The Great Education Scam

Education is a privilege and we simply cannot take it for granted! However, he who educates rules over those that he educates. Indeed, education has been used to control people's thoughts, indoctrinate them, and draw allegiance toward one's ideas, philosophy, and school of thought since time immemorial. The ideal goal of education is to empower one, increase awareness, and perhaps create 'good human beings' who exemplify the values of honesty, respect, kindness, inclusion, and of course, patience, values that I hardly see being nurtured by educational institutions today.

Each government that comes to power imposes its ideology on the system of education in the country, whether it is the syllabus or the interpretation of the country's history. The addition and deletion of important units in the syllabus, or for that matter, the modification of teaching practices, assessment strategies...etc might all be dictated by the party/government in power. Take for example the introduction of CCE or Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation, a system that was meant to assess the continuous development of the student throughout the academic year. It was a radical change in the way we assessed student achievement, but then it was perhaps introduced too abruptly, without proper research and training of both the students and their teachers. It was introduced in the middle of the academic session leaving both, students and teachers confused. The CCE was abruptly done away with when a new political party came into power in India.

I happened to spend many of my formative years in Ethiopia and there I witnessed a country going through turmoil and chaos when the Emperor of the country was deposed in a coup d'etat which resulted in the coming to power of a Socialist form of government. Education had to be a victim of the revolution, and surely, the Socialist or Communist ideology found its way into the curriculum. The school curriculum soon extolled the virtues of the socialist ideology, promoting cooperative farming, nationalization of important assets, limiting the number of houses you owned, thoroughness in the communist ideology, subservience to the party in power, condemnation of the Imperialistic forces for all setbacks that the country had faced. Blaming Capitalism for exploiting Third World countries and last but not least, doing away with healthy competition in the economy. All of this resulted in a closed market system where the consumer had to do with substandard, obsolete products for which the waiting period was unimaginable!

But then, the West cannot be condoned for promoting a system of Education that was really meant to empower the masses because even in the West, Education was a tool for suppressing the weaker sections of society. In the United States of America, Education was used as a tool to suppress the Native Indian Community. Education ironically enough became a tool of Racial and Social Chauvinism, a tool meant to subvert ethnic cultures such as those of the ethnic Indian communities. The story of Zit-Kala-Sa, the pen name for Gertrude Simmons Bonnin is a description of how she was relocated and admitted in the Carlisle School for Indians so that she could be given a decent form of education and thus 'advance' herself in the society. Zit-kala-Sa would undergo numerous indignities in the Carlisle school. Her hair would be cut, she would be stared at, tossed into the air like a wooden doll, forced to wear Western attire, 'eat by formula', and accept the superiority of the Western culture over her Indian culture. In many ways, the kind of education that Gertrude Simmons Bonnin underwent in the Carlisle Indian school was no different from the indoctrination, and brainwashing sessions that passed off as Political awareness classes in the schools of Socialist and Communist countries! The education provided in the Carlisle Indian school was nothing but a scam. It is a different matter that speaks volumes about the inherent wisdom, motivation, and intelligence of Zit-kala-So as opposed to the stupidity of the Carlisle Indian School curriculum that she would go on to use that very system of Western education to expose the true intentions of the settlers who had literally usurped the land from the Native Indians!

Education, I repeat, is in more ways than not, a tool in the hands of those in power. It is a tool of privilege, it is a tool of exploitation, it is a tool that divides people, it is a tool that has led to an increase in the class divisions that exist in the society. The CBSE grade 12 English lesson, titled: 'The Last Lesson' by Alhonse Daudette highlights how the teaching of German was imposed by the Prussians on the French residents of Alsace and Lorraine after the provinces were annexed after the Franco-Prussian war. The lesson describes the last lesson in French and how the native speakers felt about it. The imposition of the German language was tantamount to what might be labeled as linguistic chauvinism. Education is a privilege that can be taken away at any time! This was exactly what happened when Prussia annexed the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine during the 1870-1871 war.

