The topic for next week's forum which is to appear on Saturday is:

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Dr Balak Ram Kashyap: Yes, the school and college education pattern needs restructuring. The youth coming out of these institutions at present add to the class of parasites. They only add to the number of job seekers.

However, some technical/professional institutions are exception especially in the field of Information Technology where the demand exceeds the supply. The overall situation is not very encouraging. Therefore the first thing which needs urgent attention is to ensure that school and college education should be job-oriented so that the students passing out from these institutions should be self-sufficient rather than swelling the ranks of the job seekers.

Also, the education pattern should be so designed as to inculcate human values with emphasis upon character building among the students. It is praiseworthy that our CM has decided to include Yoga in the school/college curricula. A sound mind in a sound body is too well known an adage. This decision will go a long way to improve physical and mental health of the students. India has been known as a centre of spirituality in the world.

Even to this day quite a number of foreigners throng our hermitages and temples in the hope of knowing the absolute truth. However, more often than not, they are duped by unscrupulous elements. It is therefore desirable that in order to regain our past glory as a spiritual centre this subject should find place in the school/college curricula. This will provide a broader vision and outlook to our youth.

RJ Khurana: Yes, our education pattern needs a complete overhaul. We have neither improved on infrastructures nor on quality education nor on character building. Public school system is in a total mess.

Old ramshackle buildings without basic amenities like blackboards, furniture, toilets and safe drinking water abound. The mid-day meal facility to attract children to come to school has turned into a den of corruption and pilferage and non-teaching occupation for teachers.

More often than not teachers are pulled out for other government duties like census, elections et al. There has been more and more emphasis on annual examination system and rote learning than on developing a capacity to think, to evolve, to innovate and to become independent minded. The net result is that we produce graduates who are unemployable.

The National Knowledge Commission headed by eminent thinker Sam Pitroda has made a large number of useful recommendations to revamp the education pattern. Let us hope that the government will not dump it and implement the good recommendations before it is too late. No government can afford to play with the lives of generations of school and college-going children or else there will be hell to pay.

Ani: Education is the all-round development of man's body, mind and spirit. These words of Gandhiji amply reveal the real goal of education. The curriculum followed in the educational institutions should be such that paves the path towards this goal. It should be such that provides in a nutshell all the experiences needed by the students to live the real life situations and excel in them. The present curriculum certainly needs a revamping as it has become obsolete and unscientific. Even the changes being made are out of context and insufficient. Thorough knowledge of our goal will help us in bringing out a curriculum, which will have opportunities of growth in every aspect of an individual's personality. And of course politics and politicians are currently `out'.

Mahesh Kapasi: Yes, the school syllabus should be reduced -too much bookish knowledge must be avoided. Students time-table should be such as to study for a fixed hours (though it shall vary from student to student), play games- compulsorily sports, compulsory yoga and also allow watching TV and play games on computer and use internet for information etc. A balance of these items must be suggested by schools to students and parents must watch that their wards actually adhere to this programme- it should be flexible and changed as per requirement of individual students. Outdoor compulsory tours must also be organized for students by schools. Marks criteria can be allocated for each of the above activities. Results of education then shall be amazingly positive and education shall become more meaningful and more practical-oriented.

Vijaya Bhargava: It is truly said that destiny of children is made within the classrooms. It goes without saying that education is the backbone of our society. In the present scenario the condition of our education is deplorable. Before revamping it should be diagnosed then it should be prescribed (erro analysis). At a glance, impractical education has become monotonous. Low salary and unfair selection of teachers also causes falling standard of our education. Education should be made practical. Inferiority and superiority complex should be eradicated by giving a suitable atmosphere. If inferiority or superiority complex is in colleges or schools, it leads the students to violence.

Generally low salary is provided to teachers so talented persons don't want to come in this field. A transparent selection scheme should be adopted. Only then we can hope for a bright future.

Rinku Sharma: Revamping is a word, which is associated with every sphere of life. It is the change and the improvement that we always ask for. And when the question comes about revamping of education pattern in schools and colleges the immediate answer that comes to mind is YES. An improvement in the education pattern of school is the need of the hour. The education pattern is more theoretical than practical. Due to this students are less attracted towards school. The playway method can go a long way in this regard to motivate the students towards education. As seen in 'Tare Jamin Par' one alternative method to education can also be applied for where a child is less prone to mathematics, science or geometry. Things need to be changed regarding the teaching standard in school too.

