As India celebrated Teachers’ Day on 5 September in memory of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the nation's second president, it is an appropriate time to reflect on the state of the country's education system and the reforms needed to prepare children and youth for a rapidly changing world.

Education is a basic need and a responsibility of both the Central and State governments. It must be provided universally as a public good. Yet India has still not achieved full functional literacy and numeracy. Declining public investment has weakened many government schools, contributed to teacher shortages and poor accountability, and affected learning outcomes. At the same time, private schools and coaching centres have filled some of these gaps, often at costs that many families cannot afford.

Gap Between Education and Employment

The appointment of a new education minister provides an opportunity to undertake a comprehensive review of education at every level. India needs to universalise literacy, numeracy and useful education while improving standards to meet global expectations. The gap between education and employment is particularly serious. Many graduates, including those from technical disciplines, leave university without the skills required by employers. Weak accountability for teaching and learning outcomes contributes to this problem.

Government schools must ensure that teachers actually teach the prescribed curriculum during school hours. Students should not be compelled to pay for private tuition, particularly from their own teachers, to learn what should have been taught in the classroom. 

The focus of education should also move from memorising information to inquiry, critical thinking and problem-solving. Teachers should encourage students to ask questions, conduct research and apply knowledge. Continuous assessment can provide a better measure of learning than examinations that encourage rote preparation.

Coaching classes and private tuition should be reconsidered, except where genuinely necessary, such as for specially abled children. Public spending on education must increase rather than decline, because investment in education is an investment in India's future.

School education should also provide multiple pathways. Students should have opportunities after Classes 8, 10 or 12 to enter vocational, technical or professional training and employment. University education should be available to those who demonstrate the required academic ability, with Class 12 performance playing a greater role in admission. This would reduce the excessive pressure created by multiple entrance examinations and allow universities to concentrate on students pursuing higher academic qualifications.

Vocational education should begin from Class 6 and include practical training in trades, manufacturing, agriculture, food processing and services. Training should also include English-language skills so that qualified workers can find employment across India and overseas. Areas such as jewellery making, construction, electrical and electronics work, beauty services, automobile and machinery repair, and agriculture offer substantial employment opportunities. Public-private partnerships could provide training and nationally or internationally recognised Certificates of Competence.

Education as Economic Opportunity

India should also view education and skills as an economic opportunity. High-quality universities and professional institutions can attract students from South Asia, Africa and even developed countries, particularly where foreign students face high tuition costs and debt. International recognition of Indian degrees and diplomas should therefore be pursued vigorously. Foreign-student quotas should be fully utilised, generating foreign exchange that can be reinvested in facilities, research and faculty development.

Engineering, innovation and design are other areas where India has considerable potential. Engineering institutions need stronger funding for research and closer links with industry and MSMEs. Universities and independent design centres could help students, researchers and entrepreneurs turn ideas into prototypes, patents and marketable products. Such centres need not be expensive; appropriately equipped facilities and trained operators could provide valuable services while generating revenue.

There is also an urgent need to expand education and training in medicine, veterinary science, paramedical services and life sciences. Management education should support enterprises of every size, from home-based businesses and MSMEs to large companies. Special attention must be given to the education, skills development and employment of specially abled students.

India's National Education Policy should be reviewed with the objective of producing creative thinkers and inquiry-based problem-solvers. STEM education, balanced with liberal arts, can create graduates who are technically capable, imaginative and socially responsible. Greater resources must also be devoted to research and development.

Harmonising Regional Education

 Finally, India can become an educational leader beyond its borders. It could share STEM courses and expertise in English with universities across the Global South. Teams of Indian academics, including experienced retired faculty, could help partner institutions develop curricula, teaching methods and assessment systems. Harmonising regional educational standards and recognising qualifications across countries would also encourage professional mobility.

Education must ultimately be treated not merely as a cost but as an investment and a productive service. If India reforms education at every level, strengthens accountability, expands vocational training, supports research and makes quality education internationally competitive, it can create a generation of capable citizens within the next fifteen years—citizens able to contribute to national prosperity, generate employment and help lift millions out of poverty.

If South Asian governments urgently review and reform their education systems, the region can all benefit within 15 years from our demographic dividend and unleash the region's immense knowledge and growth potential within a generation.New education systems must be interactive and inter-operative to allow free movement of professionals, capital and labour around the region and thereby optimize the growth and prosperity of a quarter of humanity on this planet in a sustainable way. 

(The writer is a former Indian ambassador and policy analyst. The views expressed are personal.  He can be reached at sarva.chakravarti@yahoo.co.uk)