Let Education in 2015 Turn a Person Into Personality

The change of government in 2014 generated an environment of unprecedented expectations all around. One expects reforms in education would get due priority. In 2015, parents of every child studying in government schools would expect a better school environment, full quota of teachers, genuine mid-day meals and regularity and punctuality in the school functioning. Migrant labours  in cities like Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Greater Noida and other real estate ‘heavens’ would expect their children, particularly girls, go to school.
Those whose children are getting education in high-fee charging public schools may not be aware of the magnitude of the problem that vast majority of families confront in getting a functional school with full quota of teachers and basic amenities. When the Supreme Court directs the government of Uttar Pradesh to complete the recruitment of 72,825 teachers in primary schools within six weeks, it indicates how callous the nation is about the education of children dependent on sarkari schools. This recruitment process is for over four years. One would like the Central government and state/UT governments to come together and assure the nation that special recruitment drives shall be conducted to post professionally equipped teachers in every school in adequate proportion by the end of July 2015. Further, that the process of recruitment shall be transparent, corruption-free, without political interference, and that the basic principles of recruitment shall be strictly adhered to. There is no use lamenting the low levels of learner attainments when the state is not discharging its fundamental obligation of appointing regular teachers as per the mandated teacher-taught ratio.
One expects that copying in examinations shall be eliminated, and that the new breed of ‘solvers’ shall not be allowed to flourish and  play havoc with the future of young persons who pass their examinations with high marks/grades with their ‘help’. One would like to pray to the examiners of ‘practicals’ to do their job honestly. These are seemingly small expectations, but could visibly transform the ailing education system.

For decades, 6 per cent of GDP allocation to education has been assured by practically every government, but never implemented. Will the new government move in this direction? It could, say within the next three years, if not immediately. It would boost quality in education at every stage and hopefully energise the much-neglected sector of quality research and innovations. The President of India, immediately after taking over, convened a meeting of all the Vice-Chancellors of Central universities and exhorted them to fill in the vacant posts within next six months. One wishes this task is completed by mid-2015. Serious reforms are necessary in the appointment procedures of V-Cs and also in the promotion norms of academic faculty in higher education. The system of Academic Performance Index (API) has resulted in lowering standards and needs to be scrapped. Innumerable ‘national seminars’ are being funded and sub-standard materials published as papers and books to get additional points in the API calculation. University systems are perceived as centres of excellence and models of value-based institutional functioning. University teachers are supposed to be role models for the young of India. No one would like a single case of sexual harassment being reported from such hallowed precincts. None would like to receive reports on plagiarism, nepotism or financial scandals from educational institutions.Finally, one expects education to be steered and imparted by men and women of exemplary character and commitment. Only such persons can inculcate and nurture moral, ethical and humanistic values among the young, and transform education into a ‘man-making process’ and a ‘person’ into ‘personality’.
Mahabharata says in Shanti Parva that the “teacher leads from humanity to divinity”. The strife-torn world needs education imparted by such teachers. Shall we see  real transformation of the teacher preparation process to move towards good quality education?



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