I undertook a journey today by Taxi. The driver told me so many problems they are facing. The problems related to violence by passengers against taxi drivers, tight margins, and difficulties with instalment payments, etc. It made me think a lot, and I discussed the issue with my daughters after arriving home. The elder one was a little agitated about India's large population. She said that in the USA and Europe, the blue-collar workers get good pay and dignified living conditions.
I am not sure as to what solution will work in India. However, my colleague Prajna Paramita and I have been thinking about this issue for quite a long time. We have visited a number of schools, juvenile homes, and NGOs working with women and children throughout India to understand the real issue and guide the children. We have found that the most fundamental reason behind all these problems is the fear-driven education system. That's why the theme of all our sessions has been "Fear, Ambitions, and Dreams". We tell students that fear plays a functional role in our lives. It tries to protect us from danger, just as shoes protect our feet from injury. However, we can't let fear rule our lives. Just like a seed, we come out of the shell when sown in the soil. Initially, the seed develops roots and a strong hold in the soil so that it can withstand heavy winds and rain, and it slowly emerges from the soil and starts interacting with the Sun directly to make food and produce oxygen. Thus, the same seed that had a very limited possibility of becoming somebody's food in the kitchen, becomes a tree that gives so many fruits, provides shade to the passengers, and oxygen to all the living beings.
There is no doubt that there are so many fears all around us. Many parents become desperate in this situation to help their children settle into a career with high market value. So that the children can get a hefty package and do not have to face the same problems the taxi driver faces. Because of this, many parents want their children to opt for the science stream and do B. Tech from a good college so that their marketability increases. However, many of the children are not made for science and feel highly constrained. Some of them get depressed due to the heavy pressure on them to study the subjects they do not like. There is pressure on every child to get a good percentage, whether they understand the subject or not.
When I talk to some of my CA friends, they tell me that it is almost impossible to get good manpower. Most of the people who come for employment do not have the requisite skill set. I get the same feedback from employers in the industry. That means children are under pressure to study something that they don't have a flair for, just to get that job that offers the best package. In the process, they become average and do not get the job befitting their capability. That's what fear is doing to the whole of the education system. That's why we go to schools and talk to teachers and students about "mindful education" rather than "run of the mill" education. This requires joint efforts, and the parents as well as children will have to understand that "mindful education", wherein we take stock of our innate abilities, undertake the studies that we are passionate about and align that to our larger purpose of life with an open mind, is the key to a society where everybody lives a fulfilled life, rather than living in a constant state of frustration. Once children do what they really want to pursue passionately, money can never be a problem. Work will never be a burden, and they will not face frustration. But that requires maturity on the part of parents to understand their children's best interests rather than a short-term, myopic viewpoint.
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