Education: The pain and perils!

Singapore shows promises in several spheres - it tops the most developed countries list in Asia. Despite being a small nation with less than half of Chennai, and despite achieving independence 18yrs after India did, the country has grown leaps and bounds. Although initially disappointed with the failure of the merger with Malaysia, they emerged out more aggressive and grew - playing by their strength, and planning intensively being their most powerful strategies. And, the government ensures that these strategies permeate to the lowest rung of the society. Through permeation to the lowest rung of the society, they ensure an inclusive governance. Inclusive governance where the government forethinks for the society, and ensure contribution from every one of the population here - their biggest resource. Well, they go overboard in this, by investing and seeking returns from E.V.E.R.Y. little child in the country. Lets talk about schooling here.

To send kids to pre-school is the parents choice. But, kids HAVE to start primary at age 7. And the government ensures that its citizens get the best education at low cost (mind, low cost ONLY for citizens). Every kid goes through a pressure cooker from P1 (Primary  1) through university. First there is a grouping of kids according to their grades in P3 - where the section to which kids belong is identified based on their scores from P1 through P3. Next, there is PSLE exam - the most dreadful year is P6, where they rank kids according to their PSLE marks (cumulated),   and assign them to schools graded according to the  quality of schools. Stressful for kids-yes, stressful for parents-yes, kids losing out on childhood -yes. But ther government doesn't just stop with exams. They have government sponsored special classes and tuition for less performing kids - providing them an opportunity to compete with the advantaged. Kids of all genre grow together - hence, there is little societal difference in the exposure.

Also, there are merits to the exams - the grading system helps this government to pick the best performing creamy lot to offer scholarships. There are so many kinds of scholarships, so many institutions of scholarship. These handpicked lot are offered scholarships and send their kids to premier institutions around the world (MIT, Stanford, etc) - with a bond to serve the country on completion. In a way, they groom their leaders. How do these leaders influence international policy making is an altogether different question, but like I mentioned earlier, they play by strength - they ONLY have limited resources, and have to ensure that their resources are rightfully used for their own country's progress. Also, working in an organization that comes directly under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, I can vouch for the magnitude and quality of planning these guys undertake. They have a solid 10-yr plan - and they don't stop with planning - there is accountability at every level towards execution. For example, with education, there are KPIs for teachers - teachers have to continually upgrade themselves, they are well paid making the teaching job lucrative.

In this context, it would be  interesting to understand what plans our government has, while they announce a public exam for Class 5 and Class 8. For, there has to be a reason why our kids have to forego their treasured childhood - will it help these kids exposed to a better tomorrow?

Firstly, on what basis or research was the class 5 and 8 chosen? Why not class 4, 6, 7 etc? Why specifically 5 &8?

Secondly, is the Indian society anywhere nearer to the scenario described above. There is already a prevailing situation in the country - a prevailing discrimination that is being hard fought from eons. 

Let's, for a moment forget the less previleged, and assume that the government wants to groom their leaders: Does the government have better plans for education/scholarships? If so, what plans? And how would they actualize this? And how does the exam for P5 and P8 enable these plans? 

What is the agenda for the government for the next 10years? What do they want to focus on, for the next decade? With all the industries failing miserably, 

Finally, whats with the 3 years? What plans does the government have, for empowering in the next 3 years?

In a democracy, a government has to be accountable to the civilian, but here, the education minister proclaims: Kids should increase their potential for the exams et al. Dear education minister, thanks for your advise - if 'we' have to increase our potential, please educate us on what your roles and responsibilities are, as a minister. Also, can you please educate us on what you'd like to achieve through the imposition of the public exams for class 5 and 8?