The challenge of education in India

Education has become the sole Performa of one's profile index. Higher the levels of education crossed, profile of a person gets stronger. It is the sole phenomena of everything in this world which happens because it gives the basic level of understanding to every concept. Education is that one fundamental right of every individual which not only helps to gain knowledge but also builds up one's personality and also shifts our paradigm to a better level .

To start with it , in India, education has undergone many phases. First, Gurukuls which were the sole one's to develop intellectual skills and specially focussed on "dharma" and "karma" to be two principle in a learner's life. Today the education system in India is displayed clearly through the teaching methods in various schools ,colleges and universities . We have had a specific type of education system since British times, though best part of now is that the students are familiar with the good number of subjects.

There also exists a phase of Education ,primarily, 'a challenging phase'--

QUALITY & ACCESS

Our government schools have become the biggest failure in India. This has widen the gap between the private schools and government schools. Maintaining standard of education in more than a million schools nationwide, offering training programs to teachers, and keeping good balance with education worldwide is a big challenge. Schools vary in size, resources, teachers and are forced compromise in the all round development opportunities they must provide to students. Having infrastructural constraints and social issues, it becomes harder to make education accessible to all segments of society; that includes women, minorities and poor section. A Real Case study reveals that half of students going to government schools do not attend the school punctually but they are just going to get full mid-day meals and milk (which is a new scheme). So, the schemes are providing them with nutritional benefits inspite of educational one.

This has made such an ideology in parents mind that they prefer sending their child to private schools than to government schools.

COST

Cost of education is very high even for the people and places where it is accessible. The competitive pressure on students and parents forces them to opt for private tuitions and trainings to supplement the education system. Government aided colleges and universities have also increased the annual fees too much that it becomes very difficult for one to pay off. Real case is of our premier institute IITs who in 2016 increased their annual fees of 90,000 to 2,00,000. It was a substantial growth in fees which made no difference between the private colleges and government colleges, which was rather bizarre.

India is the largest democracy with remarkable diversity. Almost 70%of Indian population is rural. The adult literacy rate stands at about 60% and losing side is → that it is significantly lower in women and minorities. With the population increase of 2%, this being tremendous pressure on the education system to provide quality education at affordable price and improve the literacy rate.

Stressing on the needs of universities to give up "old teaching methods" which focussed on 'cramming' and opting methods of "learning and innovation". studying and learning just for sake of exams should be transformed to gaining knowledge because that earlier one is IGNORANCE.

In this techno-savvy era, best methods can be opted like online teaching but online methods can't take the place of traditional methods of teaching with chalks and blackboard. Practically thinking, Replacing traditionality with technology can take lot more years, especially in country like India. It is because, it needs a lot of planning and implementation experience. Moreover, India is currently not fully developed in some constraints, such as:

• Electricity and Communication infrastructure.
• short term cost overheads(online & offline must run in parallel)
• Logistical challenges like training of educators and students
• Technology constraints (which become the most important)

However, the mentors should work on 'Identifying the interest of students ' because that's most important. Shaping and rearing of a child according to his interest and developing his knowledge in same path will surely make him excel that field. Schools should democratized the flow of education, that too practical education is commendable. Students should not compromise and not be lethargic when gaining knowledge. Complacency is what which makes Education a big failure in India. If every student leverages this platform we not only have consumers of knowledge but producers of knowledge too. If this objective along with the lack of the present education system are paid a heed, only then will the whole scenario of India improve.

Working upon the faults is required than complaining and criticizing it. "The grass is greener, if watered." Nourishing the brains of students in specific prospective should be one of the objectives of our Education System. As once aid by Nelson Mandela "Education is the most powerful weapon that we can use to change the world ". A good education is the best gift one can give to someone.

"Educators, Educating and Educated becomes three important pillars to heal the Indian Education System."

- Avantika Bhardwaj