Sunday, September 16, 2001		Feedback

APROPOS of Randeep Wadehra’s write-up "Still a lot to learn about education" (September 2), it goes without saying that to ensure the bright future of a country, it is essential to concentrate on education.

However, our school education, especially in rural areas, depicts a very disappointing picture. It can neither be called education nor instruction. There has been quantitative expansion, no doubt, but quantity without quality defeats the very purpose of education.

What we call our educational infrastructure is a sham. In a majority of government schools, the buildings, if any, cannot cope with extreme weather conditions, resulting in the reduction of working days. There is no arrangement for drinking water in a large number of schools. There are no libraries in most schools. Quite a number of teachers do not seriously teach in the classrooms; they compel the students to engage them for tuitions if the latter want to be promoted to the next class. Copying in the examinations is a tool in the hands of such teachers.

As people have lost all hopes of getting what is considered quality education in government schools, the so-called public schools and teaching shops have already flooded the towns and cities, and some educated unemployed young men have begun opening such public schools and educational shops in villages.

Educational administrators of the country and the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration should take a note of these facts if they want to improve the quality of education in schools. Facts, figures and tables alone are not sufficient to evaluate the state of affairs. What is more important is the moral and mental make-up of the teacher and his concern for the future of the students, without which the whole exercise becomes meaningless.

For the failure of all reforms in education, the paucity of funds has been the main excuse, whereas the main reason is the lack of devotion and will.

K.M. VASHISHT, Mansa

Our system of educational administration has resulted in complete confusion. Notwithstanding the boastful claims of bureaucratic and political leaders, our education neither encourages our students and teachers to strive for excellence, nor does it lead to any intellectual creativity. On the other hand it often bars the way of brilliant youth.

Instead of moulding young minds and converting them into productive social assets our formal education emphasises on covering a prescribed syllabus, mugging up a few answers and spewing them in the examination hall.

Despite the globalisation of education, we have not learnt to discourage a compromise with standards and to encourage scholarship without fear or favour. Scholastic capabilities, which through honest toil should uplift our academic standards, are suppressed with the all-pervasive reservations and donations.

VED GULIANI, Hisar

Rajnish Wattas’ write-up "I muse to amuse" (August 26)was interesting. Humour is the faculty of seeing funny side of a subject. It is that quality in speech, writing or action, which tends to provoke amusement.

Humour nourishes the heart, melancholy corrodes it. A good-humoured person always remains happy and enjoys the tranquillity of mind. But a humourless one generally remains down-hearted and often flares up.

"Many a serious thing is said in humour", goes the quote. Those having a sense of humour are generally ready-witted and good at repartee. Humour makes conversation more enjoyable. In fact, it is the soul of familiar talk.

BHAGWAN SINGH, Qadian

The article was superb. Khushwant Singh is right when he says that we are a humourless nation. But in the Indian context, the humour contained in our rusticity, ethnicity and diversity is the purest of all nuances and shades of humour.

The author has very vividly brought out the difference between wit, humour, satire and sarcasm. Humour in any form, if it is able to do the desired rib tickling without offending us is welcome and is the most likeable humour. However being a middle writer himself, the writer made a miserly mention of his species.

SAGAR GOWHAR, New Delhi

This refers to "Bitter taste of Bengali sweets" by Chanchal Sarkar (August 26).

Rasogollas were initially called baikunthobhog. Their origin is an unique as the taste of these spongy cheese balls floating in sugar syrup. Around 130 years ago, Nabin Chandra Das hailing from a family of leading sugar merchants in undivided Bengal, used to sell sweetmeats in Kolkata. But business had touched a low ebb. Only a miracle could save it. He was experimenting with this sweetmeat but was unable to achieve the right method. It is said that in 1868, a voice from heavens gave him the correct recipe. No wonder the ‘heavenly’ sweet was appropriately named baikunthobhog, handed down to us as rasogolla. The descendants of N.C. Das — K.C. Das Pvt. Ltd — plan to open rasogolla factories in Canada and Australia.

ROSHNI JOHAR, Shimla