How much more ironic can it be that the best courses and the best colleges can be afforded by a very few percentage of the students who are graduating from school. Why are we not spending more money on the education sector? Why do we have Public Schools, Govt. Schools, Private Schools, Corporate Schools, and so on? What are the differences between the students studying in Govt. Schools and those studying in Corporate or Public Schools? Why do we have different kinds of schools? Do we really need all those privileges, infrastructure, and facilities provided by so-called niche schools of the country, or are they just a means, a scam to commercialize Education? Education is a great scam, and most niche schools that provide all the facilities, air-conditioning, limited seats in classes, swanky buses, lockers, and canteens, cannot in fact cover up for the poverty of values they uphold, the abject quality of pedagogy and the pathetic quality of personnel they employ. I had the opportunity to teach in a government-aided school in North Delhi that catered to first-generation learners. Strangely enough, most of the students I had come across are today great Scientists, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants and so on. In their case, a basic system of education along with basic amenities could not stop them from achieving success in life. It was perhaps the hunger to learn that drove them towards success.

Glitz and glamour, ratings and awards, unfortunately, do not translate into true education. The meaning of Education has been lost since time immemorial. We have forgotten that Education is a noble pursuit and it is all about giving back to the society what the society has given to you. Education should lead to empowerment, it should not add to the divisions that exist in the society. Education, I repeat the previous sentiment, should not be divisive, it should be inclusive, Education should be value-based, it should be accessible to all sections of the society, and it should be socially, morally, and emotionally meaningful. True Education should develop 21st-century skills in students, make them future-ready, and inculcate the true meaning of humanity in them. Unless these things form the fundamental core of Education, it is nothing but a scam, a bauble, a trinket for the rich and the privileged to play with!

Jaipur the City of Forts and Castles

A Bugler Leads the Royal Train

An unplanned trip to Jaipur was an amazing experience for my family and myself. First and foremost, the Mumbai-Vadodara expressway made the journey seamless. The top speed limit of 120 kilometres per hour on most of the journey eats up the kilometres. Restrooms every twenty kilometres are covered in fifteen minutes. The four lanes on each side of the expressway ensured enough space to overtake stragglers. A smooth and well-paved carriageway provided us with a comfortable ride. Starting from Gurgaon, Palam Vihar we travelled a distance of 268 kilometres to our hotel in Malviya Nagar in Jaipur. We had diverted to Jal Mahal on the way which incurred an additional 7 kilometres to what should have been a distance of 261 kilometres from Gurgaon.

The Jal Mahal seems to float on water

My bother and myself

Our first stop at a place of tourist importance was the famed Jal Mahal, a Palace that seems to be floating on the lake. The waterfront is studded with vendors selling knickknacks and savouries, photographers ready to take your photographs while wearing traditional costumes.

One of the gateways to City Palace

City Palace in the city centre is a must-visit spot in Jaipur. It is the royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the former rulers of the Jaipur City in Rajasthan. The Palace houses a museum, decorated courtyards, and galleries. The Sabha Niwas is a huge hall where the King used to hold an audience with the public. It is a huge hall whose ceiling is held up by massive pillars. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photographs inside it. The Mubarak Mehal complex in the courtyard's centre was built to receive foreign guests. The Clock Tower in one courtyard corner hints at a Victorian touch. One very interesting object was the silver urn in which water was stored. It stores 4000 litres of water and weighs 340 kilograms. It holds the distinction of being one of the world's largest sterling silver water containers. The green-coloured Lehariya Gate looks distinct. The city palace was built by Sawai Jai Singh in 1727.

A Hall in the City Palace meant for meeting guests

An Urn made of Sterling Silver

Posing in before a canon at City Palace

The Clock Tower at City Palace

But Jaipur is also known for having one of the largest canons in the world, namely the Jai Van canon which is really huge in size. You needed 100 kilos of Gunpowder to launch a fifty kilos canon ball into the distance. There is a legend that tells of how the person who fired the canon lost his eardrums even after he had jumped into a pool of water after lighting up the fuse! Another legend mentions how people nearby suffered heart attacks while listening to the loud boom of the canon. There is yet another legend that describes how a huge depression was formed in the ground where the projectile from the canon fell a few kilometres away and how it became a pond. A smaller sibling to the Jai Van Cannon is the Bajrang Van Cannon. Built in the year 1694 A.D., the Bajrang Van Cannon is also known as a Garrison Cannon. It was driven to the battlefield by Oxen. Both of these canons are located in the Jaigarh Fort.

