 THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF RESPONSES

Assessment, Goals and Objectives of Education

The very basis of the communications, even when they relate to specific aspect or area of the education system, is the correspondents' desire for a better education system than now exists. It is inevitable, therefore, that each communication has a strong element of goals and objectives. Hence, whether a particular communication deals explicitly about assessment, goals and objectives or not, it would still be necessary to go by the rationale of -the correspondents. Viewed in this light, it is seen that the concern for goals and objectives of education is universal to every single communication. Thus, the prominence of the theme, assessment, goals and objectives of education should not be Judged only on the basis of frequency of reference, but also on the basis of the intensity of conviction and breadth of vision and perception of a correspondent.

However, even if the communications are to be judged by the frequency of explicit reference to assessment, goals and objectives of education, the number relating to these aspects come only second in the whole correspondence. But, the diversity of opinions and suggestions, regarding goals and objectives, surpasses the range of views expressed in respect of any other theme.

Going by the overall trend, if diversity could be said to be the hall mark of the opinions in respect of goals and objectives of education, unanimity may be said to be the characteristic of the opinions regarding the failure of our educational system. In this section, an attempt is made to examine the communications to find out people's impressions about the performance of our educational

system as well as their suggestions on goals and objectives reorganisation. In the first instance, a portrayal of the people's assessment of the education system, as one could discern from the letters be attempted. Secondly, an attempt would be made to survey the multifarious, suggestions regarding the goals and objectives, desired in, education.

Assessment of the Education System

In about 750 communications perused, coming from people belonging to all walks of except the illiterates, the number of people who do not subscribe to the view that `today's ills are due to lack of morals, proper education', etc. are really rare. Invariably, every one of them seems to believe that the "crisis of our country today is the crisis of morals and discipline" implying thereby, that there could be no problems of any, Kind today, if only morals, honesty, integrity and discipline were made an integral or even the most important part of the educational process.

Unmistakably, this is not the: Only lacuna that `people find in our educational system. In fact, for every other evil in society, like corruption, dishonesty, treachery, deterioration of standards, irrelevance between education and life, mismatch between degrees and jobs, too weighty syllabus without any utility for life, etc., the failure of education is held responsible.

The number of communications touching upon that deficiencies of our Education system is demoralisingly large, and the picture they paint is really grim. In an earlier volume, this aspect has been covered quite elaborately. It would suffice here to take note of mainly those communications which combine their -diagnosis with their suggestions for remedies as well.

How definitive people feel about the imperative of a good education could be seen when one, of the correspondents states that:

I feel strongly that a good educational policy made effective will remove many of the evils of our society, namely, corruption, separatist tendency, provincialism and communalism and will. generate in our young children and our youth strong patriotism, unity of our nation, national and universal brotherhood, sense of honesty and justice.

For this crisis in our morals and character, some would suggest a compulsory moral or religious education, the universal truths and fundamental values of every religion - or a study of Indian culture which exudes with the spirit of tolerance, self-control and compassion. Referring to the desirability of teaching Indian culture which embodies Indian art, tradition and truths contained in religions, a school teacher feels: "If we can present and produce these concepts and doctrines of these books in, the simplest form - then, most acute problems which have been faced today will be easily solved. Another observer is convinced that :

Education is true and perfect only if it helps to improve behaviour and tolerance which is most needed in the present time. And finally a request to introduce one period on Religion... Our children must know more about Indian culture. This can also help them to bring peace in their and others life.

Lack of morals, values, character and discipline is only one of the many evils with which Indian education is afflicted. In the, eyes of many observers, there are even graver problems warranting more drastic remedies. One of the correspondents, a teacher feel that "there seems to be a thorough dissatisfaction with the ways of life and all that society stands for. Educational institutions today are anything but educational in character. What we need, therefore, is, a complete- rethinking on educational goals and methods". However, there are also those

who could pinpoint specific aspects of the deficiency in education. One of the correspondents, a teacher in this case too, is of the opinion that:

... a subject, like national integration should be introduced from the 5th class in our national policy and that it must be a compulsory subject in all educational institutions. In this way, we can product- the coming generation as totally nationally integrated.

