Academia is supposed to be a path to dreams and goals for some and a path to learn more and more throughout life for others. Despite being considered as a portal to knowledge and opportunity, the universities bear the weight of numerous systemic challenges that stifle up one’s creative potential besides impeding the progress of eager minds seeking to learn. In this article, we shed light on the negative aspects of the current education system.
High cost of education:
The first and foremost challenge in our education system is the exorbitant high cost of getting a degree. In specialised fields like sciences and medicine, the cost is so high that students end up in a debt even after they graduate. This financial burden can be very heavy and last for many years.
The seat reservation system:
Although having noble intentions and being designed to promote social justice and uplift marginalised communities, India’s reservation system has a controversial debate around its efficacy and unintended consequences, particularly within the realm of higher education. Often, it is seen that many deserving students, irrespective of their caste, are left marginalised because of strict quota criteria. On the other hand, students with lower academic merit, but belonging to reserved categories are able to secure seats in STEM courses, leaving equally or more qualified candidates of general categories sidelined. In specialised fields like medicine, engineering and law, the margin of error is razor-thin and even a slight deviation from perfection can translate into a disastrous outcome.
The age-old system of teaching:
It is interestingly crazy how the same ancient practices of mundane teaching are still continued in several fields. While it is acceptable that specialised fields require a lot more concentration and perfection than other fields like arts, creative industries and business studies, there are still many variables to it, including the prosaic practice of teaching by reading out PowerPoint Presentations or an absolute lecture-based teaching where students are not able to engage. Fields like arts or journalism should be assessed in a different way than fields like sciences. The reason is obviously the difference in the subjects. The way of teaching should vary with the type of content.
Over emphasis on grades:
The grading system assesses students based on a paper they spill their knowledge onto in about 3 hours. In practical fields, this system is very much of a waste as it perpetuates an insatiable appetite for higher grades fostering a toxic culture of competition and needless to say mental health issues as we see in today’s world.
Lack of faculty support:
Inadequate faculty quality and support accentuate the challenges within the education system. Students are left on their own to navigate through academic hurdles in many institutions leading to frustration and disengagement. The absence of a supportive environment hamper students’ ability to thrive, impacting their overall learning experience and future prospects.
In order to dismantle the barriers that hinder progress, there is a need for a call to action. It is important that we confront the entrenched flaws of the current education system by acknowledging them and implementing reforms that emphasise on the needs of the current generation.
This article was written by a University Student as part of the Youth Ambassador Program. Views expressed in this article are the author's own.