The Jai Van Cannon

The Bajrang Van Cannon

The Foundry at the Jaigarh Fort

I was able to see the foundry where the above two cannons were made. It was a complex process involving moulds, drilling the barrel employing cogs and drive shafts. The drilling bit was driven by Oxen.

A Glimpse of Weapons at the Museum in the Jaigarh Fort

The Jaigarh Fort not only hosts what might be the world's largest canon but also the cannonball used in the Jai Van cannon, It is interesting to see a few muzzle-loading pistols along with arrowheads, swords and daggers.

Shields and Daggers

Swords and Hilts

Lancets and Canons

Sitting in the centre is the Jai Van Cannonball

The Amer Fort is another important must-visit fort in Jaipur. It was built in 1592 by Man Singh and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Amer Fort is also known as the Palace of Mirrors. The mirrors were imported from Belgium and some of them haven't lost their shine even today!

The Entrance to the Amer Palace

One of the extensions of the Sheesh Mahal

The glass was brought from Belgium

The Nahargarh Fort should be next on your itinerary. Built in 1734, the fort was meant to be a place of retreat for the king and his consorts.

A beautiful extension of one of the halls in the Nahargarh Palace

A well-designed doorway at the Nahargarh Palace

At the Nahargarh Palace

At the Nahargarh Palace

A corridor at the Nahargarh Fort

It wouldn't be wrong to claim that Jaipur comes to life at night, especially when the lights are turned on to bathe the monuments in a warm glow that offsets the pink colour of the monuments. One enthralling monument to see is the Hawa Mahal at night. It is simply amazing! The Albert Museum and the Patrika Gate are two other monuments worth visiting at night.

The Hawa Mahal at night

The Prince Albert Museum at night

The Patrika Gate at night

Other Places to Visit 

There are other places to visit in Jaipur besides the forts and palaces. Some of the places that I would recommend include the Patrika Gate claimed to be located on one of the largest roundabouts in the country, the Birla Temple and The  Albert Museum.

Posing at the entrance to the Patrika Gate

Inside the Patrika Gate

Inside the Patrika Gate

The Birla Temple

The Prince Albert Museum at dusk

#jaigarh_fort_jaipur,

#amer_fort,

#Jai_van_canon

#partika_gate

#nahargarh_fort

Gems from a National Park

A Purple Heron prepares itself to fish for breakfast

Wildlife photography might not always be of dangerous animals. Many a time, the pursuit of lesser-seen birds and animals provides a welcome break from hectic work schedules that add to the stress of employment these days. Often the best photographs in one's collection are those that depict funny moments from nature. The dream-like settings, and the subtle movements in the undergrowth spotted from the periphery of one's vision can all be most rewarding. Unfortunately, there are times when one has to return empty-handed with hardly any photographs worth uploading and sharing with others. However, even the very experience of taking a stroll in the forests and grasslands can be fulfilling in itself.

Spot-billed Ducks playing in the water.

Morning ablutions are very important for Spot-billed Ducks!

Water games of the Spot-billed Ducks

Often, the best photographs are the ones that are the most funny ones. Ducks flapping their wings with others watching them, missed landings, scuttling away birds, and Jackals in repose can be interesting indeed.

Asian Golden Jackals lazing in the morning sun

Perhaps the best photographs are those taken in the most unexpected moments. Photographs taken of birds making unusual gestures and movements can be most interesting. 

Flap the wings and catch the morning sun!

Some of the birds like the Common Hawk Cuckoo are imposters. Interestingly, this bird imitates the behaviour of Hawks and Kestrels and it even mimics a Hawk's cry. It moves around like a Hawk and fades into the foliage beautifully! Babblers are very noisy birds, they flit around in flocks and raise a din. I photographed one particular Babbler that looked like an angry bird!

The Common Hawk Cuckoo is an imposter and not sorry!

This Babbler looks angry!

Pied Bushchat birds are energetic birds and if you can photograph them while they are still, they come out rather well against a contrasting background. The Black-breasted Thrush can be seen hovering around rather like Hummingbirds.

