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Education
The future of the "neglected majority"
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From a sample survey, we find that if 100 million students get enrolled in primary school, only about 30 million are found in middle school and about 16 million in higher secondary. Statistics says that roughly above 50 per cent of students drop outat every stage in school...
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THE RESULTS of the Board examination, both State and Centre for classes X and XII were published recently, and deserved praise was showered on the rank holders. Not only have the respective schools taken great pride in these students, the coaching institutions have also taken the credit for the successful performance of these students.
In Tamil Nadu, seven lakh students appeared for class X examinations and 4.5 lakh for the class XII exams, of which 78 per cent in the standard X and 86 per cent in standard XII have been declared successful. What about the 22 per cent of age group 15 plus and 14 per cent of the age group 17 plus, who did not make it? What opportunities are available for these young people either to continue their studies or develop some employable skills? What sort of skills have they acquired in the secondary and higher secondary stages, except for picking up some isolated bits and pieces of information in subjects such as science, mathematics, social science and languages?
What educational opportunities were given to these students for enhancing employable skills? Though institutions such as open school and open university system are there, how many of these students take advantage of these opportunities? Are they sufficiently interested or motivated to pursue their studies? Even among those who have completed their standard XII, how many would be getting into institutions of higher learning? What is the percentage of students who get admission in professional college, arts and science colleges and polytechnics, especially those who just managed to scrape through the examination?
From a sample survey, we find that if 100 million students get enrolled in the primary school, only about 30 million are found in middle school and about 16 million in high/higher secondary school. Of children in the age group 6-11 years. About 90-95 per cent enrol in primary school, at the secondary stage, that is, age group 11-15 years, only 48 percent continue and at the higher secondary stage, that is, age group 15-17 years, only about 24 per cent are found to pursue studies. In the age group 17 to 23, only about eight per cent are in the higher educational institutions.
From these statistics, we can see that roughly, above 50 per cent of students drop out at every stage, in the school. The questions that arise are, what happens to all those youth who drop out of the educational system between the age group 11-17 years?
Prof. D. Sundaram, in one of his articles, calls these youth as the "neglected majority". In recent years it is found that there has been a tremendous increase among those leaving school entering the labour market both in the urban and rural areas.
Full day schooling with enormous memorisation load makes these youth incapable of performing manual jobs. "Varied programmes for the youth who wish to use their occupational skills after leaving school should be provided" — has been the slogan advocated since the Indian Education Commission of 1882 was formulated and this has been repeated by all the Commissions thereafter. But it has remained mostly a pious hope. During the 1930s, Gandhiji advoacated craft centered, work oriented basic education to inculcate dignity of labour and as this was tried out in a half-hearted manner, it disappeared from the scene. Rajaji, in 1937, under provincial autonomy, proposed parental occupation for half a day, to assure a livelihood as well as to inculcate working habits among children through apprenticeship on existing vocations at the lowest cost. But his plan was shelved as it was considered that it would perpetuate caste-based labour. The `multipurpose school scheme' of the secondary education commission of 1952, "work experience programme" of 1966, `socially useful productive work' of 1986 — all these fell through because of poor conceptualisation and unsatisfactory pre-implementation preparation. Of course, a few industrial training institutions, polytechnics, junior technical schools, and junior trade schools were established, but not more than 15 per cent of the student population get admitted to such courses, whereas in advanced countries 60-70 per cent go for poly technical education.
In India, 72 per cent of the population subsist on farming and handicrafts and less than 5 per cent depend on industrial jobs. According to economists, if the present trend continues, about 60 per cent of the population in our country would become unemployable by about 2045 A.D. Experts on `future studies' say that by 2020, India is going to be a young nation with 52 per cent of its population in the age group 20 plus. We cannot afford to have our youth as `unemployables'. If they remain unemployed they would lose all respectability in society and would be looked upon as parasites and the chances of their becoming extremists and criminals would increase.
Existing traditional occupations require adopting of modern ideas and techniques to improve the quality and quantity of production. The demands for the new skills arising out of various developmental programmes, especially in the rural areas, have to be identified carefully to assess the manpower requirement.
Information should be collected through occupational survey, on the spot studies, discussions, and interviews. Manpower planning based on socio-economic survey is the need or the hour. The talents and abilities of this "neglected majority" of youth between the ages 15-20 should be utilised properly if the nation has to prosper.
JAYA KOTHAI PILLAI
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