SANITIZING EDUCATION

Concerns have always existed about providing quality education in the institutions of learning, whatever level they are. When it comes to higher institutions of learning, who specifically prepare children for professional courses, and also provide gateways for plum positions subject to their successful completion of these courses, they are expected to maintain highest level of integrity and practice value systems which are never questionable. In view of the above, these institutions are much sought after and there is a cutting-edge competition for admission to such institutions where students are oftentimes refused entry based on fractions of a few integers in their performance profiles. Many times, students who have excellent track record of performance lose such favored institutions and are forced to seek other avenues for quenching their intellectual hunger. At the same time, there are others who are influential in the society either in terms of their position or wealth or other definitions of social status, who explore all possible ways of getting entry for their wards through unfair practices. While a number of institutions with recorded history of academic glory have resisted, negated or braved such compulsions, it has become a sad story in the modern times that some people of questionable value in such institutions facilitate such processes, much to the displeasure of other leaders who value fairness.

In societies, where there are limited opportunities for growth, such interventions become much more obvious. A few decades before, acquiring a seat in an institution of engineering and technology was indeed difficult, due to paucity of seats. Hence with a bit of privatization, commercialization of such institutions took place, with a few wealthy who could offer exorbitant donations and other compensations. Further, people in power could make recommendations of the undeserved either from their family or immediate circles, or for others at a cost, Unscrupulous elements also adopted several other techniques of gaining entry by falsified data, certificates and exploiting other special considerations provided for admissions to especially talented. Needless to say, such interventions did impact the quality of intuitional excellence. Thanks to the efforts of the Government, opportunities for such studies opened up with an explosion in the number of higher institutions offering such courses and also through legitimized competitive entrance tests. But the tragedy is that many such institutions did not have either the required infrastructure for basic development of skills or did not have the qualified faculty to impart such knowledge. In trying to scale the numbers, the quality was compromised in many places.

This trend did encompass other institutions which are non-technical, but related to pursuit of science, medicine and other professional pursuits. In order to show up the number of research papers some people even compromised on the quality of research, in terms of poor themes, poor analysis and proof, plagiarism of data and what not. Many with such research qualifications could not pursue any scientific inquiry subsequently and engaged into works which are inappropriate to their qualifications. In a few cases, the researchers and the apprentices were treated with such a contempt by the academy that they left their pursuits in disgust.

The phenonmenon was more evident in less developed countries and developing countries which some of the developed nations did boast of education and research of a high quality. No wonder, the students from the other countries do get gravitated for pursuit of education in such countries. There was indeed some proven evidence in their admission criteria so that only students with aptitude, interest, and with an intent to make a mark could get in. The scenario, no more, appears to be valid. Some recent revelations do raise serious doubts about their questionable practices.

In a recent news one could see that the Duke University agreed to pay to the Federal Government in US $112.5 Million as a compensation to a series of Fake Research cases, consequent a law suit, where the Tax Payers funds were allotted to the project by the Federal Government. Falsified and fraudulent data furnished by a technician supported by some heads brought the sanction for the project for several years. The news is indeed quite shocking.

Similarly, a fake admission racket in US, in some of the leading colleges to the wards of the wealthy parents by faking their sports certificates, by fake SAT scores certificates and other instruments for admission has raised the eyebrows of many. It appears that such things have been happening for a few years. In one such inquiry, a witness had admitted that he had done it nearly 30 times.   

Cases have also been reported about fake universities admitting students who had to be deported to their respective countries. Such cases have come to light in many educational corridors.

The irony of educational institutions being run by people who have no scent of education and yet are proclaimed as the undeclared Kings of those academies in the modern posts of chancellors, is sometimes disgusting.

It really matters not where such things occur – the country, the university, the school or a research institution. It speaks volumes of the dirt that exists in the sacred field of education. It needs to be sanitized.

Education, per se, is an instrument of refining the human beings intellectually, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. If unfair practices proliferate the corridors of education, just to award certificates to people at different levels for different competencies, whether or not they are relevant, useful or purposeful, its core objective is lost.

Before sanitizing the corridors of the institutions, I think the inner self of the educators leaves a lot of scope for sanitization. And of course – the people who matter to this scenario-the stakeholder.