This Pied Bushchat stands out against the background!

This Black-breasted Thrush can hover like a Hummingbird!

The Sultanpur National Park Welcomes Its Youngest Pack Of Golden Jackals

A Male Golden Jackal of a Pack of 3 Looks at Me with Curiosity

The Sultanpur National Park, twenty kilometres from Gurugram has been well known for being the winter destination for migratory birds from Central Asia and perhaps even Africa. While it is customary to see Bar-headed Geese and Grey Lag Geese along with a variety of Ducks, the National Park, a Ramsar site is also home to indigenous species of mammals, like the Asian Antelopes. However, as of late, I have been observing an evergrowing presence of the Asian Golden Jackals! The first time I spotted these rather graceful animals was when I first visited the National Park after it had opened after the Covid-19 lockdown. It was probably in October 2020 that I first spotted these rather elusive Jackals. The Jackals might have shifted to the environs of the Sultanpur National Park during the lockdown from the grasslands surrounding the Chandu Budhera village. The initial lack of human presence might have encouraged them to settle in the National Park.

A young pack of 3 jackals prepare for the day ahead

The greatest threat that these Jackals face is from stray dogs that often find their way into the Sultanpur National Park. Stray dogs pose a threat to not only Jackals but also migratory birds and Asian Antelopes. The fight for space and the shrinking Natural habitats for resident animals and wildlife is forcing them to congregate in protected National Parks and Sanctuaries. Also, the lack of resources in the surrounding scrublands and the now dried-up wetlands is forcing animals and birds to seek the sanctuary of National Parks in the region where at least they get water to drink.

A male and a female Golden Jackal at The National Park

Asian Golden Jackals are very shy in nature and they avoid coming in contact with human beings. They are highly territorial in nature and larger packs usually break up into smaller packs with designated areas. With an expanding population, these Jackals will soon run out of space. If you look closely at the second photograph in my post you will notice that the smaller animal on the left side seems to have wounds on one side of its ear, the left ear has been literally chewed up. This is probably because of rivalry within the pack or that it had been attacked by members of the other larger pack.

This is obviously a breakaway pack of Jackals

How is English Taught in Secondary Schools of India?

My experience of working in three different types of schools in India over three decades has thrown up common areas where improvement is needed to improve the standard of education at the senior level in India. I have worked in a government-aided school, a Diocesan School, and a Niche Public school, all of which could do better by addressing various urgent issues.

First and foremost is the standardization of content delivery, which although very subjective in nature, can vary tremendously with variation in experience, subject knowledge and expertise of the teacher in his or her field. The lack of experience in most teachers teaching higher grade levels like the board classes of tenth and twelfth has created a lot of confusion. Less experienced teachers tend to copy-paste materials from unauthenticated sources on the internet and even substandard refreshers and help books with the result that what is taught and examined at the school level has little relevance to what is being examined at the board level.

It is of utmost importance to give regular training to teachers in pedagogy and subject knowledge throughout the year so that they are in sync with what is required by the examination board. In many cases, the strict formats that are taught in school and for which students are penalised don't even figure in the marking scheme of the board exam. While it is a good idea to focus on formats, one should also look at other aspects such as expression, content, value points and presentation. Unfortunately, teachers who focus merely on the format of the date and the placement of the announcement in a notice or a letter might be ignoring more aspects of the answer.

One very significant lacuna in the teaching of English in schools of India is the absolute lack of the teaching of formal grammar and its rules. A majority of the students studying English in schools in India are learning English as a second language. They have a tendency to use the grammatical rules of their mother tongue while studying English and this causes great confusion in their written expression. The lack of understanding of the mechanics of complex sentences and the use of conjunctions can be found lacking even in students of grade twelve. Total ignorance of the use of prepositions, punctuations like commas and even full-stops is appalling indeed! 

The introduction of a decent amount of formal grammar and the training of teachers themselves in the use of grammar can help a lot. It was appalling for me to come across a person advocating the use of the preposition 'between' for a group and not two groups. You can divide the chocolates between the two of you, not in the group of twelve students. When do you capitalize the word 'General' and when do you write the word in lower case? When do you use 'would' and how do you differentiate the modal from 'will'?

