The solution we all offer whenever confronted with any or many of the problems that our country faces, the answer to which all questions of economy and society boil down to is the ever significant- education. 
Somehow, the magic wand of education is supposed to put an end to all our miseries and is assumed to be the harbinger of bliss and prosperity. The amount of faith and hope of a better tomorrow that is aroused by it brings about a whole new kind of responsibility on the various educational institutions. I am at no point denying the immense importance that education holds in our lives, but I am simply trying to contextualize my point about the education system in India.
We all talk about Right to Education and how access to education can and will change the course of one’s life. Of course it can. But what kind of an education system do we have in place in our country? One that simply focuses on rote memory and emphasizes on mugging up unnecessary random data that you will never fall back on in your entire life? Is that what we are looking for? Is that what we want our kids to rely on for their future?
After all, what are CBSE board exams all about? They test you on your ability to memorize as much as you can and reproduce it with maximum accuracy onto a sheet of paper. With the introduction of the CCE grading system, a way to lessen the burden on students appearing for their 10th boards was given way to. With a conviction to break down the current education system and systematically divide in such a way that internal assessment, projects, assignments, homework and class work gain greater importance in a student’s life, CCE was implemented. Has it had the desired effect? Has it in any way revolutionized the Indian education system? The unfortunate answer is no.
“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school” is what Albert Einstein said. True education is one that helps you deal with the obstacles and adverse situation that may arise in your life. Education’s sole purpose should be to prepare you for the worst in life. But reducing it to mere scientific facts, mathematical formulae, and arbitrary information defeats the very purpose of education. After all, when stuck in 
a difficult phase in one’s life, one cannot turn to maths to solve one’s problem! It unknowing creates humans whose mental faculty is a mere storehouse of random information and amusingly most of it is of no use to him in the practical world.
Our system is one that very conveniently asks children to shove their personal interests aside and sacrifice their choice to opt for courses of science since that will guarantee positive results. Instead of actually offering the child the discipline that s/he wishes to pursue, s/he is asked to think practically (which is ironic since the system does not seem to support or encourage practicality) and choose the most desirable set of subjects. Whether they meet the preference and requirement of the particular child assumes simply no significance whatsoever. It quite ridiculous to contemplate what the Indian education system stands for
Coming back to the kind of education that is parted to children brings into focus the condition of government schools. A majority of these schools lack basic infrastructure and furniture such as desks, chairs and blackboards. Most do not even have a playing field. Others do not have the facilities for sanitation, drinking water and electricity. Most strikingly, there is a severe shortage of teachers and those who are employed fail to meet the eligibility criteria. Hence, the circumstances under which these kids are expected to 
study and actually gain something from it is unthinkable!
How can one vest the responsibility of the growth and progress of this nation in education when the system functions with innumerable faults, cracks and fissures? Firstly, the very curriculum is faulty in nature since its focus loses touch with reality. Secondly, the institutions imparting knowledge operate in pathetic conditions (government schools). Thirdly, the need to alter and modify the system is yet to be recognized. Under these circumstances it becomes difficult for education to carry the onus of uplifting the masses from the clutches of poverty and laying before them vistas of opportunities.
Tags: Education system in India Schools in India
