Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (KM/RD)

Mangalore, January 13: The globalization, in the present form, has made the education a commodity, which only rich can afford, lamented Fr Dr Joseph Xavier, president of Xavier Board of Higher Education in India, in his key note address, at state level convention organized by All India Catholic University Federation (AICUF), Karnataka Region, in progress at Fatima Retreat House, located near Roshni Nilaya School of Social Work on Sunday, January 13.

The education scenario, in the recent times, across the country, lies on the brighter side owing to advancement in the syllabus, but also darker side like, only 3% of the total number of students who join Class I would get admission to masters and under graduate studies.  At an extreme, one must feel proud of oneself for being one in the most privileged class.  On the other hand, it is also a shame that rest of the majority is deprived of basic education, he added.

Eliciting on the darker faces of the globalization, the president said poverty has become intrinsic part of the globalization. Everyone needs about 2500 calories per day for healthy living.  But, sadly in India, majority of people can avail only 1300 calories a day which implies that the Indians are being made inferior race deliberately. Only foster boys of the corporate world can only survive in the era of the globalization.     

The globalization has made adverse impact on the education in the nation. Only rich class can afford the higher education, whereas the Dalits are deprived of even basic education in the same nation. The academia is coming in the grip of the consumerism, human values are being replaced by consumerist values, he lamented.  

The globalization has posed threats not just to the human values but also to the society. Generating sufficient number of jobs is just a myth, large scale companies or factories promised that they would provide lakhs of jobs, but, it is true that the same enterprises are struggling to meet even thousands of jobs. Another threat is that it is promoting the urbanization; the redistribution of the rural population in cities has given rise to the communalism and unemployment, he detailed.

The convention was inaugurated by Fr Aloysius Paul D'Souza, Bishop of Mangalore and the convention was presided over by Fr Swebert D'Silva, principal of city based St Aloysius College.

Office bearers of AICUF and students from various colleges took part in the convention.