Need of the Hour: Career Guidance & Career Planning in India

Indian Education has many issues to deal with. Since the year 1835 the British started tinkering with the India’s traditional education system of ‘Guru shyshya’ which was value based and focussed on outcome and application of learning.

The new age education came into being with schools and colleges being set up across India.

In 1948 when the Radhakrishnan Commission was set up with an intention of designing a new National University Education Policy of free India, the commission stressed on the outcome of education into social, economic and cultural goals of the nation.

Dr S Radhakrishnan in his words said:

“The most important and urgent reform needed in education is to transform it, to endeavor to relate it to the life, needs and aspirations of the people and thereby make it the powerful instrument of social, economic and cultural transformation necessary for the realization of the national goals. For this purpose, education should be developed so as to increase productivity, achieve social and national integration, accelerate the process of modernization and cultivate social, moral and spiritual values.” ⁵

Since 1956 Commissions and committees were set up to deal with non-implementation of earlier recommendations and identifying gaps in the Education system.

On the ground, apart from introducing little new regulatory compliance there were no major changes that could be effected towards building outcome of education to the social, economic and cultural goals of the country.

In reality the focus of higher education always has been away from the outcome and application to just input based education. Outcome here means the education resulting in either economic growth or increased capability of the learner.

Unfortunately today education has minimal relevance to occupation, passion, interest of the individual learner. The age old beliefs have created havoc in making a choice of education. The aspirational needs, abilities and interest of the individual have been ignored. This has led to non-compatibility, career failures, drop outs and unemployables.

Today the youth do not value higher education. They acquire degrees with no connection to their occupations they would like to pursue. This is visible with higher un-employability and unemployment in the country. Hence, the gross enrolment ratios and dropout rates are far from desired.

The government is doing all it can to improve access of education. It’s a known fact that 73% of the population lives in rural India, however 90% of the educational institutes are in urban India ⁶. I believe that it’s a superficial measure of increasing enrolments.

 

Towards Valuing Higher Education

The youth of India will value education only when they see benefits that result in their social, economic and personal growth. There needs to be sustained effort on helping the youth realize their potential and guide them into the right education which will lead them into a career that satisfying yet economically fulfilling.

Today 98% of young boys and 96% of young girls are confused while making a career decision⁷. The confusion is due to the lack of information and skill for making career decisions. This confusion drives them into making unfocussed investments of time, effort and money into education that may or may not deliver returns.

A scientific career guidance process with a reliable information base on education and career would transform the current scenario.

Guiding the student into taking up education that would lead to a career that’s compatible to his or her personal abilities, passion, interests, values and personality, would never let the interest levels in education diminish. Moreover, research tells us that students who are able to understand and internalize the connections between school and work will be more actively engaged in their academic tasks and will be more likely to succeed in high school ⁸

 

^{Excerpts from the paper ‘Relooking at the Indian Education System” Published by Anand Desai, Founder Dheya (www.dheya.com ), A complete Career Guidance and Planning Company.}

Technorati Tags: Career Guidance,Career Development,Career Planning. Indian Education System.

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GOOD INTENT , ZERO PASSION , DOUBTFUL EXECUTION … The Right of EDUCATION ACT

Technorati Tags: Passion,Education,Law,Government of India,Education Ministry,Access

Right of education is just about giving access to schools. Its important to build education around economic and social goals of the future. Heart of education is in its outcome into economic &cultural growth, access doesn't matter.When people see value in education enrolment will improve.


One April 1st 2010 the historic right to education bill 2009 came into being. The bill will supposedly ensure each and every child from the age of 6 to 14 get primary /elementary compulsory education.. I must admit, there are great intentions behind the bill. I also would like to admit that its a “GOOD Intent, zero passion & doubtful execution

program.

I have been studying this bill since it was tabled in the parliament till it finally got a nod last August 2009. Its a big challenge to the government to actually implement this bill. It may take several years to actually see results from this bill or it could be just another scheme like the NREGA or the mid day meal with either minimal or no social impact.

This bill would ensure accessibility, for sure, but doesn't answer what quality, and what content or the outcome of education. Here when i read the goals of this act i really doubt if it could achieve any level of impact on the learner. I still believe that its more important to analyse the content in this bill. There seems to be no mention of how academics and academicians will actually let these people learn the basics.

In my visits to villages and remote places I found that the teachers are nothing but a figure who represents the schools. With no passion for education he is more interested in signing the muster and earning the wage. I wonder how do we actually train these teachers to enhance quality. What about passion for education??? I am not sure if passion can be built or enhanced, it should come from within.

About the 25% reservation in private schools, I believe its another way of a quota or a rout to get some class of people admitted in the school. May be it would work or it would be a back end entry fro few.

One point i must appreciate and firmly believe is about not  FAILING students. I hope this gets implemented across widely and firmly.

Whatever it is its a good beginning. The country knows that something is better that nothing at all. The only problem is execution. If a clean and swift execution could be managed, this act could do wonders for the future apart from enhancing the quality of education.

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Passion makes all the difference

Today, in Banaras, after a wonderful meeting at BHU, happened to be at AUM cafe, near Aassi ghat, in the mid's of cow dung laden gallis, a unhygienic surrounding, saw AUM cafe, a place recommended by a friend of mine, Dr. Umesh Singh.

As we entered saw few foreign tourists sitting there. absolutely clean, neatly kept and absolutely positive environment. Everything there gave a positive vibe. Everything in AUM cafe, was made with lots of care and passion. The smallest of the things like the frame of the mirror were decorated with coloured stones. the wired that hung the lamps had been covered with coloured beads. Just to look good! Each and everything was made with great thought.

the food, awesome !!, every recipe well thought and made. And on top , a wireless internet.... just a great experience. Ram wo was serving us was just excellent. All smiles..

While we were leaving there came a lady, a foreign national, settled in Banaras, Shivani, greeted us with "Aum namah shivaya" and asked us how was the experience... it was just wornderful.. found that she has a lot of passion, positive energy and a purpose... have decided to visit the cafe tomorrow morning for breakfast...

Thanks Shivani..for a wonderful experience...

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