Policy makers to blame for poor Educational standards: Dr. JP

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said today that although parents spend a disproportionate share of their income on their wards’ education and the children have the urge to learn, educational standards continue to be poor. It is because incompetent or ignorant politicians and officials do not pay attention to maintaining and promoting standards.

Inaugurating ‘Apna Study’, a Wall Journal launched by Pravalika Technical Solutions, at the party headquarters here, Dr. JP pointed out that although hundreds of regular degree and professional colleges had mushroomed all over and the Government spent more and more money year after, the standards continued to be abysmal. “Students who graduate from colleges are not equipped with skills either to sustain themselves in life or serve society in some capacity or the other.” The Government regarded privatization and corporatization as the panacea for the ills in the education sector.

Thanks to Union Ministers for Education like Mr. Murli Manohar Joshi and Mr. Arjun Singh, India had lost a precious decade in improving educational standards. In contrast, in the last one decade the Chinese Government started 1500 new universities and launched a drive to catch up with advanced nations in educational standards. While Harvard University introduced electives 130 years ago enabling students to choose courses depending on their aptitude, we follow the age-old system which does not provide for a choice.

Dr. JP said that unlike in the past technology has democratized opportunities for education. A student living in a remote corner of India today can access MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) lessons in engineering and other sciences.

According to Mr. P. Mallikarjun and Mr. R. Praveen of Pravalika Technical Solutions, the wall journal is launched to bridge the chasm between students’ aspirations and the opportunities open to them. The fortnightly journal, to be distributed free of cost in colleges and schools, will carry information pertaining to grant of scholarships, competitive examinations and educational news and events.

Mr. Dasari Ratnam, State Yuva Satta President, presided.