There is another and, a more acute deficiency of our educational system, about which a professor states : "In the present system of education, the children are, the most neglected ones as compared to the other things like school buildings its rich furniture, and other showy things."

There is a third and perhaps a more down-to-earth aspect of education, in which it is found deficient and that is the relevance of education to later life. A perceptive observer remarks:

The agonising duality of creating jobless educated and skilled illiterates has made the problem unique Schools be related to the basics which are universal but each serving the need of individual society and people there.

A school teacher diagnoses the problem more comprehensively than others. He writes

The educational institutions of India are ridden with various problems. The, factors responsible for these are many. These dearth of qualified and dedicated teachers, upper hand of bureaucracy over teachers, frequent strikes by teaching and non-teaching staff and students, lack of vocational training etc., are some of the reasons fur all the maladies in the existing educational system.

More than others, the students seem to be concerned about this problem. One of them writes to the Education Minister:

The present, educational system does not mould a real man.... Attention is also not being paid to moral and ethical values ... It is necessary that our Indian culture, i.e., the spirit of tolerance, self-control and compassion ought to be developed.

Another student goes a step further and moans:

Today, we are no longer being educated to realise the value of truthfulness, kindness, love and honesty. I have seen many teachers and parents encourage the students to sink to any depth to get the necessary marks. Nowdays the marks that a person gets matter more than the individual himself.

Just as the deficiencies are manifold, the remedies suggested too are very diverse -- moral education, religious education, compulsory military training, education about Indian cultivation of patriotism, relating education to life, jobs, etc. However, all are agreed on the point that if education could somehow take care of these, there will be no problems. Education is held to be the penacea to all problems. Even an elementary schools teacher feels:

The impending need is a national system. of education to cater to the needs of agricultural, industrial development, economic and political emancipation and of the drawing out the noblest and best in the life of the individual and the nation.

This would be possible, feels another correspondent because, "education alone forms the foundation stone of national life and national greatness We have failed to impart all these precious values through. syllabi and curriculum."

Goals and Objectives

In the previous section, attention was focussed to examine the assessment of the education system as could be discerned from the communications. It was seen that people's anxieties about the deficiencies of the education system was accompanied by an equal measure of concern and suggestions for removing these deficiencies, on the one hand and, reorganising the education system, on the other. in persuing through the communications, one is also struck by the emphasis laid on goals and objectives of education - goals and objectives of a bewidering variety. For the sake of manageability we could assort them under `national', `national-politial, and `general' goals, and `specific' and `general' objectives. A cursory glance at the communications, leaves one with the impression that the most frequently commented upon goals are those that lay emphasis on `national' and `general goals' while the letters dealing. with objectives, have a certain specificity, either in terms of education- development interface, education-employment linkages, the desirability of strengthening the practical aspect of education, etc. A few illustrations would prove the representative character of these opinions.

National Goals

Although the correspondents do not say in so many words, just as they believe that the deterioration of education and degeneration of morals and values, seen in our society name been due to the failure of education to inculcate and that there would be no problems if all were, `educated' in morals and values, they also tend to feel that education without goals breeds cultural alienation, undermines patriotism and renders the educated less nationalist minded. A typical example of those who moan its absence and urge its inculcation, is the following -- typical of persons not directly involved in education:

The present generation of the country has forgotten the past history, culture and traditions of ancient India and the people are blinded by the Western influence. We should give them the true picture of India's past history, cultural heritage, traditions,' glory and glorious efforts and deeds of the ancient people through Radio, T.V. and other media regularly and continuously upto the village level. It would inspire a, new spirit in them.

There is another trend, infact, a very strong tendency, in the view expressed by the correspondents, to equate inculcation of national through the study of Indian culture, knowledge of India's ancient past, with the inculcation of morals and values. They tend to view that ignorance or negligence of Indian history has led to cultural rootlesness, deformation of character, degeneration of social values and religious intolernace. Call it fanaticism, but they brook no compromise on the need to inculcate the national spirit right from early stages of education. It does not need to be a teacher or an educationist, as is done here by an Indian, to say that:

Education with all the powerful modern media now at the disposal of Governments. is a most effective channel to mould the social outlook and national attitudes of the people and bring about the emotional integration of which our leaders speak by getting them to subordinate local identities to a wider national identity. It must start with the nation's young before the age of prejudice sets in and spoils their uninhibited outlook and capacity to make friendships -that cut across religious association and affinity. The curriculum of lower and upper secondary school education should introduce a course on comparative religion so badly needed in a pluralist society India.

