Education Hans

Work to fix Education

Taking up a job while studying in school or college is helpful to better understand the theoretical knowledge, but academic syllabus is too rigorous to leave any room for such jobs, say parents and educationalists.

Last week, the US saw formulation of an unusual programme, Enstittue, founded with the ideology of promoting ‘skip studies to work’. A two-year programme, it invited applications from students with minimum qualification of a high school degree to work under entrepreneurs and get hands-on experience of a

work and get prepared for real jobs after graduation. Should Indian students also follow the idea, considering the infrastructure in Indian colleges do not at all times meet the requirements for practical knowledge? In the latest report by Programme for International Student Assesment (PISA), a worldwide evaluation programme which tests the knowledge of 15-year old students of nearly 74 countries, Indian students stood second from the last. This result clearly indicates Indian students are lagging behind. Can handson experience while studying be a method to better explain the student the theoretical lessons taught in the classrooms?.

Working during school/college is a foreign concept and will take at least half-a-decade to be accepted and implemented in our country. The idea will work if it is included in the academic syllabus of schools and  colleges

-Surabhi,

Educationalist

“My first job was in class XII, during a month’s vacation. Opting for a professional job brought in me a sense of discipline, which later helped me study better during my graduation. I behaved more responsible and subjects related to management were easy to understand as I had been part of a strict management system in the job,” says Ravalika Naidu, IT employee. “Yes, the idea of being part of workforce during junior college is good. However, in India parents do not encourage such activities as they fear that children may turn out to be rebellious once they start earning some money,” says Surabhi of Catalog Educational Services. “In India, working anytime before a student completes his/her studies is seen in bad light. It’s a foreign concept and will take at least half-adecade to be accepted and implemented in our country. The idea will work if it is included in the academic syllabus of schools and colleges. While we do have internships as a gateway to allow the student to understand the nuances of the professional work, it is seen only in top institutes of the country.

And these internships are conducted only towards the time when the student is graduating from college. If ‘take up a job’ idea is implemented early, say, during junior college or high school time, it will help student to become a global leader,” she adds. 

“As a parent of a 13-year old, I am not against the idea of my child taking up a job of a few hours during the weekend. However, the rigorous course syllabus doesn’t allow this. 

After spending weekdays away from home from 8 am to 5:30 pm and half-a-day on Saturdays, there is very little else that he can do. And Sundays are spent writing homeworks,” complains Seema Kedia who refuses to divulge the name of the school.