Indian schools are asylums

I still remember when I wrote an article criticizing the Indian education system for my school magazine. I thought people would relate, maybe even agree. But instead, I got backlash. Some teachers said I was being "too negative." Some classmates came up to me saying, "At least India allows girls to study. Some countries don’t even do that." And the worst one? "At least there are no school shootouts here." Like what even??? What does that have to do with the fact that our education system is garbage? It’s like saying, "Oh, you should be grateful for eating rotten food because some people don’t get food at all." That logic makes zero sense!

The real problem is that Indians are obsessed with glorifying the past. "Oh, we had Nalanda University, we were the best in mathematics, we invented zero." Cool bro, but what now? What are we doing for the future? Absolutely nothing. We are stuck in a cycle of memorizing outdated textbooks, writing exams that test our ability to mug up facts instead of thinking critically and studying subjects we will never use in real life. The syllabus is so old that half the things we learn are irrelevant. Like, why am I still studying Windows XP in my computer books when the world has already moved to AI and cloud computing?

The biggest issue? There are NO clubs, NO extracurricular activities, NOTHING that actually helps students explore their interests. In other countries, students have coding clubs, robotics teams, debate societies, proper sports infrastructure, and creative arts programs. Meanwhile, in India, all we get is "Beta, focus on your studies. IIT ya NEET ke alawa kuch nahi hai." Why is our whole life revolving around two or three career options? Not everyone wants to be a doctor or engineer! But try telling that to desi parents, and suddenly you’re labeled as a "disappointment" or "too modern."

And let’s talk about quality. The schools that actually teach well? Too expensive for normal people. Government schools? Most of them are in terrible condition, with no proper teachers, no resources, and no motivation to improve. Even private schools are just money-making machines. They take lakhs in fees and still force students to study from the same 10-year-old syllabus. Forget skill-based education, half the schools don’t even teach financial literacy or basic life skills.

I hate how this country refuses to accept its flaws. The moment you say something critical, people jump on you with "At least we are better than X country." Bro, stop comparing downwards. Compare upwards! Why can’t we aim to be like Finland or some other country where education actually focuses on innovation and creativity? Why is our whole system built on stress, fear, and competition instead of actual learning?

I don’t hate India. I hate how people refuse to change it. If no one fixes this, the future is going to be just as outdated and frustrating as our present. And I, for one, don’t want to be stuck in a system that refuses to grow.