The
education scenario is changing rapidly. It has now turned out to be a thriving
industry especially when it comes to higher education. New schools and colleges
are coming up in the nearby localities with CBSE or ICSE syllabus and offering
a lot of other facilities required for excellence and for an overall
development of a child. Disciplines catering to the modern era have been
introduced for graduation and post graduation. Specializations in varied
branches in Engineering, Medicine, Law and other fields are introduced to meet
the challenges and requirements of the future. Computer science is also given greater
importance.
The
parents decided to send children, with the hope that they might accomplish what
adults had failed to do. Both the parents and their children are aware of the
importance of quality and excellence in education. A lot of students of Kumbalam
who could afford such schools are now availing such opportunities. Such nation
building exercises by such entrepreneurs are highly commendable. I sent my
children, Kiran Rose Thayamkeril and Karan Jose Thayamkeril to “The Choice
School” at Tripunithura, in Cochin. I would like to mention that the former
principal of that school, Smt. Lekshmi Ramachandran, was instrumental in making
it one of the popular schools in the State of Kerala. She was followed by Smt. Molly
Cyril Pallikkaparampil. Shri. Jose Thomas, Chairman, The Choice Foundation, is
the manger and takes a personal interest in the management of the school.
I
sincerely hope that the government would scan the promise and performance of
the managements and faculty of each school and colleges and make sure that they
impart noble ideals and values to make the children world class citizens. The
entrepreneurs should not be lured by the profit motive alone and impose
prohibitive tuition fees and conveyance charges from the students without any
basis and disproportionate to the services rendered by them. The management,
teachers and other staffs shall ensure and afford adequate protection and
security to the students entrusted to them should not be exploited in any way. It
should also be ensured that extraordinarily bright students among the poor in
the locality (nominated by the government) are also given opportunity in such
schools.
The
government would also ensure that the managements of such schools paid the
salaries, the provident fund, gratuity and other benefits to the teachers and
the non-teaching staffs and make certain that they are contended. The
government should also ensure that such teachers and other staffs have the
required qualification, character and integrity, and they are terminated only in
accordance with law. If the present situation is similar to the position that
existed in the 1950s and 60s when, Prof. Joseph Mundasseri, a great teacher and scholar that Kerala have ever seen, and who was the Minister of
Education of Kerala (1957-59), an Education bill was brought to set right the
anomalies in the private education sector, which was later incorporated into
the Kerala Education Act & the Rules. This avoided illegal cuts on salaries
payable to teachers by the private school managements. I sincerely hope that
the government would do the needful in the matter. I hope the government has
learned a lesson from the previous experiences. Therefore, it would be better
for the government to avoid taking the burden of payment of the salaries of
teachers of CBSE and ICSE schools and leaving the power of appointment to the
management. Kindly bear in mind, that too much political interference in the
affairs would spoil the school atmosphere.
I
am immensely happy to learn that the UGC has hiked the salary of professors to
make them contended. There are such senior professors who draw more than one
lakh fifty thousand a month as salary and the retired professors receive up to fifty
thousand a month as pension. Now they are contended with their pay packets. As
the salary increased multifold they are scurrying for investments in the offices
of stock-brokers and stock markets; gold, diamond and jewelers; they are into
real-estate business and money lending as well. Hardly have they find time to
teach or interact with their wards. What an irony! The government has increased
the emoluments and other benefits of the members of parliament and legislatures.
The military personnel’s and others are no exception. I appreciate the hiking. But
I would like to point out that enhancement of salaries to an unreasonable level
makes them lethargic, makes them corrupt, and inducee them to neglect their
duties. Is it fair or proper or justifiable to expend the entire revenue of the
state for payment of salary and other emoluments to 2% of the population
comprising elected members, government servants, teachers and others? Each time
when there is a hike in salary it is reflected in the price of essential
commodities, vegetables and other goods in the open market. The chasing power
enhances the price of goods. The labourers and the organized sector could
clamour for higher wages. But, where do the common man, the unorganized agriculturists
and other suffering classes go for the extra money required. Enhancement of
salary is not a solution in itself. The government shall make earnest efforts
to keep and maintain the demand, supply and price steady. Don’t we need funds
for infrastructure development?
