Primary Education in India….

Indian education system is a huge tower with a very poor foundation. The government is making a mockery of themselves by broadening the top of the tower without even trying to lay the foundation straight. Six new IIT’s all supposedly to bring prosperity to the underdeveloped states. Prosperity to whom? To the millions of children deprived of even primary education or to those starving young minds that come to school just to have the “sumptuous” mid day meal. When the primary educational system in India is in a grave situation due to lack of funds and infrastructure government is pumping crores for the creation of IIT’s.

I happened to read a very interesting article in the Harvard Business Review. It was about a startup company called Gyan founded by 3 Indian students after passing out from Harvard Business School. The study they conducted in India revealed the fact that majority of children drop out or do not get access to primary education not due to cultural or social reasons but simply due the lack of access to credit. Their venture focuses in providing credit in a profitable way to these deprived souls. There are similar programs in other parts of the world such as Bangladesh’s Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC).

According to the standards set by UNESCO primary schooling is defined as completion of grades 1-5. The success levels are measured by three parameters. . The first is net enrollment ratios for all children, disaggregated for boys and girls; the second is the percentage of children entering Grade One who complete Grade Five, and the third is the literacy rate among 15- to 24-year-old boys and girls. In India the drop out numbers are very high and in effect these children remain functionally illiterate for the rest of their lives.

The gross neglect and lack of a clear policy to improve the primary educational system in India is a serious lapse on the side of the government. Setting up of IIT’s at this juncture is clearly a move eyeing the next elections. When will we come out of this cheap vote bank political tyranny? Or are we destined to be like this forever? It’s said change is the only thing constant in this world, but seems like Indian politics is an exception!!!!!