Education philosophers always highlight that the answer for all problems comes in a single word “education.” Education system in India has always drawn most important attention by its every policy maker and has been under debate for change for its best suitability and usefulness to Indian people and the nation. It also seems to be of great concern for each one of us and we all want it to be more suitable, effective, productive and job oriented with value edition. Education reforms have always been on the agenda of every one at the helm of affairs and they always come with their vision or prejudices said to be well supported by public demand and make changes in the system whether those changes are productive or counter productive.
Sh.Arjun Singh, last HRD minister came with polices of reservation in education of all types and at all level and ideas of opening number of institutes/universities at the lines of IITs, IIMs IISERs and central universities without giving any thought to improve the existing system of education and leaving it for its further deterioration due to expansion. Now, present HRD minister Sh. Kapil Sibal has taken the issue to make education free from examination in order to ease the unwanted pressure on students. Many educationists have already expressed their views on such educational reforms and have suggested moving cautiously without harming the true meaning of education.
In this context, all the education reforms are paradoxical in nature which these planners can only understand very well and leave no stone unturned to go ahead with their political gain but not for the benefit of common people in general and country in particular. Education reforms like making 10+2 system, entrance tests, percentage to grading and vice-versa etc. are such reforms which are talked much but have they been evaluated in true sense to check their utility towards any significant results for the society. Instead of making education same for all and job oriented, planners are planning to make education reforms which will take masses away from the importance of education. There is a need to make education reforms with which problems in education sector like corruption in terms of fake certificates/institutes, leakage of papers, manipulation of results, accountability of teachers and good and equal facilities to all the students from all corners of the society can be tackled.
Education in general and quality education in particular has never been an important issue for the privileged and pampered section of the society. Because, they are already born with silver spoons and can acquire any type of education they want from any where in the world. This section of society was not in large number before but with the gift of democracy characterized by nepotism and corruption this section has grown in number. The education percolated to middle and lower section of society from rural India in early 70s with only hope of job security from education. Things started changing very soon and by coming to 1990s, jobs were rare for even educated people from rural India.
People from middle and lower class of the country took the education business very seriously putting a lot of hard work by students and sacrifices by their parents. Results of schools boards still are the proof of the fact that rural students in spite of lots of hardship in their way to acquire education are out shining the urban counter parts that are though privileged with various facilities. The criteria to differentiate between them are the board examination only. Moreover, parents as well as students of such strata have taken things in their stride that with examination failures the students are not competitive enough for job or for higher education.
Education reforms are always to fool people from rural background and to take them further away from education. Education without examination is still another attempt in this direction as children of urban areas with resources will have no effect of this as they study in schools charging high tuition fees and give due importance to class tests and overall development of students. Students of rural areas and from poor families were putting their level best with an aim to score good marks in the board examinations to out smart their urbanite counterparts which opportunity they will loose as they need not to pay any attention to their studies. Besides, teachers will also not pay any attention towards their academic development. This will make most of them unfit for job market (public or private) which is already shrinking and will be enough only to accommodate well prepared students from urban & rich backgrounds. Thus, there is no exaggeration in saying that all such education reforms in general have resulted in paradoxical in nature as instead of streamlining the educations sector in the country they have created more problems.