The Origin of Indian Education System
Our education system is based on British Education policies that they lay down during their rule over India. We still follow the same structure; it is another matter that it is not even followed in Britain also.
After Independence, Pt. Nehru, who was influenced by western education implemented the western education in place of Indian Education. And the result is that Indians like me are unable to write in Hindi but good in our colonial ruler's language English. Our condition is really bad. Indians could not speak well their mother tongue but are good in English. Well this is just my personal view not the official past of education system.
The foundation of India's present education system of higher education was laid by the British Colonial regime in the mid-19th century. It was William Bentinck's mind behind the introduction of higher education in India. The British education implants in India were designed to serve the economic, political and administrative interests of the British and in particular to consolidate and maintain their dominance in the country.
In 1948-1949, the government of India created the University Education Commission (Chairman Dr. S. Radha Krishnan) to study the development of higher education and make proposals for its future expansion and improvement. Some of its recommendations are still pending or you can say Government disapproves most of the suggestions of Radhakrishnan Commission.
In 1964, government setup a Education Commission named as Kothari Commission under the name of its chairman P.S. Kothari. It was first attempt in India's education History to look comprehensively of education and to develop a blueprint for a 'national System of Education'. CBSE is the main output of this commission.
Many other commissions are setup from time to time but hardly few suggestions are implemented. Even the suggestions of Prof. Yashpal Committee on Education which submitted its report a year back are not implemented.
The vital question arises here that when government does not want to reform the education system, why they setup such commissions, committees and waste he money of public? If government is not agreeing with the suggestions, then why not such experts and experienced people are hired to advise the government for necessary reforms or new schemes? There is lack of political will in our country for any type of education reform?
Here is some data and just think what is the condition of education in our country.
- About 200 million students enroll for primary education and only 20 million are able to finish class 12th.
- Nearly 1/5th of the primary schools are single teacher schools.
- About 2.2 million new teachers are required in next 3 years.
- The gross enrollment ratio at the secondary level in India is 52% which is far lower than the countries like Vietnam (72%), Sri Lanka (83%), and China (91%)
Now it's a high time for the Government to eradicate the Bureaucracy and take rapid actions otherwise the situation is going to be out of control.
