Education we deserve vs. Education we get

Education breeds confidence, confidence breeds hope, hope breeds peace — Confucius

The education we get 

In India, education has always been shown as the key to a better life. We were told that if we studied sincerely, got good marks, and followed what the schools asked of us, success would follow. We believed in that promise. We sat through hours of lectures, memorised chapters, passed exams, and waited for life to reward us. But today, thousands of young Indians are struggling to find jobs.

A recent Graduate Skill Index 2025 by Mercer-Mettl reveals just how deep the problem runs—only 42.6% of Indian graduates are employable, a drop from 44.3% in 2023. Despite having degrees, most fresh graduates lack the skills required in today’s fast-changing job market. Employers are asking for both technical know-how, like AI and data analytics, and non-technical skills like communication, problem-solving, and creativity, but the system still trains students mainly to pass exams.

The gap is even clearer when comparing Tier I, II, and III institutions. Graduates from Tier-I colleges show a higher employability (48.4%) than those from Tier-II (46.1%) and Tier-III (43.4%). Among states, Delhi (53.4%), Himachal Pradesh (51.1%), and Punjab (51.1%) perform better, thanks to stronger academic infrastructure, industry collaboration, and a more supportive economic environment. This reveals how education quality and access continue to be uneven across the country, deepening inequality.

Confucius said education should lead to confidence, hope, and peace. But our system often produces the opposite: fear, confusion, and disappointment. From a young age, students are under pressure. Schools chase pass percentages. States compete for higher literacy rankings. But no one is asking—are the children actually learning anything meaningful?

The syllabus is outdated. Rote learning is still the norm. Practical skills, creativity, communication, financial literacy, and mental health are all ignored or treated as side topics. We are taught how to clear exams, not how to face real life. The system focuses more on marks than on making students confident and capable.

Education in ancient India  

In the early days, India did not have a formal or structured education system as we know it today. Learning was natural and woven into life. With time, the Vedic education system emerged, where knowledge was passed down through the study of the Vedas, Vedangas, and Upanishads. This learning took place in Gurukuls, where students lived with their Guru. The focus was not on marks or competition, but on discipline, self-discovery, and values. The state had no interference; education was handled with full freedom by the Gurus.

What made this system powerful was its personal approach. Teaching was not just about delivering lessons to a group. It was about understanding each student—their strengths, interests, and character—and helping them grow. Skills were developed. Debates, discussions, storytelling, and critical thinking were all part of daily learning. Oral traditions were strong, but they were never just about memorisation. Students were encouraged to think, reflect, question, and understand. Life skills were taught along with knowledge.

The purpose of education, then, was simple but deep: to prepare a person for life. Today, we often prepare students only for exams. While modern education focuses on performance, ancient education focused on personality. 
If we are to truly reform our system today, we must revisit the roots, not to copy the past, but to understand what we’ve lost.

The British colonial damage  

The Indian education system has undergone significant transformations, particularly during Muslim and British colonial rule, which led to the decline of traditional systems.

With the arrival of British colonial rule, the purpose of learning shifted from developing a thinking individual to preparing a submissive worker. Scientific and technological education was ignored. Critical thinking, creativity, and cultural connection were lost. This education wasn’t meant to build a strong, self-reliant India—it was meant to serve the needs of the British Empire.

Worse still, most Indians—especially those in rural areas and from lower castes—were excluded entirely. Education became a privilege for the few, not a right for all. This not only deepened social inequality but also weakened the country’s intellectual foundation. Even after independence, the effects of this system didn’t disappear. It left behind an education structure that felt foreign, elitist, and disconnected from the real India.

Many of the gaps and problems in our system today—like the lack of skill training, the over-focus on English, and the neglect of local knowledge—can be traced back to this colonial model. If we are to build an education system that truly serves India, we must recognise this history and work to undo the damage.

National Education Policy 2020 – A hopeful start, but who will it truly help?  

After years of running on a system shaped by colonial needs and outdated goals, India finally introduced the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020—a document that promises to transform the way we learn. It talks about flexibility, skill-based learning, pride in Indian culture, and most importantly, education that prepares students for life, not just for exams.

In many ways, it tries to bring back the spirit of ancient Indian learning, where a student’s individual strengths were nurtured, values were taught, and knowledge was not just memorised but lived.

NEP 2020 wants to change that rigid model left behind by the British, which focused more on creating obedient clerks than creative minds. It promises a shift towards critical thinking, multilingual education, early skill training, and respect for Indian knowledge systems.

But while these ideas sound right, we need to ask—who is this really helping right now?

The same schools that push students to mug up and score marks are now planning to conduct board exams twice a year. We’re told it’s to reduce pressure. But is it really for the students, or just another attempt to show higher pass percentages so that the next batch can be fitted into the same classrooms? Will this solve the real problem? When will we realise that just passing students is not enough?

What now? For those already left behind  

While NEP 2020 speaks of change, we must also speak for those who’ve already been through the system—millions of young Indians who studied with all their heart, followed every rule, and yet find themselves unemployed or doing jobs far below their potential.

The New Policy talks about skilling the next generation. But what about those who are already struggling in the job market? Where do they go? What can they do with outdated degrees and no practical skills?
What do we tell them now? That a new policy is here—but sorry, it's too late for you?

The Mercer-Mettl report also shows that while 46% of Indian graduates are employable in AI & ML roles, non-technical domains are facing a major setback. Only 43.5% of graduates are employable in fields like sales, marketing, HR, and business development, compared to 48.3% in 2023. That’s not just a statistic—it’s a warning. India is not just falling short on tech skills, it’s also failing to build adaptable, creative, and human-centric talent that new-age jobs demand.

The reasons are not hard to find. An outdated curriculum, lack of practical training, limited soft skill development, and the recent hiring slowdown in sectors like IT have left thousands of graduates directionless. 
We were promised the wings to fly. Instead, most of us were handed a manual on how to fold paper planes—and asked to compete.

The education we deserve

India does not lack talent. What it lacks is care. Just because we have the world’s largest youth population, with over 65% under the age of 35, doesn’t mean we can keep experimenting with their lives.
But that’s exactly what’s happening.

Every new policy becomes a test tube, and students become the samples. Some manage to survive the pressure. Some even succeed. But many break quietly. And when they do, there’s no one to blame.

Mental health issues, joblessness, and uncertainty about the future are not small side effects. They are signs that the system needs urgent reform. 

We deserve an education that believes in every child, not just the ones who top the charts.  

We deserve systems that don’t abandon those who fall behind.  

We deserve to be taught how to live with dignity, how to find work that matters, and how to stand up with confidence in a room full of problems.

If education truly bred confidence, as Confucius once said, it would show in how freely our youth think, speak, and create. That confidence would lead to hope, and that hope would build a generation unafraid of challenges. A generation that moves with peace, not fear of failure, not pressure to perform, but belief in themselves.

Today, our system still struggles to build that kind of confidence. And that is where we must begin again.

India deserves an education that respects its people. Its people deserve an education that works.

Sources:

https://www.internationalconference.in/XXI_AIC/TS3/MsManyaJain.pdf

https://vajiramandravi.com/upsc-exam/british-education-system-in-india/

https://ijip.in/pdf-viewer/?id=46134

https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf

https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/india-job-market-graduate-skill-gap-ai-automation-employability-2025-125021800437_1.html

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/hr-policies-trends/employability-of-indian-graduates-dips-in-2024-ai/ml-skills-surge-mercer-mettl-report-finds/articleshow/118338462.cms?from=mdr