Solving Functional Illiteracy in India
14 January 2013 06:09 am, MJ Xavier
UNESCO Director recently commented, "India's education system is poor in quality and produce "'functional illiterates'". The term 'functional illiteracy' refers to inadequate reading and writing skills that leave a person unable to effectively manage any employment task. This comment comes at a time when the enrolment in elementary schools is nearly 100 per cent, thanks to the Right to Education Bill enacted in 2009, mandating free and compulsory education for all children aged six to 14. Also, the fund allocation to primary education has doubled in the last two years.
Why then is the Indian education system producing functional illiterates? About 200 million people in India go hungry every day, constituting 25 per cent of the global poor who survive without food daily. While rich are becoming richer, the poor are becoming poorer. While GDP grew on an average 8 per cent, poverty alleviation took place at a miniscule 0.8 per cent. An estimated 40 per cent of the world's severely malnourished children under five live in India. When the stomach is empty, how can one expect young minds to concentrate on studies? In my view, the National Food Security Bill should have preceded the Right to Education Bill.
Naturally, the dropout rates in schools is very high in India. Nearly 25 per cent of those enrolled in primary level dropout of school and 50 per cent of those in the middle level dropout of schools and 60 per cent of those who move beyond middle school dropout at the high school and higher secondary levels. While food and health are essential for better absorption of the subjects taught in schools, there appears to be some problem with the subjects taught in schools itself. As the employment opportunities are limited after high school education, most of the people go for higher studies. In India, the number of people going for formal degree courses in engineering, arts and science far outnumber those going for vocational courses. Unfortunately, even after graduation, more than 40 per cent of engineering graduates and 20 per cent of MBA graduates lack the requisite skills to find employment. Once again higher education in the country seems to suffer from fundamental structural issues.
"Education does not consist of passing examinations or knowing English or mathematics. It is a mental state," said Jawaharlal Nehru. Late Prof NS Ramaswamy, founder director of IIM Bangalore once said, "Education in India today is more of training for equipping students for jobs. As per the Indian Gurukul concept, education should be comprehensive and holistic in order to make them competent for management of entire life, consisting of business or profession, transactions, relationships, family and retired life. Education is really character building, consisting of ethics, morals, values, culture, humanism and also the ability for business or profession. While it is not possible to replicate the Gurukul system now wherein students stay with the Gurus, we can certainly introduce many elements of that system by giving emphasis to truthfulness, honesty, positive attitude, courtesy, helpfulness, selflessness, love for animals, respect for nature, patriotism to the country and contribution to the well-being of society."
Unfortunately, education today is neither preparing students for jobs nor does it prepare them to face life. Even those who manage to get a job struggle to retain the same as their EQ levels are pretty low. They also do not know how to handle a crisis be it in the job or in their personal lives.
When I went to school, we had subjects like drawing, crafts and religion as compulsory courses. The joy of making a piece of cloth in the craft class is still fresh in my memory. I could vividly recollect the flowers and the birds I drew in the drawing classes. Religious studies broadened my world to include morals, ethics and life beyond this world. Over a period of time, we have made education so mechanistic that it has taken out the joy of learning.
Though abject poverty can be attributed as the main cause, the curriculum can be the second important culprit. Why should a boy or a girl living in a rural area learn algebra or for that matter some abstract science. Can we not give them context and culture specific education? Consider a child of a fisherman. Why can't the education be made relevant to fishing and through the fishing context can't we teach science, maths and commerce to them? Education should not take the children away from the rural setting in which they are born and brought up. A farmer's children can be taught subjects related to agriculture, a fisherman's children may be taught fishing and so on.
Considering the fact that India has more children who drop out of schools before they reach 8th standard than those who cross over to higher secondary and college levels, we need to devise new methods of education that can cater to the school dropouts.
Skill building and livelihood training should help the illiterates and school dropouts make a living by creating opportunities for themselves and others in their own rural settings. This kind of education does not take the talented children away from their roots. The culture and tradition gets preserved. Skills needed to improve the rural areas are imparted through this method.
In the current system of education, only those who cross 8th standard become eligible for further studies through the formal education. This is where NSDC envisages imparting of skills to school dropouts and the certificates obtained through such programmes should help them catch up on the missed opportunities by getting back to formal education through community colleges.
In any case 60 per cent of people in India can find opportunities in core sectors like agriculture, construction, hospitality and healthcare. Skill building and vocational training in these areas will go a long way in improving productivity in India and thereby enhancing the living standards of people. This cannot be completely left to the government. Corporates, NGOs, and educational institutions should join hands with the government to impart context and culture specific education that builds skills and enhances livelihood opportunities of the masses.
Unfortunately, we spend disproportionately large amount of money on formal education which badly needs structural reforms. We need to revise the curriculum to ensure holistic development of individuals. This has to start with the curriculum change at the school level. According to NS Ramaswamy, "The present emphasis in mere training should be replaced by multidimensional inputs."
The focus of education should shift away from passing exams to building skills, knowledge and right values and attitudes.
MTC GLOBAL- Educate, Empower, Elevate
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