Children
of all ages are seen cramming into three or four wheelers, and carrying a heavy
load of books in a bag flapping on their backs or shoulders. They are burdened
both physically and mentally. By the end of the day they are thoroughly
exhausted. Why doesn’t the education system be more innovative? I was taken
aback while going through my daughter Kiran’s text books. She was then studying
in Std. IX. Various portions of the Constitution of India like the preamble,
fundamental rights and duties and she was doing a project on how to enforce the
fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of India by invoking the writ
jurisdiction of the High Court under Article 226, at that young age. I remember
having studied the same only during my graduation for Law. On another day I was
further shocked to observe her doing a project on the symptoms, cure and medicine
for the disease “Jaundice.” It is strange on the part of the Syllabus
Committee, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development to
unnecessarily burden the students who are helpless in this regard. However, it
is important to make children, aware of the realities of life. It could be
legal problem like one relating to the fundamental rights of a citizen, civil
cases with regard to property, tax, labour and even criminal cases. In such an
event a lawyer with character and integrity and the required specialization
should be approached without any compromise whatsoever. Similar is the case of
diseases and doctors. A good doctor or hospital neither require any
advertisement nor lack patients. This applies to all other professions.
Availing the services of the right kind of professionals for the right kind of
job is a great time saver. In this manner the children are able to face the
realities of life with ease.
Parents
and teachers should encourage their children / wards to use interrogative
words, adjectives, pronouns and adverbs like what, when, where, who, why, how, whom, whether, whence and which, often to understand more about a person, a particular thing, topic or
issue or problem, which would open up a new horizon for them.
Education
should not suppress the student’s curiosity; it should create a thirst for
knowledge. Education would have been more interesting and lighter to a child if
only the teachers had to deal with the basics up to the tenth grade to
introduce them to all the avenues available for a career. Probing for the child’s innate and genuine
talent could be done simultaneously. Thereby encouragement, support and recognition
for the same could be given during these years in school. This will prepare
them for their right choice in the Plus-2 level of their education.
Sports
and athletics and all other extra-curricular activities like – music (vocal,
wind, stringed and percussion), dance, painting and martial arts available in
the school should be given adequate importance. They play an important role in
the character formation of a child. It is important to provide them a good
library facility and inculcate a general reading habit in them. Drama club,
debating and public speaking are significant to develop their talent for
leadership and personality development. They must be given time to interact
with Mother Nature and inculcate the dignity of labour from their very early age.
Pollution
is one of the major global menaces that threaten even the developed countries around
the world, our country is no exception. I have noticed children studying in the
urban areas eating toffees and littering the plastic covers carelessly while passing
through my front main road and other public places. Why they eat so much
toffees, whether it contains any drug is also to be looked into. It is the duty
of the teachers and the parents to create awareness among children about this
seriousness of pollution and impart methods to avert it.
Every
student starting from the high school should attend a three months course in
any one of the trade or occupation mentioned hereunder. This could be done during
their vacations. To cite a few examples are NCC cadet and their attendance in two
summer camps; agriculture or gardening (as a Casual Labourer); animal husbandry;
chef and / or supplier in a hotel business or sales-man in a mall; attendant in
a hospital or member of a palliative care unit; stenographer or typist; helper
in an automobile industry and driving or factory employee or any other skilled
jobs; social work including cleaning of public places and helping the poor or any
other similar jobs. The educational institutions and the government should ensure
that their students should not physically or mentally be exploited or harassed
by such recognized institutions and their agents. Learning a skill or trade or
business would make them confident to meet challenges and would open up new
avenues for their future development. A certificate of experience from the recognized
institutions in the respective fields should be obtained before the plus-two
certificates are issued to them. Enjoying
their childhood without unnecessary worries makes moulding a child into an
adult a less laborious process.
