“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”- righteously quoted by late Mr. Nelson Mandela. An educated man has the ability to palliate any form of violence merely through the means of his/her rhetoric skills. If it’s true that education is one of the most valuable weapons to own in the present world, then the question is that how can one own it?
The bitter answer is that you have to buy it, place bets for it and it’s even available on SALE these days. The more you are willing to loosen up your pockets, more is the quantum of assurance they give you to “educate” your child.
Sipping over a cup of tasteless hostel coffee, I asked my roommate Arun, “So, what are you up to regarding your PG exams? – GRE or CAT or GATE or anything else? ”, CAT, management seems to be my cup of tea! I’ll join some premier coaching institute to conduce my dreams ”. Fulfilling his inquiry, I informed him of the preferred coaching institutes and their fee structure out of which some were as high as 60,000 per course. Within a teensy bit of time, his firm view to get trained from a good coaching institute metamorphosed into only an optional one. His heart still coveted for a proper classroom training from an institute but his mind, taking in consideration his average financial background, justifiably surrendered against the overwhelming fees demands of these coaching institutes.
The latter half of our conversation remained concentrated on him trying to convince me and more vitally himself on how, one can look to prepare for entrance exams like CAT on his own without joining any coaching institutes( his tone always seemed compromising during the later parts of our conversation).
The above example somehow manages to explain the status quo of training and education system of India, especially regarding the adverse effects of the monetary demands of many coaching institutes in our country. It shows how, many of the middle or lower-middle class students, instead of having the talent and the caliber, are compelled to compromise with the kind of guidance they look for and ultimately with the quality of education that they actually deserve. Isn’t it a situation of concern where, in a country, even the most talented of the students flounder to attain proper guidance and a helping hand to turn their and subsequently their country’s dreams real?
Some of you may come up with a counter question that is it so necessary to join a coaching for cracking any of the entrance exams? Then my answer would be a NO!! It definitely isn’t “necessary” to enroll into these institutes but then thinking in a bit pragmatic way, I would say that keeping in mind the vigorous competition, it’s always a value-addition to your preparations. Also, in an effort to surpass or at least equalize the preparations of their fellow competitors, students consider it as a morale booster and a big advantage to join them.
Its right that one’s talent is enough to steer him through any kind of tests but very few are able to make the best use of it on their own and without any guidance.
As mentioned earlier, it’s true that education is kind of a weapon to hold but even unlike other weapons, it’s not the one which can be traded for and sold in exchange of money. It is something which is to be inculcated within a person during the course of many years and can only be achieved through the means of truthful, selfless and prudent guidance.
The humongous fees demands of various coaching institutes are making it very difficult for the financially weak students to fuel their dreams with some good level of training and guidance. There is a great need to stop further privatization of such institutes. The government should have a significant control over their operations and must frame regulations regarding the fees structure of these institutes. Time to stop the monopoly of these institutes and let everyone be facilitated for nurturing and fulfilling their dreams.
