Education for Sale

October 17, 2011

Dakshina Kannada district has been witnessing a considerable amount of rise in the number of educational institutions over the years. It is a matter of pride that this district has one of the highest number of engineering, medical, management and technical institutions, which even some of the states do not have. The share of private educational institutions is larger compared to Government-run institutions in the district. Some of the educational institutions have been existing in the district for more than 100 years and are recognised for their meritorious standards of education. There is no doubt that in the future the number of educational institutions is going to increase as many more students opt for higher education.

These developments are certainly welcomed as the younger generation needs more and more comprehensive knowledge. Amidst all this one worrying factor of this situation is that there are many educational institutions grabbing this opportunity to make a quick buck. They are literally playing with the future of students and bargaining with the sanctity of the education for money. In the long run the students of these institutions would be a bane to the society and will not be in an employable mode. Who is responsible for all this? Can we say greed for money against the future of the country?


The expensive crumbs

There are very few institutions that deliver quality education and provide opportunities for the overall growth of the students. These are private institutions and charge huge amount of fees. They take the best students, while majority of the remaining have no option but to join a less known institution. These institutions are here just to make fast cash. They too extract higher amount of fees and but provide substandard education in medicine, nursing, management and computers. They do not have permanent staff, library and computer facilities but promptly provide photocopied notes just before the exams. Often their notes are directly copied from test books and are out of date. Thus majority of the students end up paying for the crumbs.


Commission agents and head hunters

Poaching animals is a criminal offence but if people are poached then it is not criminal in any sense. There is innovative method used by these short time institutions to collect students. They either send their agents from here or appoint someone from the local area in different states of the country. These agents target students in their place by giving them information on their sponsoring institutions, alluring those students to come and take admissions. These agents are handsomely paid with free trips and incentives. For e.g.: If an agent gets a students he certainly gets Rs.10000- 25000.But the irony is when the students land up here they are perplexed to witness that all information they got was wrong. But it is too late for them since they have paid the fees already.

If this is about the students, let us see about the teachers. The local agents target mainly fresh post graduates for lecturers post and experienced professors for administration etc. by offering them with better salary, incentives and even provide vehicles just to come and join their institutions. This is called head hunting.


Match box Structures

The infrastructure of some of the institutions in the city is really an issue of worry. We have colleges run on the first floor of a commercial complex. The lower floors are used as shops and stores. These buildings do not have fire exists, emergency stairs etc. In the case of fire, God save them. Other facilities like cafeteria, wash rooms, playing ground or corridors do not exist. Aren’t these essential for an educational institution? We have several examples in our country, where students have lost their lives because of lack of safety exists. Such catastrophes have not yet opened the eyes of neither the authorities nor the institutions. Another concerning fact is that since there are no play grounds for several institutions students cannot develop their sports talents. We see many of the institutions conducting their annual sports meet in Mangala Stadium. These sports meets are wound up by afternoon. This has to happen because one cannot expect students to participate in sports without giving them a place to practice.


Students on wheels

Many of the institutions provide their students with bus facilities to reach them. The city witnesses increasing number of yellow colored vehicles as the days pass. This facility has both good and bad effects. The good part of this is that students do not have to travel in overcrowded city buses but the negative effect is, lot of time is wasted in the journey. Those students who stay outside the city limits will be picked up first and will be taken for a ride throughout the city. In the evening it is the same case and they will reach last. This problem has no solution but institutions can adopt other ways to stop this colossal waste of time just to travel.

There are several institutions engaged in contract carriage deals for cost cutting. The vehicles used in this case are retired buses from service. They are old and dirty. For the drivers of these vehicles students are like goods, which they have to pick and drop while giving least importance for their safety.

 


Safe Investment

Investment in education has become the safest for some of the trusts. They do not hesitate to collect lakhs of rupees in the name of education. The students who have paid the fees have to slog throughout the year just to make sure that their investment is right. The collected money is invested in raising commercial complexes and better investment plans. There are other institutions that promise free foreign tours, free laptops for their students. But there are no institutions in India that offer anything absolutely free just because you are their students. Every penny is extracted in the name of fees, donations etc. while majority of the students end up thinking they are getting all these benefits for free.


Mushrooming Coaching Centers

‘Aarakshan’ the recently released movie brings up this epidemic of coaching centres. The substandard education provided by some of the institutions in the city has promoted the growth of coaching centres. We can see hundreds of hoardings and banners right outside engineering, management and medical colleges about coaching classes. This is a kind of insult to institutions, but who bothers.

In the end the one must seriously worry about, how sanctity of education is defamed by some the intuitions by turning education into business? And why haven't the authorities concerned not done anything to stop this loot in the name of knowledge? The recent remark by Narayan Murthy stands true in this case too.

