Indian Education System- Why we have this one?

"India is said to have an examination system but not education system... When will young people stop taking exams and do something worthwhile?" said Prof. CNR Rao- Head of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India. To this- I would have added - Even those who make it to the destination after being successful in the exam, have done nothing worthwhile. They are just system following creatures than creating one. That's what I feel about the alleged "Indian Education System".

Our construct of education is very narrow. In fact, culturally India allowed only few privileged to have the education, that too in oratory tradition. Knowledge passed through oral and other unwritten mediums, which requires huge memory. For the rest, they were not required to have any formal education. That was our social make in Pre-British India about education.

When British thought of managing this vast geography with so much diversity in thinking, culture, taste, and social structures, they found education as a state instrument to keep the subjects under control. Thus, Macaulay minutes were drafted and implemented. The single aim of the minutes was to create the rule bound and docile "Brown English Men"- The English educated Indians as they were known.

Naturally, Brahmins picked up the English education system. They were ready made input to the Macaulay system. The Indian oratory traditional learning tuned them to cram and keep in memory so many things at a time. Even, British system wanted to achieve the same thing and it was perfect meetings of mind. Under British, across Indian subcontinent, Brahmins got wealth, power. This went unnoticed in our history, like how so many people made money in Harshad Mehta scam yet went unnoticed. ( Eg: Cafe Coffee Day's V G Siddharth!!)

Indians learnt one thing post Macaulay period. That education mean power and wealth. More education means more wealth, if not the power, in post liberalised India. We consider education as an investment and resultant job and money as return on investment. Though, world over same construct is prevailing with one exception. Rest of the advanced world considers skill acquisition (not simple formal education as is prevalent in India) as investment and it pays off over a period of time. This focus of ours (read students) on future money spinning prospect of the course, makes our vision too narrow and the output will be too bad in terms of creativity etc.

Here culture also plays major part. Ours is non civilized society. Every social group has culture and not civilized code. We boast to have great culture that may be a truth. Why I am saying "May be a truth" because, each culture claims so and we are not exception to it. This culture of ours has greater influence on our thinking as to how we construct the education. European construct of education is to unleash the power of human thinking. To make living more comfortable and interesting. This gives them edge in this world over all other societies. Obama is correct in saying that, still America matters though it's economic power prospect is gloomy post crisis period. No country in this world can match the US and other western countries prowess.

Then how to correct this? I don't have a single answer to this question. Sometimes, I don't have none. I'm keenly observing the trend that is happening within the education sector. I wish Indian Govt. wish of making education as shown this ad come true at the earliest. ( See This)