Indian Education and the Stakeholder Conflicts — A Gargantuan Problem

India needs a comprehensive education model, one that balances the priorities of all the stakeholders. In my mind, we have the six entities involved:

Students: The majority focus on a degree. Goal? For the underprivileged, it is getting into the service sector, for the privileged — to go to a developed country.

Teachers: In government institutions, job security is the key driver — and unions play a big role. In a private school, the focus is to move to another career with a higher salary.

Parents: At the bottom of the pyramid, schools take care of food and shelter throughout the day with education as a bonus. For the middle class — it’s a way to move up the social ladder. For the rich it is always a challenge to make time for kids — so throw money hoping results will happen.

Administrators: Rent-seeking is rampant, especially where affiliations and certifications are involved. Others are more comfortable with the traditionalist approach.

Policymakers: Mostly stuck with legacy. Education being a state subject complicates the issue.

Politicians: A large number of educational institutions are run with political affiliations. Most of them look at this as a business.

Unless we look at the interests of stakeholders and balance, hurdles will remain.

Now, how do we balance them? Will like to hear.