The lack of standardized support material and textbooks for the teaching and learning of English (along with other subjects) is adding to the confusion on how we teach English to students of grades eight to twelve in the schools of the country. A large number of substandard publishing agencies and a number of dubious learning websites have sprouted adding to the confusion. In all this, probably students in rural areas are at least not able to access most of the websites which is not true about schools in urban and developed areas. A large number of videos can be accessed that use the Hindi language to summarise English lessons. Most of these websites are meant to draw students to coaching centres and coaching centres.

The NCERT and the CBSE need to work in tandem to address the issue of lack of standardization in the teaching of English and the assessment of English at all grade levels. A robust in-service programme and a system of follow-ups should be made mandatory for all teachers teaching in government and private schools.

A lack of understanding of formats in the writing sections of the syllabus needs to be addressed. Why are we teaching letters at times when we have started using emails and hardly write letters at all? Why does the job application have to be included in the grade 12 syllabus, that too as an option for letters to the editor? Why have we removed the teaching of note-making from grade twelve? Note-making is an important skill that helps students take notes throughout their lives! Why are we not teaching students skills in English that will help them throughout? Why are we teaching them topics that are redundant and not required, like for example letters? Why are we teaching students notes of acceptance and notes of regret when we can always drop a WhatsApp message or even an email for the same?

A very large number of young students studying in grade twelve cannot write a proper Statement of Purpose for admission to a college abroad. They exceed the word limit by a thousand words and then come to their English teacher to bring the word count down to the accepted word limit. The problem is that a sound word choice and a good expression matter when you are writing a Statement of Purpose. A student that I once knew, called me up recently from another state as she wanted me to edit her statement of purpose that ran into 1500 words and exceeded the minimum required characters. She needed it to gain admission to a University in the UK to undertake her studies in Law. She also told me that she did not want the 'essence' of the SOP to be changed. Unfortunately, it was a rambling essay that contained numerous anecdotes from her own life which appeared to be absolutely redundant and unnecessary. After poring through her document for over a whole hour and editing and correcting her mistakes in grammar and expression, cutting down on about two hundred words, I was done. In the end, I told her that she would have to delete a couple of paragraphs that were based on her real-life experiences. She was not happy about my suggestion.

Students lack the ability to order their thoughts into paragraphs and smooth transitions when they are writing an essay, an article or a report. The hamfisted rule of splitting their essay into three random paragraphs is not enough. You need to teach them that the essay needs to be divided into an introduction, the hook, the hypothesis, and the statement, the introduction is followed by the argument where one needs to have a proper discussion of the topic, and the analysis of the data for the same. One concludes the essay with a suitable tying of the loose ends. In other words, one needs to have a proper flow or transition between the introduction, the body or the analysis and the conclusion.

There is a sense of apathy and deja vu in the teaching fraternity about how the job has become a last resort for those who could not make it big in life. It is certainly not a much-paying job and it definitely comes with its share of stress and fatigue. The need to conform to substandard pedagogical patterns and use straitjacketed practices in the teaching of English can be overwhelming at times!

Prose Extract Questions for Indigo

I. Gandhi protested against the delay. He read a statement pleading guilty. He was involved, he told the court, in a “conflict of duties” – on the one hand, not to set a bad example as a lawbreaker; on the other hand, to render the “humanitarian and national service” for which he had come. He disregarded the order to leave, “not for want of respect for lawful authority, but in obedience to the higher law of our being, the voice of conscience”. He asked the penalty due.

 

1.       The cause of the ‘delay’ can be attributed to the fact that-

a)       The administration was not interested in the case.

b)      The administration had more important matters.

c)       The administration was worried about the crowd.

d)      None of the above statements is correct.

 

2.       According to the above extract, he said he was guilty because

a)       he had set a bad example.

b)      he had broken the law of the land.

c)       he had upheld the higher laws of humanity.

d)      Both a) and b) are correct options.

 

3.       The conflict according to the extract lies between:

a)       Gandhi’s breaking the law and insulting the government.

b)      Gandhi’s breaking the law and upholding the higher laws of humanity.

c)      Gandhi ‘disregarding the order to leave’ and rendering humanitarian service.

d)      Both b) and c) are correct.

