Education Guide

Sharing Ideas With Richa Smita: My blog will act as a career guide to industries by providing information on professional courses, competitive exams, career options in government and private sector. Share your thoughts and views with me at richasmita@gmail.com.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Illiteracy in India

The Constitution of India advocates free and compulsory education of children below the age of 14. So why is more than half the population in India illiterate? Is ignorance really a bliss or is it the limitations of our resources?

I was going through a recent survey conducted in five states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan on basic education system in India (Public Report on Basic Education). The report points that parents are willing to send their children to school. So what is holding them back?


Life in India or in that case in any part of the world is easy if you have resources (money and infrastructure). Moreover, social and economic factors slows you down. While driving back home you must have seen children selling books or flowers. Estimates cite figures of between 60 and 110 million working children in India. Child labor is a source of income for poor families. Is it poverty responsible for child labor or is it the inadequacy of school system in India?

One solution I can think of this moment is the realization that we all can contribute in some way or the other. A small step taken by us can make a big difference. You can contribute by:

  • Volunteering or donating money to NGOs for child education.
  • Opening a library or donating books to your city library.
  • Promoting the concept of earn and learn.
  • Providing vocational or job oriented education.
  • Educating atleast one child during your life.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Education and Confusion

I am a science graduate with degrees in computers and management. By profession I am a technical writer. At times when I look behind, I feel that my journey to the right career has not been easy.

As a student these are some of the questions I was always unclear about:

  • What subjects should I study?
  • What professional course I should opt for?
  • What are the various career options?
I feel these are the current dilemmas of many students in India. A diverging fact is that in our country around 6 crores children are out of school, and many who go to school are confused and unsatisfied. Right from school to college students are not sure what subjects and courses to enrol in. In big cities there are career counsellors and other educationist who aim to help students. But how successful these efforts are and how satisfied today's youth is a question to ponder on!