Unveiling the Facts: Why the Indian Education System is Crashing?

India, a renowned country known for its rich cultural heritage and intellectual legacy has long produced some of the brightest minds in the world. If we look into India's history, we will find that the oldest universities, such as Nalanda and Takshashila, attracted scholars from various other continents. Still, in today's generation, the modern Indian Education System paints a different image with severe challenges, leaving behind nurturing talents, promoting innovation, and fostering equitable access to quality education.

The Historical Background: From the Ancient Wisdom to New-Age Trials.

The history of education in India is extraordinarily colorful, with Nalanda, Vikramashila, and Takshashila being foremost among the centers of learning and intellectual contending.  Education was deeply rooted in philosophy, science, mathematics, and literature, attracting all the intellects from all over the world; the colonial regime, however, drastically altered the Indian education system, placing more emphasis on rote memory and administrative capacities to train the colonial subjects to meet its ends.  

After the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2009, Independent India struggled hard to make access to education possible to a great extent, and the country has yet to rehabilitate the basic problems, which include lack of funding, inequality, and an outdated curriculum. 

Facts Why the Indian Education System is Crasing?

Infrastructure Insufficiency

The Indian Government imposed various rules to improve the school infrastructure, but still, many institutions lack basic facilities. According to a 2016 report:

• 3.5% of schools had no toilet facilities.
• Only 68.7% of the toilets in the schools.
• In rural areas, there is a lack of resources for study; for example, classrooms are often overcrowded.
• Inequitable Sanitation facilities for girls.

Quality Issues Due to Teacher Absenteeism

Teacher absenteeism is a major issue in Indian schools, with studies showing that approximately 25% are missing on any one day.  Additionally, only approximately half of those present are actively teaching during school hours. This neglect causes significant losses, estimated at around $2 billion each year in squandered salary.

Efforts to improve teacher accountability, such as biometric attendance tracking, have been used in some areas but require widespread adoption.

Rote Learning Method Implementation

The Indian education system ends the creativity, problem-solving, and analytical skills of the students. This strategy leaves students unprepared for real-world issues.  A clear example of this was the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), in which Indian states Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh were second-last globally, barely ahead of Kyrgyzstan.

Inequality in the Education

Social and economic inequities continue to limit educational chances for underrepresented people. Caste, gender, and financial restraints all have a substantial impact on dropout rates.

• The 2011 Census report says that the male literacy rate was 82% while the female literacy rate was 65%.
• Financial issues were responsible for 24.9% of leaving school.
• Household duties and economic activities impacted an additional 23.8% of students.

Corruption within the Higher Officials

Corruption in the school system exacerbates existing issues.  Bribes for admissions, exaggerated enrollments, and the mishandling of funding limit the effectiveness of government programs aimed at improving educational quality.

Where Does India Stand in the Global Comparison?

If we compare India with other countries based on Education then here is data that defines the position of India:

• First, there is a lack of primary education among the age group of 25 to 64, which is 30.4% of the total population, and 23.1% of Indians have not even attended school, which concludes they are illiterate. 
• As per the comparison with India, Finland is known for its student-centered education, with less emphasis on rote learning and more on teacher training, and Singapore emphasizes critical thinking, creativity, and skills development. 

These comparisons underline the urgent need for India to modernize its outdated educational model for effective global competition.

Action raised by the Government of India

Surprise Inspections of Schools

In December 2024, the Central Board of Secondary Education CBSE undertook unannounced inspections at thirty schools in Delhi, Bengaluru, and Patna. It revealed rampant forms of malpractice like dummy students- those who are enrolled while not attending classes. Numerous institutions were also found to be flouting infrastructural and operational norms, compelling the CBSE to shoot legal letters.

Teacher Competency Tests

In some governments, tests are being conducted to improve teacher quality through competency assessments. These tests are supposed to examine whether the educators have requisite subject knowledge and teaching skills. However, such low performance created question marks regarding the teacher education programs.

Malpractices in Cheating 

Recent reports have shown massive organized cheating rackets that spell the work of examination fraud across many states in India. Such malpractices demoralize what the country calls educational legitimacy, thus giving rise to the need for stricter test reform.

Impact on School Meal Programs 

Amid the continuing food inflation, many school meal programs cut budgets for the nutrition of nearly 120 million students who depend on these programs to fulfill their daily needs. 

Recommendations for Improving Indian Education

To get solutions to various problems that challenge the education sector in India, one requires a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach. 

Infrastructure Development 

• Improve school infrastructure, especially in rural areas, to have access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and electricity. 
• Create a suitable digital infrastructure providing remote and hybrid learning environments. 

Enhanced Teacher Training and Responsibility. 

• Create rigorous teacher training and certification programs.  
• Regular assessments with performance-based incentives. 

Curricular Reforms 

• Move from rote learning to skill-based education focused on creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. 
• Timely renewal of syllabi to meet global technological and economic advancements. 

Equal Participation in Education 

• Targeted initiatives for the use of financial aid to disadvantaged populations. 
• Create a larger impact for awareness campaigns and fellowships for girls in gender equality. 

Technological Access 

• Use of digital platforms to improve learning outcomes and access to quality learning resources. 
• Invest in teacher training to bring about technology use in schools. 

Loading Reform in Examination 

• Tight monitoring systems are in place to prevent malpractice during examinations. 
• Prefer continuous evaluation as opposed to one-off exams of high stakes. 

Last Words

The Indian education system is at a turning point. With a rich educational background and a young and vibrant population, India continues to fail to deliver and limit this immense potential. 

Infrastructural shortages, teacher absenteeism, outdated curricula, and unequal access to education remain some of the major obstacles in the way of development. 

The Indian education system needs a total revamp with a special and comprehensive focus on infrastructure, equity, accountability, and curricular modernization to restore the system. Only then India will empower its students to compete on a global scale and make a significant contribution to national development. 

Now is the time for change, and the future of India will depend on it.