Personal Social Responsibility and Education
Ravi Sharma
National Education Policy, 2020 is no doubt a visionary document. However, every document is only a manifestation of intention unless it is backed by the conviction and commitment to achieve the objectives set therein. And for setting a perspective, I am quoting from the policy itself:
Education is fundamental for achieving full human potential, developing an equitable and just society, and promoting national development. Providing universal access to quality education is the key to India’s continued ascent, and leadership on the global stage in terms of economic growth, social justice and equality, scientific advancement, national integration, and cultural preservation.
This introduction per se shows the importance of education to achieve full human potential which is as basic a characteristic as the existence of human being itself. This may be compared with basic structure of Constitution as defined by the Supreme Court of India in the illustrated case of Keshvanand Bharti. Thus, we need to ponder upon why till date we have not been able to accomplish such a basic goal. There may be lack of infrastructure or funding but do we have the sufficient zeal to accomplish the same.
The task seems Herculean if we think about the sheer population which need to be educated, however, the same population may become a force if we try to appreciate and apply the concept of Personal Social Responsibility (‘PSR’) in the field of education. In the past also, the India was a leader in the field of education only for the reason that we were able to produce quality teacher. The time has come up again for us to reclaim our place in the field of knowledge and education. Over the years, the responsibility to teach students and make them a better human being has been on the government and private school teachers. The Government institutions have failed miserably for the lack of interest, discipline and supervisions. This sheer lack of passion amongst most of Government School teachers has created a vacuum in providing quality education to a great portion of population. The situation is not much better even in case of private
schools that to when they cater to a small population.
But still we have best engineers, doctors, lawyers, judges and other professionals though they are not contributing to this knowledge pool which has been left only for teachers to fulfil.Thus, it becomes a sine qua non that the intellectuals and passionate professionals should come within the umbrella of PSR and contribute to the society by educating the underprivileged strata. A system may be created wherein the children would study in the government school however the education would be supervised by a group of intellectuals under the programme of PSR. Though, PSR initiative is totally voluntary in nature but if it becomes mandatory like military training in some countries then the transformation it would create can be imagined.
If we take a vow that compulsorily every young professional would donate certain hours towards this common goal of PSR, then only this great dream of education would be achieved.
Let’s create history, let somebody else write it.