Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Science education

This refers to the editorial “Science education for tomorrow” (Jan. 7). Although the Centre’s effort to create a new set of institutions to boost R&D is a positive step, the creation of infrastructure consisting of brick and mortar alone is not enough for growth. There needs to be a change in mindset. The next phase of Science & Technology should be mission-linked. India cannot afford to remain a manufacturing hub. It should plan to become an innovation hub. Let us take China as a model. Problem-solving and technology transfer research will create interest among different sectors to support research, which will lead to positive economic ripple effects. Pertinent Private-Public Partnership is a must for S&T infrastructure in India.

Seshadri S. Ramkumar,

Lubbock, Texas

It is time to make science education at higher levels more attractive, professional, and innovative in the interest of development. University-level science education has been neglected due to many reasons, including the offer of huge pay packages to students of science in the IT and management sectors. This has affected research-related activities and teaching. We should evolve an all-round culture of cooperation among the national laboratories, industry and universities to make science education more attractive.

T.D.R. Nair,

Kozhikode

A country’s growth in any sphere is dependent on the development of scientific research. Although we have the potential, successive governments have not evolved effective policies to tap it. We spend less than 1 per cent of the GDP on research and development. We already have many medical and engineering colleges. But we want to start more of them, instead of improving the existing ones.

Rajeev Hanumanthu,

Hyderabad

For science education — and education in general — to improve, it is necessary to highlight the importance of the quality of the faculty. Only a minuscule percentage of those who have a passion for teaching opt for the profession. The rest are those who are unable to find jobs in other lucrative fields. The situation has to be reversed, because teachers lay the foundation for the future. Conditions need to be created to attract the best and the brightest to the teaching profession. Only a dedicated faculty can nurture knowledge-seeking tendencies, which will pave the way for the creation of a large and strong pool of scientists and research scholars.

Kasim Sait,

Chennai

As rightly pointed out, the Centre should invest more in upgrading the existing institutions rather than opening more institutes. Enhancing the quality of human resource in the teaching field with attractive pay packages is the primary need of the hour. Political compulsions should not dictate education policies. Almost all our existing premier institutions can accommodate more students.

Nirmala Narayanan,

Bangalore

That India has produced a considerable pool of scientific talent in diverse fields is a matter of pride. But today, we have fewer students pursuing a course in basic science. Nor is the calibre of students pursuing it exemplary. This is because of the failure of our policy in general, and the parent and teacher community in particular. Parents want their children to earn more money after pursuing a professional course. Schools are interested only in making students score high marks. We have failed to produce intellectual curiosity among students.

The challenge before the nation is to make science education more interesting by spending more money on infrastructure in the existing schools and colleges, not on universities.

Abdul Muqhtadir,

Manvi

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