School Chalein Hum...

I don't know if it was coincidence but in the past few days I've heard and overheard a lot of people discussing about the state of schools and the quality of teaching today. Schools, which previously only meant means of attaining education has ceased to be so. Now... its that and much more...

The trend is to get your kid into one of the top schools, even better if its an International school. Better the school, higher the amount they charge in the name of donation and fees. I didn't study in one of the top schools. Me and my sis were admitted to our school coz it was reasonably good and one of the closest to my house. That was all the criteria that was required to select a school then. Now it is the name (read as brand) of the school and how many rank holders in the previous year which matter more. :(

I used to love my school as a kid and many years after I left it. I loved it because of the teachers who taught us, the friends I had, the fun we had. The teachers put in lot of efforts to teach us. They knew what they were teaching.. They were friendly and caring. They remember us when we meet them even now. :) This was the picture of my school that I had in my mind for long. But off-late all that I've heard is that a lot of the teachers who taught us left. :( There is lot of politics going on in the management. The new teachers are not good enough. Most importantly.. the fees has shot up unbelieveably. The year I left school we were paying Rs.450, which was a lot according to us. That was in my tenth. Now they charge Rs. 1500 to 2000 for the kindergarten students... :O This is just the monthly fee.. Imagine the donation, the amount spent on books and stationery, uniforms etc etc..

This not just the state of my school but many more such schools, which was then affordable to the average middle-class man and is probably not affordable now. Let us consider that people wouldn't mind paying more if the quality of education is good.. But then why are the number of students attending private tutions increasing? I have seen 3rd and 4th standard students attending extra classes. This is, when the parents are interviewed in many schools before admitting the students. When the schools have such pre-requisites shouldn't they atleast promise good teaching? If they promise that, the child will be spared from the extra classes, extra homework and extra tests..

With the cut-offs being high and the teaching being average the kids are overburdened under the name of competition. On the other hand parents slog in order to be able to afford the costs. All this when we aim to have no illiterates and eliminate unemployment from our country. :( Is this the scenario everywhere? Or is there some hope?