The Wild Horses of Imagination and the Indian Education System

Does the title say it all? Well, if it doesn't, kindly do take the pains to read on, and of course, you are more than welcome to read this piece of literary excellence even if you are sure that you know what lies ahead.

The latest snippet of news that relates itself to the brand new path-breaking changes which the National Vocational Qualification Framework plans to introduce in the way us Indians get educated in the near future, is something of a revolution when you consider the rote-learning ways which have been masquerading as "education" in our schools till now. For the ones who are clueless as to what I am harping about, the latest news is that now you wouldn't necessarily have to be a science student in order to take up engineering or medical studies after school (Read the 18th July "Hindustan" for details). In fact, one would actually be able to decide what one really wanted to do with life, at any stage of their career. So now, since just anybody would be able to apply for admissions into engineering or medical colleges, the entrance exams' patterns would also need to be changed in order to accommodate these sweeping new changes. They can now be expected to become a true judge of a student's aptitude.

Also, with this new system in place, what earlier would have been termed as "fancy thoughts", might soon just become a reality, i.e., our students might as well become their own "decision-makers" when it comes to career choices, because now school students would be able to study just anything that they want to study in school, without having to worry about hurting the "pride and prestige" of their over-ambitious parents with their oh-so-very-fragile egos that can break into a million pieces at the mere thought of their beloved kid taking-up anything other than engineering or medical studies while the neighbor's children slog it out at the nearby coaching center in order to prepare for entrance into some prestigious institute.

Imagine that there would actually be days in our students' lives when they wouldn't have to put up with something like, "Oh! The agony of having to face your grandmother's sister's daughter's brother-in-law in the wedding reception of your uncle's son! Do you even know that his son has taken-up the Physics-Chemistry-Biology-Mathematics combination in his Class XI?! And what's more, he's actually scored 95+ in each of his First Term School examinations!! And then, look at you! What a shame you've brought upon the family's name by taking-up Humanities!" So now, students would be able to go about discovering their own little talents and aptitudes while they are still in school, without having to rely on their parents' "wisdom" as to what they should do, because now they would have the opportunity to find out what they CAN do best, without having to worry that their decision to take up a particular set of subjects would prove to be a hindrance if they later on choose to do something else with their lives. 

So now, talents can actually be discovered by the ones who have them, at a pace which suits them.

Just imagine what it would be like to live in a country where talent and aptitude would not have to be sacrificed at the altar of parental ambition; where decisions wouldn't have to be made just to compete with some distant odd relative, and, where the student's will and his own assessment of his capabilities would determine what he does with his life. I guess this would amount to being our very own Renaissance, which would enable its own Newtons, Da Vincis and Descartes to blossom.

Some thought, this one!

On the lookout for another Newton?

Quit Playing "Games"...

Here I am, writing the first blog of my life (yes, you're right, I'd been living in the dark ages all this while, you know!), and what does it happen to be about? Not about me, my life; not about my innermost feelings, or about some random philosophical thoughts which somehow manage to permeate the human mind on certain very rare occasions. You see, most of the first blogs by renowned bloggers(I don't know if the adjective is appropriate or not, but then, who cares!), which I happened to have come across, are along these lines. So one can't help but just presume that this is the standard practice which is followed in the blogging world. But anyway, coming to what I WOULD be writing about(finally!!) is the "glorious" event that would be the "Commonwealth Games 2010"!!!

Well, I know that enough pot-shots have been taken at the Delhi Govt. for its sleeping-over-matters-till-it's-too-late-to-resolve-them attitude and at the various agencies (of the aforementioned "government") which had been given the task of creating infrastructure in the capital way back in 2003(that's right, SEVEN years ago!!) while keeping view of the upcoming prestigious games, and that we have all had quite enough of the blame-game which has been played all this while. But coming to think of it, seven years was a long-enough time-period during which the capital could have been made ready to host the Games. But what we instead got, are just some fancy plans for the city. Most of these projects never materialized, and quite a many of those that did, are in no way going to be completed in time for the Games. With just 60-odd days left for the Games to start, the erstwhile enthusiasm of the officials has somehow been de-throned by the Government's "do-or-die" diktat. Claims are being made as to the pace of work-completion being some close cousin of "war-footing". And yes, for all we know, the dug-up roads, half-constructed buildings, bewildered officials are actually doing a damn good job of presenting a "war-like" situation in the city, particularly in the Games Stadia, each of which wears the look of a place that has been looted and plundered of all its glory by some heartless invaders! I'm sure that those of us who happen to be living in Delhi , or in any of its satellite cities must be jolly well aware of the kind of "work" that has actually been "accomplished". None of us actually needs to go through any kind of newspaper reports in order to get acquainted with the ground situation.

What remains to be seen, though, is that what face are these people, who shouted at the top their voice from the rooftops about the coming-of-age of our country after winning the bid for the Games, going to show to the world, come October 3, 2010. In fact, after all this, the Govt. should stop for a moment and deliberate on where it went wrong, and what could have been done, instead of merely trying to brush things under the carpet. And it goes without saying that it's not really appropriate on their part to go about claiming that they want to host the Olympics, when a major embarrassment is staring us all in the face by way of Commonwealth Games.

So till the time they manage to sort out the problems of this year's Games, they should just "Quit Playing Games...."

(Play)ground for disaster!