Dheeraj Khare: What gets on my nerves is the superficiality of marks when acquaintances say `I have got 10 out of 10. Pondering over it concludes that it is the only parameter to study, not to blame human nature but education system that puts several questions ahead like do only marks decide the degree of talent? Why Hindi medium students are not good in English and vice versa? Does the excel thought breed learning by rot? Whose responsibility it is to inculcate civic sense? Why do we study English/ Hindi, sanskrit as a subject and not as a language.

I observe extempore as a competitive activity which takes places occassionally. By inserting it in syllabus, a student not only learns the art of language but also develop multi dimensional thinking and imagination. A curious mind asks for exposure in which he can ask any question, on the contrary we seldom find such exposure in the classroom, most of the time system is not able to pander the awkwardness of thoughts or being suppressed by scolding. We hardly witness reading activities in school hours.

Rajesh Mavi: Yes, of course! school/colleges education pattern needs revamping. As world is advancing towards highly modernized standards of living it is need of the hour to relocate our hidden identity through mundane patching up of the differences.

Globalization has affected the world and modernization in improving every sphere of life. The foreign universities are modifying the syllabus of the subjects taught in schools and colleges according to the development in the market; in the very same manner we also need to revise our syllabus. If more and more, latest courses are inculcated in the educational system of India then this will enhance the competence level of the students.

Along with the academic performance equal importance should also be paid to the sports, arts, music, skill development, leadership qualities, values for life, and extra-curricular activities. The present education pattern prevalent in our schools and colleges is no doubt very good, but needs revamping due to rapid growth in technology and lifestyle.

It is essential for students to up-date themselves as per the changing pace of educational system. This will not only help pupils to prepare themselves for life but also to utilize their intelligence, knowledge, and training skills in job opportunities.

These days what is being taught in the schools and colleges is just bookish. In order to live a good life in the society one requires epistemic values and ethical norms which can be derived only when value based education is imparted to the students.

The food chain in plant and animal kingdom that we observe in our surroundings is the best example for us because it paves a way for us to learn and pass on what we have inherited through others.

Having had such a selfless wish for forming goodwill society of people, all will have to work towards this goal. There is a shloka in Sanskrit that goes like this:

"Yasham na Vidya na Tapo na Danam, Gyanam na Sheelam na Guno na Dharma. Te Mrityuloke Buvibharabhuta, Manushyarupaen Mragashcharanthi."

It means that those who don't have wisdom, sacrifice, charity, knowledge, character, religiosity, etc are burden on this earth. In spite of being in the human form they behave like animals. Therefore, education is essential requisite not only to gain intellectual knowledge but also to inherit character formation.

Education brings gentleness, gentleness brings capability, capability brings wealth, wealth brings good action, and good action brings happiness. So, education pattern must be revamped.

Deepika Saxena: Yes, as far as I am concerned, our school/ college education pattern should be revamped. It should be job-oriented. The present system of general education is not suited to the needs of modern India.

Vocational and technical education will help us to make full use of our actual potential.

The problem of unemployment can be solved by such an education. For the economic and scientific advancement of the country we have to change our education pattern and many of the powerful and great countries are not rich in natural resources like our own country. So, all these contents should be in our syllabus, which helps in grooming our future/ career.

Sushmita Shrivastava: Yes, the school and college education needs complete revamping. Over the next 20 or 30 years, when today's children are raising children of their own in an ever more technologically advanced and globalized society, the educational requirements will only grow more rigorous and unforgiving.

Today's school and college education does not prepare our kids to face the challenges of the 21st-century. What's needed is a wholesale transformation of the school and college system. We have not yet faced up to the fact that we need a school system capable of fulfilling the educational needs of children growing up in an era that will be at least as different from the 20th century as the 20th was from the 19th.

We, therefore, need a big improvement in school and college education. The first thing that needs urgent change is teacher quality. Some teachers have positive effects on student achievement and that others do poorly. The positive effect of the highest-performing teachers on underachieving students is startling.

New forms of identifying good teachers and weeding out poor ones - by carefully assessing their on-the-job performance - have to be established before any transformation of our schools and colleges can occur.

The second area that must be considered is the wide and varied field of alternative school models. We should study those schools that appear to be having the biggest positive effects on student achievement. Are the effects real? If so, what accounts for them?

If all kids are to have a fair chance at a rewarding life over the next several decades, we've got to give them a school system that is adequate to the times.

