The Real Problem with Indian education

Hmmmm…..

Okay! So, let me ask you all a very simple question. Which are the most elite institutions in India?

Maybe most of you might start thinking of the institutions which start with ‘I’ and ends with “T’’ or’ ‘’M”.

But, as per me, the most elite institutions are MBBS medical institutions. Most of you might have observed that those institutions are near to any hospitals or in the hospitals which are set up like a proper department. For example: Gandhi Hospital, Gandhi Medical College. Osmania Hospital, Osmania Medical College. Students in these streams get real time exposure to experience their future work. I also observed in hospitals that the students understand patience problems and help accordingly along with their mentors or professors.

Which means they study in the morning hours or anytime and serve/work in the hospital in the meantime, which gives them a great experience into their learning, which is actually in their curriculum. I also observed that those who teach them are real time doctors or might be doctors early. If you closely observe, most of the faculty, staff or management of these institutions are doctors. So, they know how to engage.

Meanwhile, I just recently completed my graduation in business management. The director and some of the key management people who manage the entire department of the business management (or so called ‘’The Business School’’) didn’t even work in the corporate sector for a suitable time period. The one who taught us computer applications, she/he doesn’t even use computer properly. The placement officer who is supposed to bring the placements which actually sets a student’s career or probably the reason one who invests a huge amount in any business school, when himself/herself didn’t have a proper corporate experience or enough network in a proper organized manner. So, obviously. What can we expect?

I think, if we closely observe professors/teachers who taught/teach us in our graduation. What percentage of them have related degrees or experience in what they are teaching to us?

Just think…

For teaching systems or methodology…

I think still the greater innovation or no proper innovation has happened in the education sector. Let’s take a view. The Oxford, The Cambridge universities started in the 11th century AD. So, when they started of-course, there might be a stage where the professor is speaking and students down who are listening/taking notes kind of.

Then printing presses came into picture which provided books, but we still needed a teacher and many such followed till today. We can get free books, free conceptual videos on YouTube. But, still we need a teacher. Who can bring a holistic approach and make their students explore and experience.

Living in content more than listening or noting them will be far more helpful in the real learning of the content. The moment i started talking to people from a group which we probably aspire to be, in my 17-18’s (theoretically that content was in my semesters in the name of business communication and many more) i understood and observed and took part into many in the initial stages which probably has taught me more than what i could have learnt just being in a classroom in that year.

What makes ‘’The Ivy league colleges more special’’?

I had conversations with many people who graduated from these exceptional institutions which have a legacy, a brand, the best infrastructure, the best faculty, the best research centers, and a strong alumni network across the world. I asked one of them ‘’How the curriculum differs from Indian education?’’ The answer I got was, a kind of surprising. ‘’It’s almost similar, as compared to our curriculum’’. Then, what makes these students get better when they graduate?. That’s because they get the best students who are ‘’The Curious’’ to know things and take actions accordingly who come with diverse experiences, culture, mindset etc.., and be like “let’s do this, let’s make this happen’’ kind of attitude who are probably rare to find in the environment where we are in. I think it’s all about what experience a student brings to the institution.

When you are around such ‘’The intellectual and curious” crowd around you, who challenge your thinking and mindset. Of Course, even you try to be better than them. Which makes you come out of your comfort zones.