“Impart Education” or “Sell Education”

The only thing that motivated me to write this article was seeing the Over Commercialized and bleak state of Indian Education.

We are in a democracy where “A child has the Right to Education”. The government propagates free and fair education for every child. But looking at the current scenario, I see education a lofty dream for many middle class families who would wish to provide decent primary and secondary education to their children.

Now sending a child to school (actually not even a school, a play school or pre primary) has become more expensive than sending the child to finish his or her graduation.

My brother met his old school friend recently and asked him where his child studied, so he said that he was in xyz school but now they shifted him because the fees was UNAFFORDABLE. The next question that my brother asked him was, which standard was he in? And the reply was LOWER KG.

It sounds sad but it is the truth. Lower kindergarten school fees is now almost a lakh a year exclusive of other costs that would be required to send the child to school.

The new concept of IB (International Board or I would say “International Bussiness”) school and many SSC and ICSE schools are getting converted into an IB school, leaves a heavy hit on the wallet of a common man. IB schools charge a minimum of 3 to 4 lakhs a year.

Looking at the above mentioned trend, very soon many more schools would convert into an IB school and current school fees would reach sky high. So sending a child to school means you surely have to hit the JACKPOT.

It’s become like a trend that the higher the school fees the better the school is….

I wonder in what sense?????

So forget dreaming about sending children to big universities, making them finish Secondary School will also be an achievement.

The cap line for government advertisements should now be changed from “Aao siksha ke taraf kadam badaya” to “Aao siksha se Paise banao”..lolllllll

Jokes apart, it is very disheartening to see this over commercialized setup that has been initiated and increasing by the spur of the hour. Looking at the present condition, an average working Indian couple should think twice before having a child. Since the kind of pressure that comes on the parents and later upon the child is very stressful and Identity shaking.

At the end of the day what we look for from a Good School is not how Expensive and “Hep” it is, but whether it is giving the right structure to the child to achieve his/her true capability. A good school according to me would be one which gives an all round development to the child, encourages sports, co curricular activities, creative thinking compared to rote memorization, exploring subjects rather than mugging up lessons and a school which helps the child to be connected with the roots of Education. A good school doesn’t necessarily mean AC classrooms and buses, excellent state of the art infrastructure, elaborative study patterns, Laptops and designer uniforms.

We are looking for a school that provides equal opportunity to all students and which is sensitive to each child’s needs and level of functioning.

Let us strive to achieve a school environment where to get admission in a school a 3 year old doesn’t have to attend “tuitions” at that tender age and rob the child of his or her precious childhood.

Our aim should be Fair and Right Education for every child and not Glamorous and Expensive Education for some.

Best Wishes to current and prospective parents and children

Aditi Chaudhary