Lot of views keep appearing about the irrelevance and lack of skill based approach in the present day education system that fails to teach the youngsters even simple techniques and activities to face the day to day problems anyone can face.

The examples of the heavy load of mathematics especially and more specifically on trigonometry and calculus which absolutely have no application in the life of many. True. Our education system always looks from the bookish knowledge point of view. Why mathematics? Even some of the science subjects are also of no use to many. Thousands have been employed and being recruited by the IT companies and any faculty of engineering are selected to become software engineers! Do these highly paid successful software engineers use calculus, trigonometry or chemical or physics equations? No way.

Subjects like Logics, Economics, Language, History and Geography are never touched by the ‘bright’ students since they can never be of any use. But actually these subjects carry many direct use in the life of most; especially language.

A student whom I met of US origin said he is studying music, economics and chemistry. He is a regular mridangam player in Chennai music festivals. But can you imagine a combination of subjects like that here a student can opt for?

First of all, are we looking into the native intelligence and skill or capacity of our children before they take a course? The education system in India is driven by the money they can earn by going for a particular job. Analytical skills, lateral thinking and common sense are given a go by in our education system and most of the time the children are forced to mug up the lessons and reproducing them on the paper for marks.

If a boy is good in painting or drawing the parents normally become worried because it may not get him a well paying job. This attitude has now trickled down even to the lower strata of the society who make a living only by skilled labor. A gardener’s, plumber’s, carpenter’s, hairdresser’s or electrician’s son or daughter will not be allowed to follow the father’s profession unless they secure very poor marks in their education; because the job does not have dignity. One of my colleagues from the USA said that in her university the professor who is an expert mathematician has a son who is just a carpenter who earns a comfortable living. Another colleague of mine who has migrated to US said that her son is a part time hair dresser and earns for his education in computer graphics and her daughter is inclined to study meteorology!

Such things are possible only in the developed countries may be our intellectuals’ argument. However, till we realize and act, our children have to study all unwanted differentiation, integration, not applicable useless theories and formulae involving sin θ cos θ, tan θ in the name of learning!

It is hightime that the educationalists go for a critical analysis and review of our education system.