The
State of Kerala was declared to be the first fully literate state in India. I
wonder why the State does not try for excellence in education. There are no IITs,
AIIMS, and other advanced courses in Kerala except an IIM in Calicut. Why are such
facilities for excellence denied to Malayalis?
Kerala, CUSAT and Calicut Universities have the infrastructure for sanctioning
such prestigious courses in the State of Kerala. The callous indifference on
the part of the central and the state government is unfortunate in this regard.
I sincerely hope that both the governments would take appropriate steps for the
above mentioned in the right direction.
Education
today goes to students with below average intelligence; mediocre students in
the state too go for graduation, post graduation, doctorate and even post-doctorate
degrees. There have been instances where the university guides have physically
and mentally harassed and exploited the students who undergo their research
studies with them. By the time he / she attains the highest qualification he
would be 35 to 40 years of age. It is a
sheer waste of time, energy and money for many of them. They do not realize the
fact that two-third of their life is over with this prolonged education. For
some it leads to depression. Wisdom dawns late; life meant a lot of other
things.
I
recall the pathetic story of Neena, a lady Research Scholar of the department
of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, Trivandrum, who
committed suicide because her research guide spoilt her family life; false and
unnecessary rumours about her were flashed on the campus. This frustration and desperation
made her take the ultimate step of taking her own life. What touched me most
was that she did not live to see and obtain the award of her doctorate degree
which was announced almost simultaneously with her decision to commit suicide.
Unfortunately she did not get the news of the fruits of her labour prior to her
death. The Kerala University or the government did not take any action against
the erring guide, Dr. Padmakumar, who got scot-free.
The
government should discourage the trend of below average students going for
higher studies. Minimum qualifying marks required for admission or entrance test
shall be fixed at 50% for the skilled courses in Polytechnic Institutions; 60%
for the graduation courses; 65% for the post-graduation and doctorate and 70%
for post-doctorate in any discipline. A leniency in marks at 5% for the O.B.C.,
10% for the scheduled castes and 15% for scheduled tribes could be given. Not
more than 5% reduction shall be given to management quotas as well. More
leniencies would result in inefficiency and would spoil the life of the
reserved candidate. I would like to remind the government that there is dearth
in human resources for skilled and unskilled jobs in the state.
I
would like to borrow the Lohian example to easily understand and justify the
theory of “reservation to the socially, educationally and culturally backward classes
of people in the society.” “The caste-ridden Indian society can be compared to
a multi-wheeled truck. The front wheels on either side represent the
upper-castes in the society; the hind wheels on one side represent Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the wheels on other side represent the O.B.Cs.,
(Other Backward Communities.) For the smooth running of the truck all the tyres
on the wheels are to be in good condition. In the event of one or both the
tyres on hind wheels are deflated the truck will not move forward.” In the
event of more air being supplied to the tyres on wheels than is necessary, it would
burst the tyres. I recall the idiom in my mother tongue, Malayalam which goes
like this, “Adhikamayal Amruthum Visham.”
It means, “Excessive intake of the nectar of Ambrosia, the elixir of life or to
attain immortality turn out to be poisonous.” The reservation quotas for
education, jobs and elected bodies should not be allowed to continue
indefinitely because it might lead to further chaos and confusion in society. It
is therefore significant to remove forthwith those communities and / or classes
of persons who have managed to overcome their backwardness. In Kerala backward
communities like the Kutumbis or Chettis and Scheduled Caste converts to Christianity
(agricultural labourers) deserve to be included in the category of Scheduled
Castes. Since independence, their demands to include them in the reserved category
fell on deaf ears. I sincerely hope that their meek voice would be considered
by the state and central governments.
The
Indian system of education is skewed; wherein the ability of by-hearting and
vomiting is encouraged; providing a distorted image of how “smart or
intelligent a person is.” How a student analytically understands and applies
his mind is less significant according to this system. The practical
application of a subject to different situations is more important. This is the
reason why many top rankers of universities fail in real life.
The government should promote people-to-people exchange to
universities abroad involving, among others, students, youth, artists,
sportspersons and academicians.
Excerpts from
MEMOIRS
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com
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