Even though government figures show that dropout rates are declining and women’s education is increasing steadily, a different problem stares in the faces of all those who have been able to get high school, intermediate or college certificates — students being unable to write well in English or Hindi or having knowledge about their domain despite getting good marks.
Reports have also pointed out that many students have been
rendered unemployable as they do not have the requisite knowledge of the
subjects that they have studied for years in government institutions in getting
their degrees or certificates. Few other reports state that many girl students
only go for higher studies as it would improve their marriage prospects.
The unemployability factor of students has been highlighted
by many reports which state that educators themselves do not have the requisite
knowledge of the subjects they teach, thereby leaving them incapable of
imparting any real skills to the children they are tutoring. Added to this is
the fact that students of economically disadvantaged backgrounds do not have
the requisite funds to finance tuition by specialist teachers, which cost a
lot these days.
In order to hide their incompetence, teachers usually give
their students good marks in the examinations without actually determining
whether the answers given are up to the mark and have all the facts desired.
While some may argue that such EWS students could study on
their own and get the desired knowledge to be at par with their affluent
counterparts studying in private schools, the time factor plays a crucial role.
A recent report about reasons given by Madhya Pradesh
government asking for foreign aid from World Bank to boost its dilapidated
education infrastructure gives the answers. The report submitted by the MP
government clearly mentions that many students spend several hours doing
housework before and after college and do not have time to study at home. The
social and economically disadvantaged background of students with no support
system is the primary reason.
The MP government report states that students go home and
help their parents during the sowing and harvesting seasons. During each of the
first, third and fifth semesters, students stay away for at least 15-20 days for
agricultural work, impacting exam results. An official even stated that many
girls drop out of college owing to pregnancy or could not clear exams due to
household chores.
Such state of affairs are not limited to Madhya Pradesh
alone. It extends to all other states with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar being on top
of the list.
All institutions need more teachers and better
infrastructure. JND Charitable Trust’s endeavours are channelled towards
achieving this very objective — quality education which does not cost a bomb.
For this, help is required from people belonging to all sections of the
society.
You can also contribute by financing children, or even
taking steps to strengthen the infrastructure of schools in sub-urban and rural
areas which fall on the blind spot of the government. JND Charitable Trust is
there to show you the way on how to go about the task and allocate the funds
that would be donated by you.
