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ormer President A P J Abdul
Kalam’s vision for India mainly revolves around the young children of the
country. Unlike former Prime Minister the late Jawaharlal Nehru who liked
children for their innocence, Kalam likes them for they being the future
generation of India. The great potential of young children, the statesman
believes, could change the destiny of India. He enjoys the company of children
so much so that he likes to interact with them even in intellectual gatherings.
However, the feel-good factor seems to
end here. In reality, where are our young students headed? Are they going in
the direction envisaged by Kalam? That is the point to be pondered over.
Market-driven education
Unlike
the earlier days, today’s children are intelligent and smart as well, thanks to
the exposure and grooming. The aim of the most, of course, is getting into
medicine or engineering. Once they fail to get a seat half of the enthusiasm
dies there itself. However, they cling on to some alternative courses.
Nowadays,
even the courses are well packaged to suit the immediate requirements of the
market. Can this market-driven education
be called knowledge? It’s nothing but supplying the necessary inputs to the
machine and getting the desired product.
Basic
science takes a backseat
Unfortunately,
today studying basic sciences is viewed as unviable in the face of the
“profitable” applied studies. “Scope” seems to be the buzzword. Nobody is aware
of the bright prospects in the research field albeit in the long run. In fact, that is also a pressing need in the
development of any country. Do the students who gloat about their “instant
success” spare a thought over this?
On the other hand, the present day job
market is very enticing. The campus interviews, which were in vogue in
technical institutes until recently, have made inroads into bachelor degree
colleges also. They come with irresistible offers on the platter. The students
who have planned to study further, perhaps, cannot resist the attractive
packages.
The decision to study further either
takes a backseat or is deferred. Their
parents would not have dreamt of the opening salary their children get even at
the end of their decades of service. Again cream of the student community is
poached here. Perhaps nobody can withstand the allure of the materialistic age.
Monotony creeps in
In the beginning everything looks rosy.
Once the money is made, the question of job satisfaction arises. Sometimes the job requires a lot less skill
than the employee possesses. Most of the time, it is nothing but the clerical
work of the multinational companies.
There is no opportunity to use their intelligence or creativity.
Everything is mechanical. Thus their potential is wasted.
After sometime though they regret and
want to continue their studies, it might be too late also. Their
responsibilities and commitments later in life may not permit them to pursue
their studies. Ironically, the golden days, which were meant to study, were
spent on making money. Thus nowhere to go, the dejected souls cling on to their
jobs however. What productivity can one expect from such disillusioned work
force? Finally, the dream-come-true
offers turn out to be nightmares.
