The bill to operationalise the 86th Constitutional Amendment passed in December 2002, making education for children up to 14 years free and compulsory should be welcomed by all.
There is no doubt that private schools are really catering to the educational needs of the students. However, those private players have made modern education expensive. In the process, the government schools (that are the only reachable institutions for the underprivileged children) are being left high and dry. So, it is time to ensure a reasonable fee structure in the Indian educational system.
At present, Indian institutions prefer students to be obedient listeners. The teacher and student hierarchical relationship should be changed in accordance with the pressing demands of modern life.
Our educational system should go beyond the syllabus. Teachers should make a good rapport with students. They should not control the knowledge of students. Students should be encouraged to ask intuitive questions and think practically. Overall, the Indian educational institutions should produce students with the capacity for original thinking.
P Senthil Saravana Durai, Hyderabad
