A possible future of Hill Education

The importance of education has been acknowledged and emphasized by each and every leader and thinker of our society. Education is one of the core source of quality knowledge that not only helps an individual attain his true potential but also makes him a capable contributor of the society he lives in. It gives him power to recognize his rights and responsibilities. Education empowers one to dream big and also achieve them.

The hills in the district of Darjeeling are famous for their educational institutions where students from all over India and many foreign countries come to get this empowerment. They come to the hills with the hope of getting a quality education and at the same time grow up in the lap of mother nature, the way it should always be.

However, if one closely observes the current situation in the hills, it would not be too hard to realize that though education is definitely good at the primary and secondary levels, things are not too rosy in higher levels with average levels of higher secondary education and almost negligible college education. Most students leave the hills after class 10, which is not very difficult for students who come to study from outside. But the local students are largely affected by the lack of good higher educational institutes. The economically well to do students generally move to the plains for higher education and then move further away for jobs and opportunities.

Those who cannot afford to go away remain. Few remain out of choice. But is the quality of education imparted in the current colleges comparable to those that are in the rest of the country? Are the local children getting an opportunity to empower themselves with the latest knowledge? Is the education preparing them for the future? Is it preparing them to take responsible roles in the society? Or is it just the bare minimum with a useless degree at the end?

Following are a few things that need to be verified and addressed urgently,

General

• A district level committee (DLC) should be formed comprising of all the educational institutions that would
• oversee that regular teacher training sessions are held.
• help the member institutes hire good teachers from all across the country.
• see that the schools have minimum required infrastructure.
• ensure that students don't drop-out of school.
• organize scholarships for exceptional students who are economically poor.
• make sure that all subjects are offered at the district level, so that students interested in a particular subject will not have to move out of the district due to unavailability of courses.
• hold career guidance seminars that would expose new career paths and all the career choices that are available currently and where they can pursue them.
• Education and related infrastructure should not be affected by politics.
• Educational institutes that offer alternative forms of education should be started.
  

Primary & Secondary Education

• Are all the newly added subjects included?
• Is multimedia being used in teaching subjects that are difficult to comprehend?
• Are the teachers being trained on the latest technology and techniques?
• Computer education is no longer a high end facility. It is a basic facility and must be taught from an early age.
• Career guidance cell to guide the student based on his interests and strengths.

Higher Secondary Education

• All schools that have been operating for 8 years or more should offer class 11 and class 12.
• At least the basic streams should be offered, science, arts and commerce.
• Career guidance cell that would guide students to more specific career paths based on their selected stream.

College and Technical Education

• The government must start at least one Engineering and one Medical college in the hills of the district.
• College for Hospitality and Hotel Management must be started to prepare quality work force for promoting Tourism in the area.
• At least one institute that offers courses on water management, agriculture, forest and animal husbandry. Research must be done in these institutes and all successful outcomes must be implemented in the hills.
• IT education must be encouraged either through colleges or as private courses.

A permanent solution to a problem can come only through proper planning and investment. Education is an investment that needs to be made now, so that we can get regular benefits in the future, 5 to 10 years down the line. Our leaders must take this decision today so that our children are empowered to achieve all their dreams, so that they won't be forced to leave their homes in search of a way to survive. And it is our duty to explain this to everyone who fails to see beyond 6 months.