MR Nair: The school/ college education introduced by the British rulers in that age was mainly to create clerks for the governments. It has not changed much since then. The system should have been revamped long ago to reduce the unemployment situation facing now. Instead of creating more clerks (who are good for nothing), the government should have introduced vocational education from VIII Standard. Then students passing out of higher secondary classes would have found equipped themselves in some way to find a job. Another necessity is making school students computer literate as typewriters have given way to computers in all offices- government and private.

The policy makers should think of all round education of the students while making changes in the system. The students should be trained physically for self-defense. Introduction of Yoga is need of the hour for maintaining of health and mental peace. After school education, the students should not pause to think as to 'what to do now.' They should have self confident to face the life.

Imparting education costs money. Imparting good education costs more money. Trained teaching staff, building for schools and necessary infrastructure are some of the basic items needed for imparting good education. Hundreds of government primary schools are run under trees and thousands of schools do not have their own buildings in MP. Regarding appointment of trained teachers, the less said the better. The state government has introduced a few years ago some sort of change in school education like introducing of computer in schools to make the students computer literate. But where is the electricity to run the computers in villages and teachers trained in computer?

Due to financial crunch, the state government is unable to open more engineering or medical colleges. Hence, this field has been thrown open to the public. During the last two three decades, businessmen have started large numbers of professional institutions with a view to earn more and more money. The educational standard in these institutions is very poor as the basic infrastructure and faculty is mostly on paper only.

Even the professional institutions run by the state governments are lacking basic infrastructure. For example, the five medical colleges of the state government are facing de-recognition by the Medical Council of India. The MCI had threatened several times to this effect earlier too but nothing has been done for the improvement of these medical colleges.

Subhash C Agrawal: Best way to regularize college-education in India is to promote public-college culture on lines of public-schools. Registered private colleges may be regulated by recognized universities of area of their location in matters of admissions, examinations and award of degrees. However, fees-structure may be left to be decided by management of these colleges. System will bring big relief to students going to private colleges where degrees obtained are not from any renowned university even after paying heavily for the education. It will encourage affording trusts and persons to open more and more colleges by charging adequately but giving passing-out students degrees from famous universities. For example famous institutions like Amity or Rai in the capital can be affiliated with Delhi University. Allowing Delhi schools to set their own norms for admission to nursery-classes will induce malpractices. Only way to check irregularities in admission of kids is to set up a Central Board of Primary Education to conduct sixth-class examinations. Fresh admissions may be made to seventh class by merit-list prepared on basis of these examinations. Thereafter other board-examinations should be only at class-twelve abolishing board-examinations at level of class-X. System will compel children of affluent families also to go to government/ aided schools resulting in restoring lost glory of these schools to 1960-era when top-ten students in Higher Secondary examinations used to be from government-aided schools! Affluent parents will have to think before 'donating' huge sums for getting admissions in costly public schools just for up to sixth class.

SS Chitwadgi: Certainly, school/college education needs revamping. In fact there are tutorials which have gained popularity amongst students. On casual enquiry most students answer that it is only through tutorials they clear examinations since in schools/colleges we fail to learn as per syllabus. This answer is disturbing, be it true. We also observe IITs and IIMs and even medical seats go to those who attend some tutorials. Many tutorials advertise with successful students photographs to attract students. Some are very expensive but they assure success. Then what do our schools/colleges teach in their classes? This question begs the Govt to answer since education is state/central subject. Govt alone have to take measures. Democratic Govts of India and States depend on the elected but every Govt changes hands on elections. Unless a permanent system is enforced frequent changes do play an adverse role in the system. It is the education system which has widened the gulf between the rich and the poor since rich afford to pay high cost of education. The poor are frustrated as they are deprived of success in education. In the circumstance it is advisable to merge all tutorials with state run or private institutions. How to do so? The recognized good teachers from the tutorials could be drafted to teach school/college on better scales. Students deserve to be put under discipline to attend class teaching, strictly monitored. Weeding out useless schools & colleges is most necessary. Legislation or parliamentary actions are called for to revamp education. The system in totality deserves to be put in order, otherwise young generation- future citizens would suffer for want of moral, social, technical and general education.

