Need For A Quality Education Corporation

Muslim Murasu, June 2011

Education system that will support our national development is not in place. This was realized as early as in the fourth five-year planning. The education system that is in place is of no use to our economic development. Agriculture and vocational courses are completely ignored in preliminary and medium levels. 70 percent in Germany and 60 percent in Japan choose vocational courses. But only 12 percent students in India opt for vocational courses in the final year of schooling. Student community should be pushed towards vocational courses. Education that is of good quality and inclusive has not been delivered. 92 percent students enter preliminary schools but only 21 percent qualify for higher education. A separate corporation should be commissioned to identify bright students in schools and help them reach higher education. This will yield students who are up to international standards. In the name of “inspection”, education is being hampered in schools. Opportunity to education and quality of education should be handled separately.

Kothari commission amply emphasizes the importance of English language. Some principals are cruelly acting against this. English should be made compulsory in school final year. English is sought after and needed world over. Educational institutions will help in alleviating poverty. People running educational institutions are serving the nation. Government is stingy and parsimonious in distributing education funds and scholarships. Unnecessary, useless and fictitious requirements are mandated. Kindness is not shown. I run day school and evening school in a Muhalla with high population of poor laborers. Commerce is being taught. This is a non-profit-oriented effort to impart education. Yet, inspite of fulfilling and complying all the requirements, I am unable to receive a paltry grant of 2600 rupees. This is the situation in the institution that I head. Education department is not humane in its functioning. Education department is not functioning in a way to address current social demands. The grief is justified. Three percent budget outlay is not sufficient. The views presented by G.M. Banatwala in Maharashtra assembly on July 6, 1967 are completely relevant even today.