Education has always been a noble profession. Our ancestors received their learning at gurukuls and ashrams. Even in the near past pathshalas (schools) were associated with places of worship. Today, education is fast becoming commercialised. Parents have to shell out a lot of money on coaching classes, tuition fees etc. Write an article in 150-200 words on ‘The State of Education, Today’. You are Karan/Karuna.

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According to 2011 census, literacy rate of hundred percent or around has been achieved by only a couple of states in India. Illiteracy is found mostly among the old and the deprived sections of society. What can the youth do to spread literacy in society? Write an article in 150-200 words on ‘Role of students in eradicating illiteracy’. You are Karuna/Karan.

The State of Education, Today

The history of education system can be traced back to the days of the gurukul, when groups of students, usually of noble birth, stayed in ashrams and received learning from their gurus, who charged nothing but some dakshina for such a noble profession. They were called gurus because they were considered sacred – imparting education to someone to make him a responsible, well-informed human is indeed a noble profession.

Today, the state of affairs is such that parents have to splurge lakhs only to impart the same education to their children. The gurukuls have been replaced by commercial hubs known as schools and colleges, and the gurus have been replaced by teachers in coaching classes and tuitions who teach solely for money and not for the nobility of shaping a life.

The impact is enormous – teaching has become a business, and teacher are among the highest taxpayers in the country. Education has become a distant dream for many because they cannot afford it, and the very purpose of learning is distorted. Until an unless this excessive commercialisation of the education system is checked, the dream of a developed India seems cloudy.

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Role of students in eradicating illiteracy

The 2011 census clearly depicts the sorry state of literacy in the country today – only a couple of states have reached the bandwagon of cent per cent literacy, while the rest struggle to educate their masses, the reasons being wide and varied. For some, it is about the money; for some, social barriers are the issue. For a still greater part, the lack of awareness about the benefits of education, or rather the misinformation related to it are the biggest reasons for remaining illiterate.

The youth of today can play a major part in addressing these domains, and helping achieve higher scales of literacy for the country. First and foremost, they can form specific societies and clubs related to the issue, functioning in the smallest of districts and villages. This kind of a reach-out is possible only through the enthusiasm of the young, coupled with assistance from the government. Together, they can begin by educating people about the benefits of education, the need for literacy, while at the same time addressing all myths and misinformation. By conducting reach-out programmes, they can teach people themselves so as to make them literate at the basic level.

Besides conducting classes, the youth can help people establish small schools for children and adults alike. They can help create awareness about social evils and stress on the importance of female education for the progress of the family. Self-help groups can be established by the youth for the people, where they can themselves raise funds for the purposes of education and the like.

The youth of today has a lot of potential to create wonders. A little push and a little wake-up call would be enough to see leaps and bounds when it comes to development.