May 20, 2003 02:41 PM
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(Updated May 20, 2003 02:41 PM)
Introduction
Regurgitation. That is the one word that would sum up the entire education system in India. Needless to say, this review will be rather negative, but I will make an attempt to reinforce the positive as well.
What's my standpoint? I was born and schooled in India for a number of years before moving to Vancouver, Canada. My opinion therefore is not helpful to those who want to further pursue education in India, but is helpful for those who are currently studying in India and want to move out, or those who want to move in and study in India.
The Good
The only good thing about the education system in India that I can think of is that you have a slight advantage over students in other countries.
When I moved out of India, my education standard was higher than those in the same grade in Canada. This gives you a little bit of advantage since you have already covered the curriculum at your old school. However, don't be fooled by this advantage - the disadvantages far outweigh it.
The Bad
The Indian education system, as I mentioned before, is based on the concept of regurgitation. By this I mean that right from Grade One, the student is expected to read the textbook, memorize it, and spit it out in the exam. I kid you not - memorization is the key factor here. The student learns very little in terms of application. More on that in my next section.
Because the concept of regurgitation is supreme, students have little time for social activities or skills. Unlike other education systems, where extra-curricular activities are encouraged if not mandatory, the Indian education system believes in all work and no play. I have kept in touch with several of my friends in India, and none of them have the time to play a little basketball, listen to a little music, or watch a little TV. They're all busy swotting for their Board Exams. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, but this system will really take the spark out of any student. By the time they reach university, they are tired and worn out.
The Indian education system seems to believe that students are machines and that their noses need to be kept to the grindstone. Unfortunately, in the process, the student breaks down.
The Ugly
I'm going to be completely honest with you here. No pretenses from me.
The biggest disadvantages students have in an Indian education system is that they're so cut off from the rest of the world. Having studied in 3 different systems, I can tell you that the Indian system is the most different, and the most frowned upon. The concept of all work, no play is ridiculous in other countries. I'm not saying that India should immediately emulate America, but what I am saying is that too much of a bad thing is...bad. Very bad.
I have observed that students who come straight from India and join schools abroad have a very tough time. Yes, they may have a slight curriculum advantage, but everything else is pitted against them. Education systems in other countries are based on the concept of application. You learn the CONCEPT, then apply it to a variety of situations, as opposed to the Indian system, where you learn the concept, and then spit it out on paper, and have no idea how to apply it.
This is why Indian students suffer abroad. Combine a lack of knowledge on how to apply concepts to situations with a lack of extracurricular activities, and you have a very uncomfortable social situation. Employers worldwide look for not just education, but also community involvement, extracurricular involvement, voluntary service, and so on. All these are not encouraged and therefore are sadly missing from the Indian education system.
Advice
If you are an Indian student and want to go abroad:
Be careful. Do your research and read about the education systems abroad. It's not all about competition and being the first here - here, it's about application. You'll also need to learn the little ins and outs of the education system abroad, and start developing some hobbies or taking up some sports so that you have some extracurricular activities to do. Just take it easy for a while when you get there - the leap is a big one, and you don't want to mess up.
If you are an overseas student and want to study in India:
Be prepared for the worst. I'm not saying that all of the negative factors I have mentioned above will come true, but most of them will. You will find that creativity and imagination are of no use here - it doesn't matter how well you word your essay or how pretty your poster looks - all that matters is whether or not you can give the answer that your teacher would expect you to give. It's a lot of hard work, and a drastic, drastic change. You will be behind other students in India simply because of the curriculum differences, and you'll have to work overtime to remove that discrepancy. Eventually the wrinkles will smooth out, and you'll fit right in, but it's a lot of work.
I hope my review helps out some of you NRIs or to-be NRIs. An education is something that there can be no pretenses about, and I just wanted you to hear the cold, hard truth, from someone who's been there, done that.
