July 16, 2014

Thanks to some readers for blog, Facebook, email and WWF comments and questions.  I am glad you are following me.  That makes it fun.  I can't guarantee the accuracy of my answers but I do asked educated sources.  Also, my perceptions of many things are forming and they shift as I travel to a new state.  I am sure you can see that if you are "traveling" with me.  Questions came in about education,  the first school I visited was a government school and tuition is free but uniforms are required.  The school yesterday was private and cost $15,000.00 per year - very expensive by India standards.  The Fatah School in Amritsar cost about $800.00 a year for day school.  I guess that some International Baccalaureate Schools have been started that are even more expensive.  To get into Delhi University you have to have perfect, not top exam scores.  Educational opportunities are definitely related to socio-economic class which is often directly or subtlety related to caste, even though as I said caste is not sanctioned by law.  The students from the elite schools are going to college here or in the USA and they are driven to work hard.  They are academic competition for our own best and brightest.  They take their opportunities very seriously.  They aren't laid back.  About thirty percent of the school age population graduates at age 18.  Many have finished school and gone on to polytechnical institutes at age 16.  The American community college model is being copied, but many educated individuals wonder why since they already have so many successful polytechnic institutes.  Copying American and British models isn't popular with the educated elite, but is with bureaucrats.  The educated elites want systems that fit the unique characteristics of India.  I mentioned before that about thirty percent don't have access to education at all due to remote location or extreme poverty.  Great questions.  They make me think.