Being an education activist, I have witnessed the plight of village-based children who enter school for the first time at the age of six (Editorial – “Bridging the learning deficit”, Dec.19). The root of all troubles for the rot in school education is that there is no focus on the grass-root level of education. In the pyramid now importance is given to the Education Minister, the Secretary and directors at the various headquarters. It needs to be inverted where the teacher and student are prime.
N. Subramanian,
Chennai
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An age-old curriculum, the absence of testing of applied knowledge, rote learning, a failure to implement a common code of syllabus across the country, multiple systems of curricula/syllabi, a teacher-cum-mark centric syllabus, thoughtless directives to ensure an all-pass system till standard VIII, a marked absence of qualified teachers, a failure to maintain the student-teacher ratio at 40:1, poor infrastructural facilities in State government schools, the lack of washrooms for children and staff, and the mushroom-like growth of private schools are some of the ailments that need to be looked into.
E.S. Chandrasekaran,
Chennai
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Most of India still resides in the villages. Therefore, there needs to be a push for having better facilities in government schools. There is abundant talent waiting to be tapped.
Sahil Bhatia,
Jaipur
The new generation should take on the responsibility to ensure that those who are toddlers now are able to shine in future. A few policies here and there will not suffice. Identifying skills and talent should be foremost. Teachers are not just the builders of one generation; they build generations. The foremost question should be: why are there few takers for this profession?
Balasubramaniam Pavani,
Secunderabad
I hail from a rural background and have seen that most teachers in rural India have several deficiencies. Most are not dedicated, lack confidence and are not familiar with their subjects. In my town in Rajasthan, there are numerous instances of teachers coming to school inebriated. Students make fun of them. There have been cases where teachers have misbehaved with students. Parents eventually stop sending their children to school.
R.N. Meena,
Ahmedabad