The rift we see among the teacher, student and parents in the story “Crime and Punishment” by R.K. Narayan is typical of the modern education system. Almost all parents, especially in Kerala, want even their below-average students to become doctors and engineers. The parents have high expectations from their children. The children want to enjoy their life with all the modern gadgets available to them.
Teachers want to make money. Look at the number of coaching centres we have! What is the only aim of the so-called coaching centres? Students are forced to go there by the ambitious parents. So we have a vicious circle. Teachers tlo not do their real work in their regular class hours because they want to ‘work’ in the tuition centres. In the Exams of 2017 we saw how Coaching Centres and people in charge of setting Examination Question Papers collude to make money, playing with the lives of children.
The modern education system especially in Kerala is in a mess. Education has become a major industry in Kerala. The result? Many students commit suicide as they can’t cope with the strain of studies. We should change all that. The earlier, the better.