Education by Govt — Which Types Should It Provide?

It was a quiet evening at our usual hangout spot near our area — the chai stall where we always end up.

Four friends — me (VK), Vihaan, and two others — were chatting away when Chinna, the teenage guy working there, served chai on our table. Barely 17, with a quick smile but tired eyes, he hustled in his faded t-shirt and apron, while guys his age nearby texted about college grads.

Vihaan, my friend, looked up from his glass and asked, "Chinna, why are you working at this age when your age guys are going to graduate college?"

For a moment, everyone went silent.

Chinna paused, rag over his shoulder, eyes clouding with frustration. He leaned in close.

"VK," he said softly, "government schools and colleges don't teach properly..."

And Chinna left from there. Vihaan turned to me, eyes fired up.

"VK, until this government education system doesn't change, people like Chinna will remain in poverty even though they have studied," he said. "Even if someone works hard and completes graduation from a government college, irrespective of all the struggles and hard work, they still won't be able to crack jobs due to lack of proper education background, communication skills, etc..."

I nodded slowly, meeting his gaze. "So you mean to say that it's unfair and everyone should have equal opportunity? You were saying exactly what I was thinking in my mind."

"So tell me, what do you think — should government change?" I asked.

Vihaan leaned back, sipping his chai. "If they can provide jobs to students who studied in government colleges, then it would at least help a few of them if not all."

I took a slow sip of my chai. Vihaan looked at me curiously.

"I cannot agree completely, Vihaan," I said. "It's unfair to provide jobs just because they studied in government college."

I paused, watching his expression. "It may look like a solution initially. But if government starts providing jobs, people may send their children to government schools for job chances."

"And since the education system is not good," I continued, "they will need private tuitions. That makes it unfair again to those who can't afford it. Government won't pick randomly — they will conduct exams or interviews for merit."

I smiled faintly. "I believe that government should change the way education is taught in government educational institutes. They spend a lot of money and I agree with it. I read somewhere that some schools in a few states provide digital classes as well — not sure if it's a marketing strategy or really government provided digital education, but still, I feel there's something that could be a win-win situation for government and people without allocating more budget every time."

Vihaan looked curious. "How, VK?"

"Did you ever take an online course for improving technical skills?" I asked.

Vihaan nodded eagerly. "Yes, VK, I joined an online course at XYZ and it was one of the best online courses I ever took. It was costly but totally worth it!"

I took a sip of chai, smiling as I looked at him. Vihaan leaned in, waiting.

"See? If government hires pros to make animation or teaching videos—like that, interesting enough for anyone to get," I said. "Not easy, but doable."

Vihaan leaned in, nodding.

"Since syllabus won't change every day or year," I went on, "it will be easy to update lessons in case of any changes. As we know, mostly syllabus remains the same for years — it will be like one major project which is doable under experts' guidance."

"Once the task is finished, they can implement digital classrooms and teach using those videos," I added. "Along with that, government education institutes should post them on social networking sites like YouTube. This will not only help students revise but also help other students studying in private institutes. It will generate revenue that can be invested back in improving facilities in government education institutes or maintaining existing ones without solely depending on budget releases from government."

"It will not only improve government education institutes," I continued, "but it will make it challenging for private institutes to provide good quality education for the tuition fees they collect."

Vihaan looked at me, eyes wide. "Won't it end the private institutes if government education institutes become so good?"

I smiled and replied with an example. "We are getting good chai here. But is it stopping people from going to bigger restaurants or hotels?"

Vihaan shook his head. "No."

I continued, "Why is it not stopping them when they are getting almost the same taste of chai?"

Vihaan replied, "It's because of the quality, ambiance, personal preference based on their social status and lifestyle..."

"Exactly," I said with a smile. "Similarly, not everyone will send their kids to schools based only on quality of education. Most people look at other aspects too."

We all glanced at each other, smiles breaking out as we savored the last sips of chai. Chinna hustled by again, oblivious to how his story had sparked it all. Some evenings at the stall, you don't just drink tea — you spark ideas that stay in your mind.

Na Alochana...