An Ideal College
“Education has for its object, the formation of character.” -H. Spencer
Education-an enlightenment of mind’ dwells in an atmosphere of a good environment and prosperous thinking. An ideal college has to present the process or programme of education in a congenial manner. In a normal concept, particularly in India, education has a certain linkage with return on investment. Careers are decided on the basis of thinking that how much salary one can earn after acquiring the programme. In other words, colleges and institutions are nothing but mints for producing youngsters and sending them for the queue at employment exchange.
Colleges are built with a motive to earn profits. The main target is high profits at every stage. Students are either coming from rich families and their objectives are showing of their wealth and fashions. Some brilliant students, who are from the normal middle class, try to work on their own. Teachers too have to struggle for the second group of candidates, The concentration is more on theories and thesis. The practical aspect is totally neglected.
Traditional education is on the pattern of Gurukul. An ideal college should have the guidance of dedicated teachers. Such guidance should be all-time and the teachers should be encouraged to impart training not only in books but also in practical life. The teacher should handle each student very personal and should make ideal citizens out of students.
College should have good labs, open ground, a proper hostel for boarders and strict ruling while cultivating culture and manners among the trainees. It should be worked on the army line, where the candidates are groomed for all the ups and downs of life. A bare fact that needs to be kept in view is that financial tightness has shattered life in general. Parents are too busy to spare time for their wards. The routine struggle makes them totally tired. Thus they fail to cope with the requirement. The candidate indulges in malpractices for proxy in class or mass copying. This evolves hostel life for the wards. They can gain the best if teachers take an interest.
The plight of the teachers worsens when they do not get monthly emoluments in time. They feel the pinch very indifferently and look for income outside the college attendance. They look for tuitions and extra classes where they charge good money. The payments are mostly delayed due to financial problems which disturb the smooth working of an institution. Hence the financial position of a college should be reviewed every now and then and teachers be provided with proper facilities.
The staff of a college should be regular, qualified and practical education-minded. Contacts in industry and offices should be established as and when required and students should be encouraged to develop friendships in this sector.
Lastly, the ideal college should produce ideal citizens for the nation. Every student should have the dignity of labour and should make efforts to learn while he earns. My personal opinion does not favour co-education. My preference will be the separate institutions for girls and boys. Even if co-education is adopted, every care should be taken for a perfect discipline and observance of a regular code of conduct.
The institution/college of this pattern will certainly be an ideal institution for the students and it will certainly be at par to our expectations.