RK Gupta: A sound education system would bring a spectacular change in the society. The great Roman, Ottoman and Moghul empires met their doom only due to their deteriorating education system. Education is an ever-changing process in which rigidity has no place. There should be flexibility in the curricula. The Indian culture has remained intact and relevant only due to its moral and value-based education system. In earlier times the students were taught in the remote forests and mountains by great sages like Dronacharya, Vishwamitra and Sandipen. The nature, in fact, is a great book in itself and all the knowledge comes from the Mother Nature, the books are simply the shadows of the nature. In olden days, the vedas, medicine, art of warfare, philosophy and sanskrit literature were in the curriculum but character building was the core of education. The all-round development of the student was the sheer endeavour of education. Education means a preparation for future life. The process of learning starts from the cradle and ends at the grave. A child's mother is its first teacher and charity begins at home. History reveals that mothers of great men were very learned, applied wisdom even though they remained unsung. The community in which a student dwells plays no less an important role in the building of his personality. The universities and boards of education are a vital part and parcel of the entire education system. Our great leaders including Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Madan Mohan Malviya, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr Radhakrishnan, Dr Maulana Azd and Dr DS Kothari were fully aware of the need of value-based education. Unfortunately, in India the quantum of illiteracy is enormous ie 40pc population is still illiterate. Due to many other priorities only 2.5pc budget is being provided for education whereas the Union govt should hike this to 10pc. Ours is a democratic and a pluralistic society. We need a comprehensive educational planning which can translate the Constitutional aspirations and fulfil the modern needs of the nation. Education system should be made child-centred, need-based job-oriented and value-based. Instead of the old monotonous and tiresome methods, play-way methods should be followed. Creativity should be the main aim of education. Library, playgrounds and laboratories are the backbone of the living educational system and care should be taken to have maximum use of minimum resources. Without emphasis on character building only the Frankenstein monster will be produced. We are experiencing crisis of character all over the country- from the north to the south- which is diminishing nation's honour.

Syed Zia Ul Hasan Naqvi: The present standard of education has gone so poor in our schools and colleges that it is ineffable. Students obtain highest educational qualifications from universities with distinction in different subjects but in spite of that their knowledge and ability in the subjects is unsatisfactory. This state of affairs is detrimental in the interest of students as well as in the interests of nation. When we ponder on the reasons of deplorable condition of education in our schools and colleges we come to the conclusion that our jaded pattern of education should be revamped. Now, we should give up jaded pattern of education and in its place we should adopt new scientific techniques of teaching. Instead of yearly examination we should introduce semester system in all courses, we should have monthly tests also, and marks obtained in those tests should be included in final exams. The syllabus should be job oriented and interesting. Preparation of notes should be compulsory for students. Use of twenty question and guides should be strictly banned. For regular students attendance should be compulsory. Valuation of examination copies should be by sincere and honest teachers. For evaluation, model answers should be provided to the teachers who are examining copies at the university level and there should be a yardstick so that proper valuation could be done. Apart from this out of checked examination copies, few copies should be sent out of state for rechecking so that correct evaluation of copies could be ascertained.

Krishna Chander Mouli: In a globalised world the concepts of all faculties and disciplines need to be changed to suit the demands of globalisation. Thus academics cannot be an exception. Our education system has also to fall in line accordingly and it cannot be separated. Revamping of our education pattern is therefore the need of the hour. How and what could be this revamping? Precisely revamping should aim at need-based education. Today our education system may be intensively knowledge-based. But if such knowledge is not supported by skills no matter how high may be our knowledge we become theoreticians and end up by delivering sermons and lectures without really knowing how to put that knowledge into practice. This is a curse on our education pattern by Lord Macaulay who wanted to groom clerks and office managers for running the British administration rather than grooming vocational and occuapational skills for building a new India. That is why even today our pattern of education in any discipline starts with definition, some traditional quotations and meanings and scope and ends up in a theoretical annual or semester examination which can be cleared by rote rather than through skill and performance. It is therefore essential that we modify and entirely revamp our education pattern aiming at imparting knowledge strongly backed by skills and performance (like in the IT sector) so that India shines everywhere in every field of academic activity. This is of course easier said than done. But if a well beginning could be heralded then this vision of revamping the education pattern could also be achieved.

