiction of the High
Court under Article 226, at that young age. I remember having studied the same
only during my graduation for Law. On another day I was further shocked to
observe her doing a project on the symptoms, cure and medicine for the disease
“Jaundice.” It is strange on the part of the Syllabus Committee, the Ministry
of Education and Human Resources Development to unnecessarily burden the
students who are helpless in this regard. However, it is important to make
children, aware of the realities of life. It could be legal problem like one
relating to the fundamental rights of a citizen, civil cases with regard to
property, tax, labour and even criminal cases. In such an event a lawyer with
character and integrity and the required specialization should be approached
without any compromise whatsoever. Similar is the case of diseases and doctors.
A good doctor or hospital neither require any advertisement nor lack patients.
This applies to all other professions. Availing the services of the right kind
of professionals for the right kind of job is a great time saver. In this
manner the children are able to face the realities of life with ease.
Parents and teachers should encourage
their children / wards to use interrogative words, adjectives, pronouns and
adverbs like what, when, where, who, why, how, whom, whether, whence and
which, often to understand more about a person, a particular thing, topic or
issue or problem, which would open up a new horizon for them.
Education should not suppress the
student’s curiosity; it should create a thirst for knowledge. Education would
have been more interesting and lighter to a child if only the teachers had to
deal with the basics up to the tenth grade to introduce them to all the avenues
available for a career. Probing for the
child’s innate and genuine talent could be done simultaneously. Thereby
encouragement, support and recognition for the same could be given during these
years in school. This will prepare them for their right choice in the Plus-2
level of their education.
Sports and athletics and all other
extra-curricular activities like – music (vocal, wind, stringed and
percussion), dance, painting and martial arts available in the school should be
given adequate importance. They play an important role in the character
formation of a child. It is important to provide them a good library facility
and inculcate a general reading habit in them. Drama club, debating and public
speaking are significant to develop their talent for leadership and personality
development. They must be given time to interact with Mother Nature and
inculcate the dignity of labour from their very early age.
Pollution is one of the major global
menaces that threaten even the developed countries around the world, our
country is no exception. I have noticed children studying in the urban areas
eating toffees and littering the plastic covers carelessly while passing
through my front main road and other public places. Why they eat so much
toffees, whether it contains any drug is also to be looked into. It is the duty
of the teachers and the parents to create awareness among children about this
seriousness of pollution and impart methods to avert it.
Every student starting from the high
school should attend a three months course in any one of the trade or
occupation mentioned hereunder. This could be done during their vacations. To
cite a few examples are NCC cadet and their attendance in two summer camps;
agriculture or gardening (as a Casual Labourer); animal husbandry; chef and /
or supplier in a hotel business or sales-man in a mall; attendant in a hospital
or member of a palliative care unit; stenographer or typist; helper in an
automobile industry and driving or factory employee or any other skilled jobs;
social work including cleaning of public places and helping the poor or any
other similar jobs. Educational institutions and the government should ensure
that their students are not physically or mentally be exploited or harassed by
these institutions or their agents. Learning a skill, trade or business gives
them the confidence to meet challenges and open up new avenues for their
development. A certificate of experience
from the recognized institutions in the respective fields should be obtained
before the plus-two certificates are issued to them. Enjoying their childhood without unnecessary
worries makes moulding a child into an adult a less laborious process.
The State of Kerala was declared to be the
first fully literate state in India. I wonder why the State does not try for
excellence in education. There are no IITs, AIIMS, and other advanced courses
in Kerala except an IIM in Calicut. Why are such facilities for excellence
denied to Malayalis? Kerala, CUSAT
and Calicut Universities have the infrastructure for sanctioning such
prestigious courses in the State of Kerala. The callous indifference on the
part of the central and the state government is unfortunate in this regard. I
sincerely hope that both the governments would take appropriate steps for the
above mentioned in the right direction.
Education today goes to students with
below average intelligence; mediocre students in the state too go for graduation,
post graduation, doctorate and even post-doctorate degrees. There have been
instances where the university guides have physically and mentally harassed and
exploited the students who undergo their research studies with them. By the
time he / she attains the highest qualification he would be 35 to 40 years of
age. It is a sheer waste of time, energy
and money for many of them. They do not realize the fact that two-third of
their life is over with this prolonged education. For some it leads to depression.
Wisdom dawns late; life meant a lot of other things.
I recall the pathetic story of Neena, a
lady Research Scholar of the department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries,
University of Kerala, Trivandrum, who committed suicide because her research
guide spoilt her family life; false and unnecessary rumours about her were
flashed on the campus. This frustration and desperation made her take the
ultimate step of taking her own life. What touched me most was that she did not
live to see and obtain the award of her doctorate degree which was announced
almost simultaneously with her decision to commit suicide. Unfortunately she
did not get the news of the fruits of her labour prior to her death. The Kerala
University or the government did not take any action against the erring guide,
Dr. Padmakumar, who got scot-free.
The government should discourage the trend
of below average students going for higher studies. Minimum qualifying marks
required for admission or entrance test shall be fixed at 50% for the skilled
courses in Polytechnic Institutions; 60% for the graduation courses; 65% for
the post-graduation and doctorate and 70% for post-doctorate in any discipline.
A leniency in marks at 5% for the O.B.C., 10% for the scheduled castes and 15%
for scheduled tribes could be given. Not more than 5% reduction shall be given
to management quotas as well. More leniencies would result in inefficiency and
would spoil the life of the reserved candidate. I would like to remind the
government that there is dearth in human resources for skilled and unskilled
jobs in the state.
I would like to borrow the Lohian example
to easily understand and justify the theory of “reservation to the socially,
educationally and culturally backward classes of people in the society.” “The caste-ridden
Indian society can be compared to a multi-wheeled truck. The front wheels on
either side represent the upper-castes in the society; the hind wheels on one
side represent Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the wheels on other
side represent the O.B.Cs., (Other Backward Communities.) For the smooth
running of the truck all the tyres on the wheels are to be in good condition.
In the event of one or both the tyres on hind wheels are deflated the truck
will not move forward.” In the event of more air being supplied to the tyres on
wheels than is necessary, it would burst the tyres. I recall the idiom in my
mother tongue, Malayalam which goes like this, “Adhikamayal Amruthum Visham.” It means, “Excessive intake of the
nectar of Ambrosia, the elixir of life or to attain immortality turn out to be
poisonous.” The reservation quotas for education, jobs and elected bodies
should not be allowed to continue indefinitely because it might lead to further
chaos and confusion in society. It is therefore significant to remove forthwith
those communities and / or classes of persons who have managed to overcome
their backwardness. In Kerala backward communities like the Kutumbis or Chettis
and Scheduled Caste converts to Christianity (agricultural labourers) deserve
to be included in the category of Scheduled Castes. Since independence, their
demands to include them in the reserved category fell on deaf ears. I sincerely
hope that their meek voice would be considered by the state and central
governments.
The Indian system of education is skewed;
wherein the ability of by-hearting and vomiting is encouraged; providing a
distorted image of how “smart or intelligent a person is.” How a student
analytically understands and applies his mind is less significant according to
this system. The practical application of a subject to different situations is
more important. This is the reason why many top rankers of universities fail in
real life.
The government should
promote people-to-people
exchange to universities abroad involving, among others, students, youth, artists, sportspersons and academicians.
Excerpts from
NEED OF THE HOUR
by
Joseph J.
Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi,
Kerala, India.
Josephjthayamkeril.tumblr.com
josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com
josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com
