FINE-TUNING EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

I have always held the activity of "education" close to my heart. In the modern world education is the panacea for all problems that social settings of the world face. Yet there is education and there is mal-education and it is probably difficult to differentiate between them. However education of some kind benefits society both at a personal level and at a collective level.

The problem of education and its limitations commence from the heterogeneity of the human input and its vagaries. Had human populace been identical in intellectual and moral configuration it would have been much easier to configure education for the collective; but this is not the case. The forces of education coerce people to conform into some pattern to the permanent exclusion of many other possibilities which is a negative aspect of education of modern times. Well; can we tide over such a malady- we should is the answer . But how? The focus must be invariably in the proper administration of education drawn from a wider perspective than just from some immediate objectives as seen by many. These problems are rampant around the world from the best B Schools around the world to the government primary school functioning from under a tree. This lack of synchronization is a perennial and persistent issue and would be of concern across centuries ahead.

To me Bill Gates is a classic case study of the ills and blessings of modern day education. It is very easy to say in the passing that he dropped out of Harvard. This indeed must have been a painful experience for him as well as his family. Harvard had to concede and call him back to confer a degree on him years after he became a distinguished person in his own right. What Harvard did with him whilst he was a student is un-clear but there is something amiss somewhere when a person of his intellectual caliber has to drop out of the system mid-way . May be more than a personal decision circumstances forced Bill out of the education system - it appears. Is our system of education around the world largely cut for the dullard and has it got no avenues for the intelligent. Has it no scope to accommodate stalwarts and possible pioneers? There must be many such people trapped in our education systems around the world with no help or succor forthcoming and the least no one understanding their predicament.

What are the ultimate aims of education? We better address this issue and question to some level of profundity. When the aims of education are singular—there arises the problem and the demands of conformance on the recipient as against many other possible factors that should run alongside and must be seen distinctly but are simply not. Let us try to crystallize some possible aims of education no matter what the level, must be adhered to and seen in the course of educational transactions;

• The main motto of education must be development of the individual

• Education must lead to psychological transformation

• ‘Education must help people to build a long term vision

• Education must build faith

• Educational procedures are a means to an end and not an end in itself

• Good teaching is the most important ingredient of education

• All education must have more than one purpose

• Education must instill a culture of collective work

• Education must lead to collective and self actualization

• No one must feel stifled or marginalized by any process of education

• Examinations are important but should not be the only decisive factor

• Character of a student is more important than any other parameter and must form part of evaluation procedures.

I have seen vision and mission statements developed and instilled by industrial organizations around the world – and very significantly so a post 20th century phenomenon. They are supposed to guide organizations and be the watch word that guides actions. Though they may not be followed but the very fact that they exist suffices in itself to provide some long term direction for organizations. All educational institutions must primarily develop lofty aims for

itself and display them conspicuously other wise all educational activities of that system are merely farcical and do not serve the purposes they simply are meant to both in the sort and long terms. I had visited SMU Singapore Management University some time back and was impressed by one of the statements displayed at the outset. It said “Education Re-defines Destiny”. Definitely something purposeful must be happening at this place.

I have always disliked the modern way of teaching which involves the use of lap-tops and presentations. Though it serves some purpose and aids the teaching process it inhibits right teaching and education. The fundamentals of education simply do not rest on such practices. The fundamentals of education are always fundamental and the fundamentals of the fundamentals of education are eternal and would not change for centuries and when educational systems constantly veer from these fundamentals educational systems have to be reviewed , examined and corrected. I feel that the greatest malady of education as it stands today is its focus on what a person cant do as against the focus on what a person can do. What a tragedy ? In spite of the best intentions the matter trickles down to such a situation; this is fundamentally that so many people who are self-educated do better sometimes in life than the university educated primarily because self education does not create such binds but self education has its larger limitations and ramifications. When I was studying law at NLSIU I used to like the traditional chalk and talk approach to teaching adopted by Mr. M P P Pillai who used to teach “Company Law”.

Educational systems must take a broader view of the individual and must not be a policing act. At various levels of education the apt approach must be undertaken. I am largely overwhelmed by the increasing and ever increasing costs of education ; There might be economic reasons for being so but there must be some ceiling and limiting factors so that such situations around the world do not go aghast; and some kind of an alternative educational options created that may not be over-bearing on the student.

Eeducational institutions worldwide have one balancing act to do - namely balance the requirements of education and the institution. If this focus for any reasons is lop sided or incorrectly drawn it results in mal-education the side-effects of which will be for-bearing on the individual at some future point of time. Educational systems must be an elastic system that can wax and wane within reasonable limits according to individual and collective demands and must not be a rigid plastic container where few force-fit themsekves into some kind of comfort and others feel stifled, miffed and resigned. It must have the composite ability to accomodate pretty well a wide set and spectrum of individual talent and psycologies.

In the ultimate analysis education revolves around three T's namely Transmission; Transaction and Transformation in that order and the most important end-result of education is "Transformation". Transformation can be for the good or for the worse and let the process of education around the world take a turn towards good for the good of education; the receipent the system and the institutions that are constantly involved in the educational process