Two plus two is four and so is 2.5 plus 1.5 four : Equating Education with tuition classes
- Sangai Express Editorial :: November 11 , 2013 -

Two plus two equals four.

This is the universal truth, but our are children taught to think out of the box in such a way that they understand 2.5 plus 1.5 also makes four ?

The need to redefine education is in line here.

It is also surprising to see that in a land where almost everybody seem to have an opinion on any issue, the educationists, the professional teachers have not deemed it fit or necessary to address this point.

A common calculation among parents and guardians runs thus-if one has one child then one has to spend four years dropping and picking up one's child from the tutor's place, that is from Class IX to Class XII.

Likewise if one has two kids then the time taken is put at 8 years.

Take the coaching classes for appearing in competitive examinations like the Premedical test or NEET and the JEE and things should be clear.

A statement that nothing much of value is taught in the class room or a case of the students having to be right up there, as far as marks or gradings go ?

The culture of private tuition has come out in all its glory, which may not exactly be glorious in the real sense of the term.

As noted in some earlier editorials here, sure, marks or gradings are necessary as it has become the benchmark of performance of the students.

But is the culture of private tuition really equipping the needed life skills in the students to lead a decent and comfortable life once they step out to face the world ?

No easy answer here and this is the reason why majority of the parents have chosen to go with the flow of the tide.

Quality education, this has been the fashion statement of quite a large number of student organisations and the civil society organisations, including the State Government.

But when private tuition is deemed to be necessary, then can one really say that quality education is being imparted on the students inside their school class rooms ?

And so it goes that once a student reaches Class IX, it is tuition, tuition all the way. Even during vacation, there is no break.

A time which could and should have been utilised in pursuing one's interest such as attending music classes, classical dances or honing one's skill on the playground and the theatre is spent on going through the prescribed text books inside the tuition classes.

Whether this is beneficial to the overall growth of the personality of the students is a question which has not been debated upon at all and this is undesirable.

A few days back, that is on November 8, Education Minister M Okendro, while addressing the 25th Founder's Day of St Anthony School, Chingmeirong took pains to explain that it would serve no good to compare Government schools and private schools.

The point of the good Minister is noted, but isn't the present trend all about comparison ? Comparing the marks or grades of students and charting out their future course of academic pursuit ?

Another point that can be read into the observation of the Education Minister is the attempt to skirt the issue of why private schools have been besting the Government schools in almost every aspect.

If private schools, with teachers who get only a fraction of what Government school teachers get by way of salary, continue to beat the Government run schools in all aspects then does it not say that something, somewhere is horribly wrong with the Government schools ?

A reluctance to admit that nothing has been done to address the state of ennui which has gripped Government run institutions, where accountability and responsibility just do not exist in the lexicon of the teachers and those responsible for running the affairs of the State Education Department ? Something more needs to be done.

Quality education cannot be brought about by the over reliance on private tuitions.

The logical question that follows then is what is being taught inside the class rooms at the respective schools of the students ?

It is a cut throat world no doubt, a highly competitive world, a world which will have no place for the mediocre but to transform the mediocre into outstanding students through the help of private tuitions will not serve its intended purpose.

"Hey teachers, leave those kids alone", may be more than just an anthemic number from Pink Floyd, if one looks at the prevailing situation here.