Distinct, though not exclusive to national goal, is the plea for inculcating the goals of our democratic and secular policy and is often appended to national goals. The crucial need to invest education with these goals, even in the very early stages of education, could be seen from the observations of a school teacher:

If a country adopts democracy as the salvation of her people then it is high time to recognise that education alone forms the foundation stone of national life and national greatness. We have failed to impart all these precious values through the syllabi and curriculum....

As noted earlier, there, is hardly any one person who does not that the basics of national life, and national greatness should be inculcated from the very early stages of education.

Societal Goals

One walks on a razor's edge in making out a distinct category of social goals because,most of the correspondents do not seem particularly anxious to compartmenatalise societal from general national goals. Thus, if allowance is made for a certain degree of overlap between these, one could still notice a certain degree of general and societal goals in the communications. The following may be seen as an illustration :

One of the goals of the education is to inculcate dutifulness sense of responsibility, strong personal and National Character, comradeship, community feeling and other personnel qualities. It not only adds to one's personal growth but also results into his healthy functioning as a similar of the community.

Similarly, while speaking of general goals too, the observations of the correspondents do not lend themselves to be exclusive categories as Social and general goals. However, in this

case, there is a greater variety which lends some distinctiveness. These range from viewing education as capable of leading one to live a productive and rewarding life, promoting discipline, integrity, dedication, determination and confidence, producing an innovative and creative person and so on. One correspondence urges that

The aims and objects of education should be well defined before attempting to reform it. Preparing children for life, developing, character and creating good citizens are some of the declared objectives of education. Acquisition of an occupational skill is the sine qua non for the attainment of the above objectives. Persons engaged in a useful work are likely to have every chance of developing character and proving to be useful citizens....

Objectives have a certain immediacy and urgency about them; unlike lofty goals and ideals, objectives point to the need for being embodied in activities and implemented sooner than later. Viewed in this light, the objectives of coeducation, as urged by the correspondents, are both diverse as well as crucial and urgent. Some would feel that

The impending need is the national system of education to cater to the needs of agriculture, industrial. development, -economic and political emancipation and of lithe drawing out the noblest and best in the life of the industrial nations.

There are others to whom "the pattern of education should be changed so that it does not increase unemployment but puts an and to it". To another category of people, the primary object is something else

Time has come when we must rise above the frontiers of caste, creed and community feelings. This can be accomplished by designing a course of universal ethics which can be based on the thoughts and ideas of noble thinkers of the various

parts in the world, who have dedicated their, lives for the emancipation of humanity and create a world free from malice and ill-will.

One could also notice another variety of general objectives. nevertheless of urgent need.

The new national education policy should be evolved in such a way that in another 20 years all the teenaged boys and girls of our time would become useful citizens of the country free from the evils of corruption, dishonesty and treachery and 3all activities that will jeopardize our social, political and national interests.

In the foregoing pages an attempt was made to take an overview of the respondents perception of (i) what ails the Indian education system; (ii) the goals with which education should be invested and (iii) the objectives for the achievement of which attention should be focussed on an urgent basis. What we, have deliberately underplayed, not necessarily either with full success or with absolute justi- fication, is the tremendous dissatisfaction of the observers with the education system. Perhaps, not wholly meaningless, it was intended to examine such impressions, observations and suggestions within the ambit of planning and However, what is of immediate relevances the question of content and management of education. This aspect is examined in the last section. However, what is of immediate relevance's the question of content and curriculum to which the next section is devoted.

Content and Curriculum and Vocationalisation

To the people of India, what is and should be taught in the schools and colleges is of paramount importance. Content and Curriculum, in the views of the correspondents, are in more urgent need of change than any other aspect of the education system. This becomes evident not only from the number of communications touching upon this issue of content and curriculum, but also from the strength