 

Rohan Sequeira - archives: 

 

 

By Rohan Sequeira
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Comment on this article

  • Ms.Nishel D'Souza, Mangalore

    Wed, Oct 26 2011

    sir, you ve rightly analysed and presented the article on the present education system in South Canara. Its the saddest part even though all are aware still the scenario continues.Hoping for the day when there will be a end for such mess and selfish motives behind bringing up of educational institutions.

  • INDIAN, BANGALORE

    Tue, Oct 25 2011

    very good article i rememeber there were just hand ful of educational instituition til 2002 and after that the trend started before only 3 engineering colleges that is mit.nitte and nitk these three were the best in india too but now how many enginerring colleges???18 or i think its nearing 20 in and around coastal karnataka ,for every college there is addition name as research center,charitable institute,only god knows what charity they are doing and what research they are doing ,it has become a sourse of quick money and staudents are coming from all parts of india

  • Tony, Mangalore/Sydney

    Wed, Oct 19 2011

    A very good article by Rohan Sequeira highlighting the real situation of the present education scenario. People go to extreme extent to spend their money in order to ensure that their children get some high degree or diploma, and I don`t blame them either because the current employment market has become so fierce and competitive, one always strives to get top on other at any cost. Sadly, that is the reality, and they do not really care if the the quality of the product is compromised in the process. The various Educational Colleges and Institutions are fully aware of the prevailing problems and take advantage of the situation and make some quick bucks. During my time, way back in the 1960 and 1970`s, and in the 1980`s even, there were only a few Colleges and in Mangalore, like St. Aloysius, and St. Annes, who used to churn out graduates of real quality and class, but lately with the heavy commercialism in the education field, there are umpteen number of colleges and institutions have sprung up every nook and corner, and the degrees and diplomas are being churned out like any product in a factory.

  • Aremar, Puttur

    Tue, Oct 18 2011

    For sale may be or yes but for the price you pay do you get the valuable stuff, which really educates you. Parents are choosy and even before they pay.

  • Shekar Moily Padebettu, Padebettu/Udipi

    Tue, Oct 18 2011

    Dear Rohan what you written here is 100% true and highly informative.You have made a bold step to highlight and bring this issue to the knowledge of general public.But who cares?Everybody knows about this.Now a days where ever you go all the educational institutions became business centers.They are minting the money in the name of education and investing in other profitable business.No doubt these factor everybody knows including politicians,bureaucrats,local authorities and many to name.They are all hand in gloves.It can not be stopped only can be highlighted for our satisfaction.Here students are really sacrifice goats and poor students can not afford even besides being brilliant students.These are inter related/connected from bottom to top.No professionalism only money oriented everywhere almost in all the fields.When,how and who will ring the bell God only knows.No end for all these things.Almighty god only should help us and free us from this kind of deadly cancer.

  • Rajesh , Udupi

    Mon, Oct 17 2011

    Good article.
    Education in Karnataka is pathetic.Sale of education has reached the stage where all institutions wants 100% result by either awarding marks to the students without judging their ability or by supporting the students to do malpractices during exams. Education is sale from university policy makers.No wonder university bodies are represented by these institution owners to favor their institutions.These education institutes produces graduates with quantity without any quality. These owner's make huge money by en-cashing the education.

    The society or the people of India are the losers.You can't stop the brain drain till these systems changes. In coming years India may not produce skilled professionals, if these corrupt systems are not corrected immediately.

  • vnnaik, Dubai

    Mon, Oct 17 2011

    Dear Rohan,
    your article is very impressive to read, but nothing new, every parents, student & professors are aware about this, including the Dean, all this institution are some how related to influncial rich & political influncial people, writing this article is not gaoing to serve perpose, people will read, enjoy & the chapter is closed, things will not change for poor parents & meritorius student

  • A. S. Mathew, U.S.A.

    Mon, Oct 17 2011

    Another extreme polarization is taking place in the Indian educational system of India. The rich can affored to send their children to have greater education, but the poor and their children in the society are pushed back, and far
    less educated. The Government has to take immediate actions to educate the underprivileged sections of the society, else
    there will be greater frictions will be developing in the society
    similar to the friction in Wall
    Street.

  • Lancy Fernandes SJ, Jeppu/ Bangalore

    Mon, Oct 17 2011

    Long time since i saw your article. Nice thoughts. Continue to write.

  • Tauseef, Mangalore

    Mon, Oct 17 2011

    Really good one bro....well written and very truly written true...The government authorities should step in and do something about this but when they themselves are corrupt no matter BJP or Congress how can we expect from them...Hope atleast somebody amongst them reads this article and gets some enlightening thoughts...keep writing bro...


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