How should the Indian Education System be?

Gopal Kolekar

• Publisher: Gopal Kolekar
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781468935875
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Through this book, I humbly make an attempt to bring to the notice of Indians and the educational fraternity in the world at large, as to the difficulties faced by children who study in the regional language medium up to the tenth standard and then are made to study in the English medium from college.

I was born in a village named Kangrali B.K., in Belgaum district, Karnataka. I did my schooling in the regional language education system up to the tenth standard. On attending college, I found that all the subjects were in English. This was very much new to me. During my school days I was never exposed to spoken or written English properly. I had only a basic knowledge of English.

With the result, at college, I was unable to understand what the lecturers were teaching in English. My mind was unable to relate properly with the English study books. Due to this drawback I was unable to score more than the minimum number of marks required for passing the examination; though my academic record in school where I studied in the regional language was excellent. In spite of facing great hardships, I was able to secure a degree in Mechanical Engineering with Maths and Physics.

To this day, I am very much depressed for not being able to effectively communicate in English. This set me thinking that a universal English Education system should be brought into place throughout India and the manner in which we should go about it. Hence this book.

This study of mine will be very useful to India and other countries which suffer from lack of understanding the English language. This study of mine includes a grammar book on English and another on language science.

I fail to understand that though I am frequently corresponding with the President of India, the Human Resource Development Ministry and the White House; they are taking this matter very lightly, whereas I think it is of a serious social nature.

It may be observed that this matter is being hotly debated in the daily newspapers. I finally decided to publish this book titled "How Should the India Education System Be?" - in the public interest of India's children. I respectfully request the people of India to consider this matter at the appropriate level.

Pathetic conditions of school building and class rooms across India - Paucity of Funds?

A tent school in Sandur village, Ballary, Karnataka

These pictures narrate the story of a few children. They go to a school that is a hut. A hut - each of its corners are for different classes - First standard, second standard, third standard and so on...

Seeds Sansthe Jayashankar Mutt Tent School, Hulikuntekere, Seeni Basappa Camp, Sandur.

This school is housed in a makeshift tent made of bamboo strips covered with a plastic sheet and is hardly 15 x 10 feet. This tent houses about forty children aged up to fourteen years. According to Miss Sujatha, the only teacher in this tent school, the children come here to learn whatever she teaches. She says that the aim is to teach these children in the age group of 5 to 14 so that they do not forget what they had already learnt when their parents migrate.

But the Karnataka State Government through its several programmes, including that of the Central Government’s Sarva Shikshan Abhiyaan can do much more. To make a start they can construct a decent school building. I wonder where are all those crores of rupees meant for such children are landing up. An NGO, the Akshaya Patra foundation provides these children with hot and nutritious mid-day meals every day from their centralized kitchen in Bellary.

Anjaneya Temple Tent School, Nandi Halli, Sandur.

This tent school functions in the open verandah of the temple. There are about 40 children here.

For lack of a building the school is conducted in the portico at a temple, in Sandur, Bellary, Karnataka.

Tent School No. 1, Adhyapaknagar, Hubli

This school was started in August 2007 and there are about 50 students in the age group of 5 to 14 years. According to Mr. G.S. Hubballi, the CRP (Cluster Resource Person) of the area, the student strength would reach nearly 200 in a month. This locality has a high turnover of migrant Laborers. Some social workers like Mr. Basavaraj Doddamani go to the make shift residences (huts) of these migrant laborers and force them to send the children to this tent school.

At this tent school children leave and join as and when their parents migrate. The teacher, Ms Narayankar G.M. says that many children carry their little brothers or sisters who are a few months old to the school as otherwise their parents do not allow them to attend school. An added Incentive for them to attend this school is the mid-day meals provided by the NGO, Akshaya Patra Foundation, as otherwise most of them would not have attended the school punctually.

Schools Sans Classrooms

A government school classroom which has spilled over to the footpath in Jaipur, in Rajasthan.

Need of change in India’s education policy:

We saw that how parents who are living in city areas in India prefer private English medium schools for better education and bright career prospects for their children. Though the education fee may be high they are ready to pay it. This despite the fact that government schools are providing free uniform, free books, free food and the education may be provided at a very low cost of school fee. This kind of thinking pattern of Indian parents has made many government primary schools to be on the verge of closure, as many are not willing to admit their children. Now this matter is of great concern. The government should think about it. Why parents are not interested in admitting their children to government schools? What is the drawback in government school’s education system? Why parents are neglecting government schools? What are the reasons behind it? After all, government schools are made for Indian children’s education only. To achieve this, the Government of India is spending crores of rupees.

I have seen the teachers of government schools and private English medium schools are the same, after all everybody is human being only; the only difference is in the study books. In Government schools study books are in mother tongue and in the private English medium schools, the study books are in English. Then the government should also think of introducing English books in government schools also. By this we will not find any difference between government schools and private English medium schools and will attract the children towards government schools. After all, the government is meant for Indians but why should the government discriminate in respect of children’s education? Children’s education is a very sensitive case as it is related to a child’s future life and the development of the nation.

Our government policy should be based upon highly scientific principles so that it never fails. If it does, then we have to change according to necessity and our government policy should also be changed based on timely needs. If it is based in an unscientific manner, it will certainly fail and it will show its bad effects on our nation. Therefore, our government policy should be free from unscientific matters. But we are considering our Indian culture and Indian languages in government education policy. By these unscientific considerations, our government education policy is going to fail in India, because, unscientific matters cannot stand against science. So our government policy should be free from unscientific matters. If one child says that due to unscientific education policy, “my life is ruined; I am not able to understand English language properly. So I could not take up higher education and I have to do low level of work with low salary” and he starts to blame the government’s education policy.

In this scenario, you please tell me what are we achieving from this education policy, which we are following in India? Should we change it or not, certainly we have to change it, keeping in view the better education of our children and their future career lives because in natural law, every child has the same right to education and jobs. So we have to bring about a change in the government’s education policy. The unscientific education policy leads to illiteracy, poverty and terrorism which are detrimental to the country and the world at large. By this policy, our country will go towards darkness.

Difference between government and private English medium education system in India:

In government schools

1. One book is mother tongue, which is taught as language from first standard.

2. The other book is English, which is taught as language from fifth standard.

3. Maths, Science and History are taught in mother tongue.

In private English medium schools

1. One book is mother tongue that is taught as language from first standard.

2. The other book is English which is taught as language from first standard.

3. Maths, Science and History are taught in English.

These are the differences between the two systems of education.

We saw that in the government school’s education policy the children are more attracted towards mother tongue because all study subjects are in the mother tongue and the only book in English is taught from the fifth standa...

Table of contents

• How Should the Indian Education System Be?
• Preface
• Midpoint