Education in crossshair

India produces 17 lacs graduate engineers every year for an economy of 5 trillion dollar or so whereas US with 45 trillion-dollar economy produces less than 2 lacs engineer. The surveys show that out of 17 lacs engineer hardly 5 lacs get job related with engineering. Basically graduation is the minimum criteria for getting a job.

During my student days in Delhi we knew that one becomes graduate to get a job as clerk, for chaprasi class 8 pass was enough, which later on became matriculation. The career option were offered in form of UPSC examination for Clerical, Assistant grade and IAS. Then of course there were engineering, architecture, medical study were other options. Those who were not getting job would go on studying till master, Phd level which would lead to teaching job in school and colleges. It was pretty cut out, private jobs meant sales person in stores or in construction sector. My father used to tell my friends who were not good in studies to learn typing and shorthand, as per him be it private or government these two skills are must for office job. Those days every locality had typing and shorthand learning schools.

Now becoming graduate engineer is not targeted to become practicing engineer but a step to something entirely different which has nothing to do with engineering.

So my premise is that the graduation is the basic requirement for getting job but the subject of graduation has hardly any relevance with the job. The graduation does the screening so that the recruiter need not sieve through infinite number of applicants. The postulation is that whatever taught is hardly has use in real world. While selecting the recruiter looks at the capabilities like team player, leadership quality, initiative, sincerity, positive thinking etc which one does not acquire through formal education but from family and the environment where he grows up. Even mental mathematics is not acquired through education it is more or less in born quality. Our stress is more on rote system; we keep on testing general knowledge which one rarely uses in work place. The work place requires one to be disciplined, obedient, sincere towards the routine job given and which one learns within a few days. After the penetration of internet, when one has Google in his smart phone then all those unknowns are only a tap away on the screen. Recently in UK it was found that students are not aware about various towns in UK, when asked they said knowing about those is of no use to them, if required they can always Google that out. So Google has made life easier for students and they don’t have to mug, a smart phone has replaced that traditional knowledge based education. It is common knowledge that computer geeks are not gold medalists, often they are school dropouts. The other plethora of profession look for talent in a particular discipline, its tunneled completely. I came across an innovator of windmill in Australia who has done law and not engineering. Our jobs are so much mundane that most of those can be replaced by Artificial Intelligence, algorithms are the driver, machine learning is the threat.

I personally have come across many individuals during my working life those who are less educated but have more common sense. Yes common sense is the main requirement in engineering industry which comes through keen observation and absorption, unfortunately this cannot be taught. It’s either you have or you don’t. That is why lightly it is said that common sense is the most uncommon among individuals.

I know I am painting a very disturbing picture about our education system but to me it is only acting as a first level of screening but in real terms not making job ready. Every organization take the fresher through their own system, purge out the things learnt and coach them as per the requirement of the organization.  

Come to think of it all knowing Google is the disrupter, it has entered our daily life. Now I hardly devote any time to newspaper because of Google updates me in my device continuously, thus I have more time for doing my paintings which is my latest fad. I don’t give ring to my relatives or friends to find out about something which I don’t know because my Google Home is sitting there with all my answers.

It is time that in schools Google becomes a part of curriculum and thus the size of school bags will come down. The artificial intelligence has to be factored in our day to day functions. Friends this is my view and I am sure most of you will not agree with me.
I have not included specialization like medical, lawyers and some high skill jobs.