 

4.       State which of the following is the correct relationship between the statements given below.

i.                     He had ‘set a bad example as a lawbreaker’.

ii.                   ‘He asked the penalty due’.

a)       Option i. is an opinion and option ii. is the theme.

b)      Option i. is the effect and option ii. is unrelated.

c)       Option i. is the consequence and option ii. is the effect.

d)      Option i. is the cause and option ii. is the effect.

 

II.  This settlement was adopted unanimously by the commission. Gandhi explained that the amount of the refund was less important than the fact that the landlords had been obliged to surrender part of the money and, with it, part of their prestige. Therefore, as far as the peasants were concerned, the planters had behaved as lords above the law. Now the peasants saw that he had rights and defenders. He learned courage.

 

1.       The ‘settlement’ as per the extract refers to-

a)       The agreement between the peasants and the Administration to return the extorted amount.

b)      The agreement between the peasants and landlords to return the extorted amount.

c)       The agreement between the planters and the landlords to continue tilling the land.

d)      None of the above options is correct.

 

2.       State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE.

The final refund amount was fixed at 50 %.

 

3.       Fill in the blank with the correct reason.

The amount of the refund was less important than the fact that the landlords had to________.

 

4.       The impact of the settlement on the peasants is best summarised in the following:

a)       The peasants learned an important lesson in courage.

b)      The peasants learned that civil cases should be avoided at all costs.

c)       The peasants learned that the landlords were not above the law.

 

III. But Champaran did not begin as an act of defiance. It grew out of an attempt to alleviate the distress of large numbers of poor peasants. This was the typical Gandhi pattern - his politics were intertwined with the practical, day-to-day problems of the millions. His was not a loyalty to abstractions; it was a loyalty to living, human beings.

1.       The claim that the Champaran episode grew out of Gandhi’s attempt to address the problems of 

       a large number of poor peasants suggests that he was

a)       a grassroot level social worker.

b)      a grassroot level politician.

c)       a changemaker.

d)      All of the above options are correct.

2.       The word, ‘abstractions’ refers to

a)       abstract art.

b)      vague ideas.

c)       abstruse Philosophy.

d)      Both b) and c) are correct.

3.       The distress of the poor peasants, addressed by Gandhi was caused by the following series of 

       factors

a)   Extortion by the landlords, lack of medical facilities, improper hygiene, illiteracy

b)   Extortion by the landlords, lack of employment, lack of civic amenities, illiteracy

c)    Extortion by the landlords, lack of buyers for Indigo, lack of civic amenities, illiteracy

d)    Extortion by the landlords, lack of business opportunities, lack of hospitals

4.       State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE-

 Gandhi was obsessed with abstract philosophy at the cost of being unaware of the problems of 

 the common man.

IV. They thought he would demand repayment in full of the money they had illegally and deceitfully extorted from the sharecroppers. He asked only 50 per cent. “There he seemed adamant,” writes Reverend J.Z. Hodge, a British missionary in Champaran who observed the entire episode at close range. “Thinking probably that he would not give way, the representative of the planters offered to refund to the extent of 25 per cent, and to his amazement Mr. Gandhi took him as his word, thus breaking the deadlock.”

1.       The ‘extorted’ amount refers to

a)   The money that the planters had taken from the peasants in lieu of the Indigo harvest.

b)   The advance rent the planters had taken from the peasants in cash.

c)    The cash that the planters had taken from the peasants.

d)    Both a) and b) are correct options.

2.       They had taken the payment illegally and deceitfully because

a)   the peasants were not aware the development of synthetic Indigo in Germany.

b)    the peasants were not aware that the price of natural Indigo would crash because of the 

     above development.

c)    the amount they had taken from the peasants was as per the existing market rate of Indigo 

     and not as per the projected rate as and when synthetic Indigo would enter the market.

d)     All of the above statements are correct.

3.       The correct reason why Gandhi asked for a refund of only 25 per cent was because

a)     the landlords were stingy and had spent all their money.

b)     he knew that the landlords would deliberately enter into a deadlock over the amount.

c)     he was aware about the tactics of the landlords which was to get into a bargain.

d)   he was in cahoots with the landlords

e)   both b) and c) are correct options.