A pipeline broken at the base cannot yield desired results

About 15 percent of India’s population has less than four percent representation in all meaningful walks of life. This is the stubborn ‘four percent trap’. Many explanations have been offered, but its lack of access to good schooling that lies at the root of it all. Only about four percent of Muslim students, from the poorest backgrounds, are said to study in Madrassas (religious schools). Arguably, another four percent may have access to good education. That leaves more than ninety percent with sub-standard schooling, or none at all (for the moment, putting aside the concerns with Madrassa education). This is where the pipeline is broken and the potential talent within the community is leaking out.

Many remedial coaching programmes at various levels are run throughout the country, but their effectiveness is curtailed by fundamental weaknesses that remain uncorrected. These later stage interventions cannot be as effective as early stage ones. A lot of effort is undertaken to mend vases that are falling off from a tilting shelf. Fix the tilt, and the vases will stop falling. But, like everything else, this is easier said than done.

There can be no good schools without good teachers. This is where the major cause of the malady lies. Inadequately trained, badly paid and poorly motivated teachers can hardly be expected to have the pedagogical capabilities and skills to deliver upon the requirements of good schooling. The entire teaching ecosystem, human and material, needs careful examination. How relevant is what we teach, and how well is it taught? The relevance of the curriculum is one thing, but a comprehensive and comprehensible delivery of it quite another. Leaving aside the relevance of the curriculum as beyond the scope of this article, let’s focus on the quality of its delivery. Let us dwell for a while on three inter-linked key determinants of teaching quality: competencies, motivation and remuneration.

Competencies

While aspiring teachers get the requisite qualifications of B.Ed. and M.Ed., most do not acquire the desired level of pedagogical skills. This could be corrected by offering a Certificate or Diploma course in Pedagogical Excellence of six months or one year duration post B.Ed./M.Ed. Of course, intensive in-service training should be emphasized and strictly implemented. Technology is a major game-changer. Access to on-line facilities can provide very cost-efficient and effective means to aid and supplement classroom instructions.

Motivation

Motivation is rooted in attitudes and values. I am reminded of the fable of three stonecutters who were cutting stones on the site of a cathedral under construction. All three were asked the same question: What were they doing? The answers were very different. The first said that he was earning a living; the second said that he was cutting stones; the third looked at the unfinished structure in front and said that he was building a cathedral. A parallel can be drawn with teachers: some are in the profession just to earn a living; some are there because they want to teach children; and yet some others are there because they believe that they are crafting the future.

Question of remuneration

It is also important to address the question of remuneration. While this has considerably improved in Government schools, there is wide variation in private schools. The vast majority of teachers have very weak bargaining power and are therefore easily exploited and manipulated by private school owners and management. This is the hardest nut to crack in the absence of government regulations. However, reward must not be looked at purely in monetary terms. Fulfillment of purpose, job enrichment, a professional career track, workplace ambience, work-life balance, intellectual stimulation, social contribution, and respect are among the many benefits whose value cannot be measured in money. The image of the profession needs to be burnished, perceptions improved, and the positive benefits of this profession emphasized.

A multi-pronged strategy is needed to remedy the situation. Complex problems do not lend themselves to simple solutions. Rather than random, sporadic, and disjointed efforts, what we need is a well-coordinated, institutionalized approach with two primary objectives: promoting pedagogical excellence and setting up a network of good schools. This will, of course, require significant funding which must come from the more affluent sections within the community. Without a willingness to invest in the future, there is no way to stem the rot.