Indian Education System – Who is to blame?
Recently I happened to visit a couple of colleges and universities in India for an industry-university connect program. I was very excited as this was the first time I was about to visit any university since the time I graduated and became a full time software professional.
I had a lots of expectation! During my times, we as a student were keen to know a lot of new things. Whenever someone from the industry came to talk to us, we were full with questions to ask. We were curious and the kind of enthusiasm we had is hard to describe. But the visits I mentioned earlier shocked me. The students were least interested in what we were talking. We were holding a contest for all developers. But no one was interested or aware except a very few of them.
Later I was talking to the contest program coordinator at my organization. She happens to be a girl studying in 1st year computer science from an university in USA. She came to India to work with our organization as an intern. The main responsibility for her was to conduct a programming contest and coordinate the activities.
After many visits to the universities in and around Pune, we got only a few entries and that to not up to the mark. So this girl and I were talking about this. I will quote what she said, may be I missed out something but the message is crystal clear.
I said, “I visited two colleges in last two days. I did not find any of the guys out there capable enough to participate in such competitions.This is an honest feedback and I am sad to say this. In our times and in our university, we were so innovative and we constantly idea-ted a lot. But this is no more a fact in the newly opened up engineering colleges.”
Quick came the reply, “My knowledge of the Indian university system is limited at best. Based on the participation of students and as I learn more about the university system here I am not surprised by your assessment of the education system. I started off this competition with many assumptions about the university system based upon the ones in the United States of America, as that is my only point of reference.
It is more common for students in computer science and engineering to learn programming on their own. Students generally study in their respective subjects because they have a passion for the content. Personally I have only taken introduction to computer science but over 50% of the students already know how to code in at least one language. Every student in these classes read up on technology for fun and learns other languages as a hobby.
From what I knew about India before coming, I expected the university students here to be better or similar in their coding skills and passion for the subject. From what I have learned being here, this is not always the case. There is far more parental influence in what a student studies than a student’s choice. This among other factors has a major effect on how they approach their studies.
Based on what I have learned about the university system while living here, I would definitely change my approach if the program were to be repeated. Even though there has been a limited participation level however I still believe the program was worth it. Those students who decided to challenge themselves and take part in the competition have received great guidance and instructions that would not have been possible to gain in a class room.”
Now that we know what others think of our education system, we need to work on this and make a difference. As a parent, let us not forced our kids to choose something that does not interests her/ him. As a student we should only choose something that looks good for us and we should then focus on it and try to take the education as fun.
I remember when I was a kid I asked my father, “What should I be when I grow up?”
He replied always with the same sentence, “Be a cobbler but make such nice shoes that people remember you always!”
October 6th, 2009 at 10:12 am
I remember, I wrote an article on my blog regarding my own experience on my career choice and how parents influence the decisions in India.
But I don’t want to play the blame-game with family and parents here. Its the system which is to be blamed. No, not the Indian Education System, I am talking about changing the Indian Minds’ System here!!
Yes, this is all a mind-game. People here should first change their mindsets for good. Secondly, I think its all a vicious circle in India….Infact, this country is running on a “vicious-supply-chain-circle” as I call it! Roughly, around 70% of Indian population revolves around the poverty line. If a son from a poor family wants to attend a Music School in France because he dreams of being a great musician like A.R Rahman, his parents would never encourage that. Do I even need to mention a reason here?? He, obviously passes his HSC, and goes to an Engg Institute or a Science Institute, passes out and becomes an average-earner.
October 8th, 2009 at 1:33 am
Let us not focus on only the parental pressures. Rather more important part of this is that students themselves do not show much interest in what they do. I am not talking about people below poverty line. I am talking about sons of good earning parents.
All this is a first hand experience that students these days just study for the sake of studying. Innovation is what we need to shape a new India. And we surely lack this due to various obvious reasons.
March 4th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
I think it’s about the social scenario that we have around us who force to think that if we do engineering or medical we are brilliant. That some how force to ignore our own liking.
Our parents do play role in this because they wan their child to earn more and have very good life that I think in today’s scenario is working for IT or being a Doc.
Unless the thinking of our society will not change it will not change.