Essay on “Salvaging The Education System” Complete Essay, Paragraph, Speech for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Salvaging The Education System

The problems and challenges that India’s education system face are so complex that the chances of any conventional method succeeding in overcoming them are very remote. Cosmetic changes in the operational and administrative aspects of the system have not made any meaningful impact on it, because the causes of its problems are numerous and widespread. Hence, before trying to improve the system, it is necessary to identify and understand the real causes of its decline. The causes should then be so tackled, that their effects on the system are reduced to the maximum extent possible. Such an exercise will show, that more than the defects in the system, it is then shortcomings of lifestyle, like poverty and unemployment, that are responsible for the poor state of education in the country.

The majority of the people of India., burdened by poverty and backwardness, spend a good part of their energy trying to ensure their survival. In such a situation, it is only natural that people see education more as a luxury they can ill-afford, than as a necessity that is capable of improving their lifestyle and welfare. But it is important to realize, that both education and welfare are so closely related to each other, it is difficult to deal with one, exclusive of the other. Hence, progress in both education and welfare should go hand, or perhaps in tandem, with welfare in the lead.

The key to popularizing education among the people is to change their attitude towards it; to raise its utility value and its esteem in their eyes. This may be done either by improving the social condition of the people, so that they can spare time for education, or by reforming the education system so that the people’s misconceptions about education — that it is a waste of time-is eliminated. Neither of the choices is, however, easy. An effective way to kindle people’s interest in education is to provide them with such employment opportunities as will fetch them steady and substantial incomes. But, owing to the paucity of resources, that proposition may not be practicable. Nevertheless, with the help of technology, and with the experience gained from the programmes of education implemented so far, every attempt should be made to improve the education system, so that the people may find it useful.

Distance education, with the help of the audio-visual media, symbolized by television and radio, is by far the most useful and cost-effective method for spreading education. Since the vastness of the country, both in terms of area and population, and the diversity of its people, in both attitude and lifestyle, will render a uniform education policy inoperable, it is necessary to frame policies specific to each community of people. This necessity can be effectively met by the audio-visual media with moderate investment. The people who are to be served by such education can avail the facility at the pace and at the time they wish, without letting it effect their routine work. Education through the audio-visual media may benefit entire families, rather than the youngsters alone, because the novelty -of such learning methods will arouse the urge to learn, in everyone irrespective of age. If local bodies, like village panchayats and municipalities, take the lead in providing buildings and television and radio receivers, as well as peripheral services, like libraries, the Endeavour will have a better chance to succeed.

But even though distance education programmes can economically and effectively educate people, its use is unlikely to universalize education. A variety of prejudices and unhealthy customs deprive large sections of the population, the advantages of education. Since distance education programmes can only offer education, but cannot force people to accept it, these drawbacks will continue to pose serious challenges to the spread of education. Alongside the problem of prejudice, is that due to the confusion and misunderstanding of the aims of education. It is widely believed, that to be educated is to be literate; whereas in reality, the scope of education is much more than that of literacy. Education aims at acquiring the necessary skills and experience to lead wholesome, successful lives. Literacy, on the other hand, is only one of the tools that serve the purpose of education. The difference between literacy and education is as diverse as that between a screw-driver and a motor car the screw driver being just a tool used to make the car.

It is, therefore, clear that education does not suffer so much owing to the people’s lack of interest in it, as it does owing to the wrong approach and faulty perspective the people have towards it. In other words, education cannot be popularized merely by direct methods, like building schools or appointing teachers. The way to spread education should be through poverty alleviation, employment generation and elimination of social prejudices. These will nourish the people’s desire for education and create in them a favorable attitude towards it.