‘We have a textbook case of bad education system’

APJ Abdul Kalam, renowned scientist and former president of India, is unhappy with the education system in India. He feels there is an urgent need to add value-based lessons in textbooks at the school and university levels.

Addressing the first batch of students graduating from the Toyota Technical Training Institute (TTTI) on Friday, Kalam said, “Currently, there is no scope for skill development, and existing textbooks lack in strength. We need to add value-based skills in textbooks.”

He said that the gap between industry requirements and availability of employable graduates was huge. “We need employment generators and not employment seekers. Even the university system is very traditional and most students graduating with master’s degree are not eligible in the job market. Educational institutions need to be customer-centric and aptitude-developing.”

Kalam said nearly 10 million people in India were rejected by the job market every year. He said, “Each year, we have nearly seven million students passing classes 10 and 12, and three million graduating from universities. But, of this number, 10 million are rejected by the job market.”

Expressing concern over environmental pollution and global warming, Kalam said, “Protecting the environment is a major challenge that the automobile industry is facing now. The next generation should concentrate on using solar power, electricity and bio-fuel motored vehicles and should invent such transportation facilities.”

Kalam said the global changes in environment were linked to the automobile industry and that globally, 30 billion tonnes of carbon were produced every year and that by the end of 2010, over one billion vehicles would hit the roads.