Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Our education is exclusive

The education system in India, especially these days, are producing a miopic, copy-paste generation. There is little scope for imagination and innovation. Forget the cheap goods from China, ever wonder why the expensive kitchen systems and sleek door-closers are imported from Germany, even glassware from Singapore? Be it technology or the arts - we are losing the capability to think for ourselves, even for our own needs.

As far as others' needs go, crossing a street in NJ a few years back was an eye-opener.

There was this pillar with the traffic light in front of me on the pavement. I stood there for a few minutes and the cars kept on passing. Do people don't cross roads here on foot - there were hardly any other pedestrians at the junction! And the cars sped by too fast to try any adventure - India style. Then a man came around, pressed a switch on the pillar, the light turned red and we crossed the road. Felt a little stupid for not noticing the switch but a bell ringing while we crossed the street did not miss my ear. On enquiring I found that the bell was for the blind - they could cross as long as the bell was ringing.

We don't even build a wheelchair ramp in Govt buildings in our country. Nor at Railway stations. Not even at all swanky office buildings. We claim we are the most sensitive race. Who would think of a bell for the blind.

Reproducing an anecdote I came across while reading about Jeeja Ghosh on the net. Moving and thought provoking, to say the least.

" I will never forget the Irish steward on a British Airways flight from Delhi to London who helped me board with my daughter Moy Moy who has severe special needs — as he was leading us to our seats in Economy, he noticed she was drooling and without a moment's hesitation, he wiped her chin for her. As he settled us in our seats, he said, “I don't think you'll be comfortable enough here. Let me see what I can do.” A few moments later, he returned and moved us into Business Class.
The man sitting next to us there, who had paid good money for his fancy seat, could have objected or at least made us feel awkward and unwelcome but instead he did everything possible to help us, including looking after Moy whenever I went to the bathroom.
The steward, I found out later, had a younger sister with special needs. My co-passenger had attended an inclusive school.
Captain Utprabh Tiwari wasn't born wanting to discriminate against Jeeja Ghosh. He was taught to."
"Want to change the world? Start with teaching the children ! "

Napoleon quotation : World suffers a lot ... silence of good people

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