The Hindu : Karnataka / Hassan News : 'Present education curbs creativity in children'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Hassan

'Present education curbs creativity in children'

Staff Correspondent

Govt. criticised for favouring private institutions `It is the Govt.'s responsibility to give priority to education, as religious and caste-based organisations and politicians have been controlling the sector in recent years'

HASSAN: Criticising the crass commercialisation of education, noted thinker, K. Ramadas, underlined the importance of imparting education to make children self-reliant and help them understand the problems of the country.

The introduction of English from first standard will increase commercialisation and affect creativity in children, he said here on Sunday.

Inaugurating a state-level seminar on commercialisation of education organised by the Students Federation of India (SFI), he said that the present education system will not help develop the country, as it is aimed at making money.

"In a way, modernity has defeated the very purpose of education and succeeded in manufacturing educated labourers," he said.

Differences in opinion

He said that the introduction of English as a medium of education from first standard will affect the poorer classes. Intellectuals and writers are divided over the issue. However, it is a conspiracy of a few to destroy the diverse culture of the country by imposing uniform education, he charged.

He also accused the Government of "facilitating the imperialistic multi-national companies gain ground in the country through English education." While the education system is pro-rich, the middle class has sold itself to imperialistic forces.

The poor and the Dalits have also succumbed to the pressures of English education and have lost their strength to fight, he regretted.

He said that it is the responsibility of the Government to form policies to guard the interest of all sections of society. However, it is yielding to pressure from the managements of private educational institutions and passing policies dictated by the latter.

Initiate action

The Government should initiate strict action against private managements that refuses to comply with its directions. Nationalisation of education is the only solution to the problem of commercialisation, he said.

He said that it is the responsibility of the Government to accord priority to education, as religious institutions, caste-based organisations, and politicians have started controlling the education sector in recent years.

The MLA G.V. Srirama Reddy alleged that vested interests have established control over the education system and privatisation has affected the sector due to the apathy of successive Governments.

Releasing a booklet on education on the occasion, he said that the present education system is creating unemployment.

Posts vacant

While 15,000 posts of high school teachers are vacant, the number of unemployed B.Ed. graduates in the State is more than 50,000. Under these circumstances it is regrettable that the Government has given permission to start 300 new B.Ed. colleges. He blamed the Government for not providing the required infrastructure in public sector schools.

Noted physicist, Sabyasachi Chattarjee; the National vice-president of the federation, Arun Kumar; and journalist R.P. Venkatesha Murthy, spoke on the occasion.

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