Syed Aslam Shahid: Education pattern has been something of a problem in our country for a long time. From the time of freedom struggle, in fact, we have long regarded `developing true-selves' with wariness and even contempt. Our enduring national myth is that the nation was freed by men of utopian ideas, not practical ones: men of crowds, not mental prowess. So the show goes on. Our education system either emphasises idealism or cattle-walk ie materialism. In both cases, we come across aspirants who are doing their studies for a purpose that is not the part of their services. These educated men fail to codify the principles that lead to founding of their profession. This light regard of education has been met with a tendency to mystify or glorify through jargon. All professions try to enhance themselves in this way. Strong is the urge to impress upon the layman that there is much he does not know. In addition there continues to be battle between educational traditionlists and zealous reformers, with mixed results. What began as an effort to lift school/college education out of the mire of rote learning in the '90s and to make it a pleasure to be sought rather than drudgery to be avoided, eventually got out of hand and has become, in some cases, the undisciplined teaching of inconsequentials. Schools and colleges have introduced many programmes devoted to developing living skills. Subjects like maths, accounts, law, environment, disaster management are widely hailed. Of late, its advocates have realised that students who have mastered these subjects are still unable to balance check-books, write letters, fill in their forms or spell law, environment. The subject, once known as English became communication skills (CS), and many of those who passed it with high grades proved later to be unable to express themselves. Things have gone downhill fast. Exams are given to harass students rather than encourage them to prove their ability. If students score higher marks in their academics, they are seen as reincarnation of Einstein or Newton and those who are creative and athletic are labelled as scums and lazy fellows. No educationist seems to be concerned that students have different abilities and if they are guided accordingly, they will surely bring name to schools and colleges. Most schools/colleges fail to instill reading habits among students. It really is an irony, because these are the same students who, after completing their BE, MBA, etc seek some classes which could guide them `How to develop personality, How to improve English and How to impress their interviewers. If they were given conducive ambience to learn, they would not face such problems.

RK Kutty: Definitely the present pattern needs a revamping. We need to re-look the present pattern of the whole country and change it in a holistic manner. Times have changed a lot. We still follow the old, redundant method that has almost outlived its utility. In the scenario of the whole world being converted into one family, our current system of school/collegiate education should have more futuristic vision to cope with this change. It is heartening to note that some of our educationist visionaries have understood the need and have already started various steps in that direction. Only thing is that once such pattern succeeds, governments - both the States as well as the Centre can study it and then introduce it for the whole country. Now, of course, cost-wise it is not easily affordable to the poor, low income groups, but if the Government can subsidize it, its cost can be reduced further but in no way the standard should be compromised. Normally, in subsidy mechanism, standards become the casualty. The HRD Ministry's endeavour to regulate the fees structure and admission pattern in accordance with the Government's reservation policy in the prestigious IIT and IIM institutions draw flaks as in that case it's credibility would be further eroded. We have lots of recommendations made by various committees to bring in educational reforms. Some States adopt it. Very recently the government of Kerala has taken a decision to change the whole curricula and also increase the duration of one period from the present 45 minutes to one hour. Earlier, they had introduced the grading pattern in matriculation and also in Plus two which, though objected to by many initially, but is now accepted by both the parents as well as students. Also, due to government's revamping of the school/college education in its own schools/colleges, a revised trend of pupils seeking admissions in government run schools and colleges has started. More strict watch on Management run schools/colleges and regulating its fees, salaries to teachers, infrastructure facilities in accordance with the norms/standards etc would keep the Management institutions under pressure. The aim of both government aided schools/colleges and Management institutions should be the over-all build up of standard/character of the student community, instead of reaping profit at any cost. More-over, these institutions must give more thrust to moral education, as we see lot of violence. Also, schools/colleges should impart physical education to ease the pressure out of student community, as they are attracted and even addicted to the culture of violence, rape, murder and other rash scenes dished out almost 24x7 by our TV channels and films that adversely affect them.

Dr Visal A Khan: Teachers need the ability to understand a subject well enough to convey its essence to a new generation of students. The goal is to establish a sound knowledge base on which students will be able to build as they are exposed to different life experiences. The passing of knowledge from generation to generation allows students to grow into useful members of society. Trained teachers can translate information, good judgment, experience and wisdom into relevant knowledge that a student can understand and retain. Therefore revamping education pattern in schools and colleges need revamping of teachers training pattern too. As said in Computer system, "Garbage input gives Garbage output." In USA not all high schools contain the uniform rigorous coursework. Most high and middle schools have classes known as "honors" classes for motivated and gifted students, where the quality of education is usually higher and much tougher.

are: First Akriti Anand , Second Shradha Shukla , Third Shivam.