Addressing inequality in education

It must also be acknowledged that education in English is a necessary condition to enter and move up the corporate ladder. A government job is still an option for one who is not conversant with the language, but there are limits to one’s progress. Thus, when we talk of a demographic dividend, practically speaking a large part may not quite be employable in jobs which pay well. There is also the lacuna of skills that exacerbates the issue.

Two ideas can be taken up. The first relates to school education, the foundation for any child. The second is the undergraduate level, where some improvements can be considered.

There are four-five kinds of schools in India. At the top is the International Baccalaureate (IB) system where migration to schools across the world is seamless as the syllabus is well-aligned — hence, it is a natural option for the elites. At the next level comes the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education. Alongside it is the Central Board of Secondary Education system, which is most preferred by the upper middle class. The next is state-level boards where the medium can be English or regional languages (here too, there is a big difference in quality in the two streams).

This is the starting point of education inequality, which persists as children move to higher levels. Education reforms must start at the school level.

First, it may be necessary to ensure English becomes a primary language to impart education across all schools. This will help bring about a minimum level of confidence among students across classes. After receiving school education in Indian languages, coping with English medium for higher studies is challenging. We need to be less jingoistic about language, as even those who espouse education in an Indian language invariably send their children to elite English medium schools in India or overseas.

Implementing a Unified Curriculum

Second, there should be a common curriculum for subjects such as mathematics and science which are taught across all boards. Given the changing times, exposure to computers and AI may also be appropriate at the lower level to make children future-ready. This will help us move towards creating a level playing field.

Third, extracurricular activities — sports, special skills like art and craft, among others — should be made common across all schools. This will help bring about all-round development of children.

Lastly, grading must be standardised so that there is a common yardstick for comparison. At present, there are different grading systems with toppers in some boards getting 99-100%.

One of the enablers here will be training of teachers. The skill sets of teachers are varied as they tend to get linked with the curriculum being taught. Once there is a common syllabus for the subjects that are chosen, investment must be made in training teachers. Qualifications of teachers vary across different kinds of schools. Some hire teachers at lower levels with a regular school certification while others insist on a Bachelor of Education or undergraduate degree. A national standard would be useful.

Qualification also tends to get linked with pay scales, which vary widely (around Rs 2 lakh per month at the top level, while at the lower end it is Rs 40,000-60,000 per month and non-aided schools pay even lower amounts). The student-teacher ratio also needs to be fixed. It ranges from 5-10 for IB schools to over 75 in private non-aided schools. To ensure teachers are trained and curriculum is followed, the government could come up with an incentive system with monetary rewards for schools. This will work more in non-metro, non-urban areas.

Bridging the Industrial Skill Gap

Reforms are also required at the college level. There is a disconnection today in terms of skill availability and demand. For instance, there is a shortage of carpenters, plumbers, and electricians in the construction business. To bridge the gap, skill-based undergraduate courses must be developed. A Bachelor of Special Skills can be introduced with a common course for the first year, followed by specialisation in the next two. This will be a useful way of creating a universe of skilled students who would be market-ready. This will automatically transfer such professionals — so far largely unorganised — into the organised stream.

Reforms in the education sector will be the final frontier of taking steps to lower inequality to the extent that a better qualification opens the doors to more meaningful jobs. This will also help India leverage its demographic dividend in future.

Disclaimer: The views expressed are the author’s own and do not reflect the official policy or position of Financial Express.