During our last week in our hill-home, three boys from the next village of Kaphura took to visiting me - on holidays, or between school and their evening tuition - to take turns riding my wife’s cycle. Mine, I told them when they stopped me to plead for a ride, is far too big for any of them to handle.
I've been thinking about this recently. We keep hearing people say—usually with a fair amount of pride—that our's is the youngest country in the world, and the world had better look out for the upcoming flood of Indian talent. But our education system is wanting and there aren't jobs. We're just creating the largest unskilled labour force in the world.
India holds both truths simultaneously - we have a large force of coding jockeys, who have supplied the world with low cost programming; and a rapidly growing army of the unemployed.
Families which have been in the city for generations, can access high-quality education, and choose from myriad careers, have little visibility of the weight that holds down the others.
Even in the best institutes of the country (I am telling from experience) , I have seen lost faces. They are incredibly hard working and intelligent, but they lack the wider knowledge of the world and the economy. It's really a very sad state.
Great piece. It is a little better in the cities, but not that much better for the poor.
I must say my wife and I have spoken to kids from government and local Christian schools in villages in Kerala and both their command of English and their overall knowledge of the world was quite good.
This recent article on Vietnam had caught my eye. Some hyperbole, of course, but still makes sense.
Food for thought
I've been thinking about this recently. We keep hearing people say—usually with a fair amount of pride—that our's is the youngest country in the world, and the world had better look out for the upcoming flood of Indian talent. But our education system is wanting and there aren't jobs. We're just creating the largest unskilled labour force in the world.
India holds both truths simultaneously - we have a large force of coding jockeys, who have supplied the world with low cost programming; and a rapidly growing army of the unemployed.
This was heart breaking.
Families which have been in the city for generations, can access high-quality education, and choose from myriad careers, have little visibility of the weight that holds down the others.
Even in the best institutes of the country (I am telling from experience) , I have seen lost faces. They are incredibly hard working and intelligent, but they lack the wider knowledge of the world and the economy. It's really a very sad state.
So much for our so called 'Demographic dividend'. If we can't get them skilled/employed, it's going to be a tough tough road ahead.
Great piece. It is a little better in the cities, but not that much better for the poor.
I must say my wife and I have spoken to kids from government and local Christian schools in villages in Kerala and both their command of English and their overall knowledge of the world was quite good.
This recent article on Vietnam had caught my eye. Some hyperbole, of course, but still makes sense.
https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/06/29/why-are-vietnams-schools-so-good