A quick glance at the present trend of our educational system

Khelsoril Wanbe *

Students appearing for Class X Exam on 24 February 2018 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

Starting back from the time I was in the elementary school, I have always admired teachers. I see them as powerful, charismatic and dynamic actors; all that they do and say intrigue me and inspire me to imitate and emulate them. Teachers are unique in their own ways, but they all exert powerful influence on their students. Students are also very observant of their teachers' behaviour and movement.

To some extent, students are aware of whether their particular teacher is lazy, serious, reckless, philosophical, easygoing etc. Teachers of different levels of education have almost equally important roles to play. In this increasingly materialistic world, it must be difficult for teachers to cope with the high economic competitions surging all around. Education, health, and many other things have become highly influenced by commercial and profit making interests and motives.

What we seem to see is that of students obsessed with the thought of high marks above 90% on the one hand, and teachers who want to see their wallets grow fatter. By this or that means, to get maximum money has become the craze of our time. The welfare of the student or patient seems to have been relegated below the motives and interests of profit making. Money, indeed, has been made to symbolise the Lord of the world.

We seem to notice general loss of interest in attending class by both teachers and students especially in the college level. Who should be blamed for the lethargic attitude towards education. When it comes to scoring high marks, we seem to witness sharp rise compared to old days back in the 1980s and 90s of the last century.

These days, teachers seem to have become more liberal in awarding good marks and by doing that they satisfy the aspirations of their students. In a way that's good. Nevertheless, I just want all concerned to look at the quality of education that's prevailing in the present time.

There need to be debates on the plight and standard of the current trend of our education. We need to look at how classes at high schools and colleges are being conducted; how teachers are giving their lectures and how regularly classes are being held. I recently asked a college student as to how their classes are going on. He said that class attendance these days is very discouraging. There seems to be truth in what he said.

There is lack of enthusiasm in taking and attending classes on the part of both teachers and students. In our days too, back in the 1990s, there were lack of interest on the part of both teachers and students, yet, in those days, a certain percentage of class attendance was made mandatory and most teachers were giving their lectures, regularly and earnestly. Teachers and students that avoided classes were regarded as derelicts and delinquents.

However, these days, things seem to be changing. I might be wrong but my perception is that there seems to be general negligence of taking and attending of class, especially in the government institutions-schools and colleges; there do not seem to be any strict attendance rules.

Here, we can ask if students and teachers are not attending classes, what could they be doing. Could they be working or doing some undisclosed business somewhere else. I may not have much to gain personally by asking these questions, but the changing trend of our educational process is rather alarming and worrying.

And here, of course, we may not have to stereotype all government educational institutions as neglecting their classes or academic activities, but it is generally observed by one and all that there is much negligence and nonchalance with regard to our current educational process in our state. Undeniably and ostensibly, we have begun to witness that some special attention being given by our concerned authorities towards improving the academic atmosphere in our state.

But, in spite of that, till today, we see many of our higher secondary school products being exported to other places like Shillong, Delhi, Kolkota, Guwahati, Chandigarh, Bangalore and so on for better and improved educational processing. Here, perhaps, we can ask what percentage of our budget is allocated for education or how much do we actually need to set aside to significantly improve our education system.

And with regard to wastage of education fund too, it will be the responsibility of the public as well as the concerned authority to see to it that it(fund) is not diverted, misappropriated, misused, miscarried, pocketed and so on. Development of educational infrastructures needs to take place, which should be well commensurate by quality improvement of our education.

Another feature of our educational system is that obtaining high marks has become the obsession and pursuit of ambitious parents and children of high and higher secondary education level. To get admission at premiere institutions like St Stephens, Hindu college, and get the chance to appear in the NEET, JEE, CATS, NDA etc. There is still high preference for our children to go for technical or professional education in the fields of engineering, medical sciences, management etc.

But the problem we are facing is that without the help of coaching and tuition, our high and higher secondary schools, both private and government, seem quite helpless due to reasons that are known and unknown. Well, I don't have much knowledge of how high and higher secondary education is being carried on in other states: it needs to be investigated whether they too depend primarily or to a high degree on private coaching or not.

We do hear of coaching centres for UPSC and other exams in New Delhi, but am not so sure of the existence of coaching centres for Classes IX, X, XI, XII. Since I don't know much on this phenomenon, maybe, I shouldn't speak much; it's up to the parents, and students to decide whether they should go for private coaching centres to supplement or complement their class room education.

But, my concern is how schools and colleges are conducting their classes. Is teaching being carried out in the right way? How are students and teachers faring at the educational institutions? However, here, one thing is true that private institutions are doing quite well and the problem seems to remain at government schools and colleges at which increasing attention has been given by both the government and student organisations and everybody is hoping that there will be some tangible and substantial improvements in the days to come.

What we can look at here is the case and possibility of considerable improvement if students are taught well at schools and colleges, then they will have increasingly less need for going to private coaching centres and spending thousands and thousands of rupees. There will, of course, be no problem for the supra-rich who are willing to spend more and more for their children's education, but the poor parents will experience great relief if their kids are imparted optimal education/teaching right at the schools and colleges where they study.

I dream of the days when students that are products of our government as well as private schools and colleges will be fit enough to face competitions, exams, challenges at national or state level without having to be spoon-fed at coaching centres. Our schools and colleges should become globally competitive; the students belonging to different disciplines should be good enough in the subjects they study or deal with in their own way.

They shouldn't be too dependent on coaching and tuition; they should have sufficient self confidence in what they have learnt at their formal school and college. Please don't get me wrong: I'm not trying to say let's totally do away with private tuition, but I would like to see increasing number of students being imparted well at their respective formal educational institutions, so that all they need is only supplementary help from informal or private coaching centres.

Therefore, what I have been trying to emphasise is that our formal schools and colleges, both private and public, should do all possible to see to it that their wards get optimal education in terms of lectures, tests, inspiration, guidance, etc so as to make them become primarily self dependent and self confident and able to face challenges of life without having to indulge in some kind of spoon-feeding.

I just wonder if we are witnessing some heightened kind of commercialisation of our education; and next time I would like to do a re-look at our heath system.