Essays

Now a days, the trends for studying abroad have shown an upward surge. The rising population levels of the students and researchers in India have triggered this phenomenon. There is no serious debate about the difference in the educational norms in the West and those in India; the Western societies are much ahead of us in terms of quality education. The inquisitive students of India certainly do well after studying in the educational institutions abroad.

The pragmatic and scientific approach of the educational institutions of the West gives the students an edge over those who get education in India. Further, research students also find that their efforts are very much productive (and respected) in the foreign countries and not in India. This unique feature of education in the alien lands has made our students queue up for admissions into the foreign universities.

However, the grass may not always be greener in the distant lands. There are some pitfalls and problems associated with the education in foreign countries. Let us analyze the pros and cons of education abroad. We would like to make a rational assessment of the whole scenario in the context of the current social, economic and political scenarios prevalent in India and the in the countries where the students like to go for studies.

The advanced nations like the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are offering professional and non- professional courses in various streams of education. Some of the streams include major engineering disciplines, pure sciences, architecture, medicine, surgery, arts, English language, computer science and engineering, nursing, management, nuclear engineering, publishing, printing technology, plastics technology, fashion design, textile engineering, space research and food sciences. The courses are offered for undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate degrees. The academic sessions begin in the January (Winter Session), September (Autumn Session) and March (Spring Session), though some universities also offer four sessions for admission.

The students are required to appear in the tests that are specially conducted by the educational testing institutions abroad (like those conducted by the Educational Testing Service at Princeton, New Jersey). If the candidates clear the tests with good scores, they are eligible for admission to those universities that accept the results of such institutes. The students then apply for admission and send their marks sheets (of the entrance tests), records of academic qualifications, a note on their abilities and limitations in the context of the course applied for, their financial status/ support of a relative abroad and some useful academic references.

Their academic records are scrutinized thoroughly by the universities and colleges and the students are admitted if they fulfill the pre-specified criteria. The students are then informed about the admissions and they are supposed to get the students' visas (normally, PI1 visa for admission to the universities in the USA). When the visas are issued, they are required to make preparations for enough of resources for their studies, boarding and lodging in the foreign country. The students join the university from the session that has already been decided. They are also required to pay the fees and for boarding and lodging in advance for the first academic year (which is normally of two semesters).

When a student gets admitted to a foreign university or college, he becomes thrilled and exhilarated. A bright future beckons him in a distant land and he gears up for the testing times that lie ahead. Some students are offered scholarships and study grants. The universities offer the scholarships depending upon the funds available for the same. The admissions committee decides the number of scholarships and the candidates who would get them after careful scrutiny. The past academic performances of the candidates as well as the marks obtained in the admission tests are the major criteria. The students of undergraduate courses are not offered any scholarships but exceptions are also there to this general rule.

The students of graduate and post-graduate courses are eligible for scholarships if they fulfill the criteria mentioned earlier. Some students of graduate and post-graduate courses are also eligible for teaching assignments in the department in which, they study. For that purpose, they have to prove their teaching abilities and are required to possess the knowledge about the subject to be taught.

The total course fees for an undergraduate degree are in the range of US$ 4,000-7,000 per academic session comprising two semesters of six months each. The course fees for the graduate and post-graduate courses vary from US$ 7,000 to US$ 12,000 per academic session, depending upon the nature of the course. Visa expenses, travelling expenses, boarding and lodging expenses and the sundry expenses during the stay abroad are in addition to the course fees.

 As a rule of thumb, the student would be required to pay US$ 150-300 per month for the food, accommodation and other living expenses in a foreign university. Entertainment expenses are not included in this estimate. The total cost of study abroad on per annum basis would vary from US$ 11,000 to US$ 17,000 per annum.

The student has to slog for hours in order to get the degree or diploma he is pursuing for. This puts a great burden on his eyes, brain and physique. The student would also be required to participate in physical activities, games and other events that are vital for his personality development (like extempore contests, debates, quiz contests, music competitions, painting exhibitions, competitions and political debates).

He would not remain a bookworm throughout his life. If he becomes a doctor after getting a degree from a professional medical college of repute, his lifestyle and working hours would be different from those of other professionals. He would be able to enjoy his life in the foreign country, though he would have little time for leisure. Similarly, an engineer would be exposed to the latest technologies in his discipline. When he is back to India after a short educational stint abroad, he is likely to get a job as a senior engineer in the very beginning of his career.

Normally, the undergraduate courses are for four or five years, graduate courses are for two years (additional six months are required for the submission of thesis) and the post- graduate courses have a duration ranging from three years to five years (that includes the time period for the preparation and submission of thesis). Research students can go back to their home countries after they have attended the academic sessions and have also conducted the research activities required for completion of their theses. There are admissions to the Doctorate of Science (D Sc) courses as well but the entrants are very senior professionals, engineers and scientists.

They are required to put in at least twenty years of their useful lives in a particular field, normally related to engineering, sciences and medicine. The objective of conducting these rare courses is to develop the knowledge base in that particular discipline so that the human race could solve those riddles that remain mystery for it. There is no dearth of funding from the universities in the case of the students of D Sc courses.

After learning about the modus operandi, we would like to discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of foreign education. The advantages are as follows: —

(A) The education is of better quality. The teachers are professionals and researchers and give the latest information and knowledge base to the students.

(B) Teaching is scientific and is based on interactive mode of learning. In India, a student can earn his MBA even through correspondence (how could he?) but universities insist on the classroom teaching methods, participation of the students during academic sessions and laboratory sessions. They do not emphasise upon cramming of the books but try to give a knowledge base (or a skill) to the students.

(C) The students are prepared for life; there is no emphasis upon degrees but upon the practical knowledge that the students get from their educational curricula. This feature is missing in Indian education.

(D) The students have an exposure to distant lands, people and the diverse cultures from all the parts of the world. The foreign universities attract students from around the globe and the multiracial canvass of the university campuses gives the students an idea about the world they live in. New contacts are made, which assist the students in migration, further studies, employment and business. The possibilities are virtually endless.

(E) The graduates of a foreign university are respected in India. They get lucrative jobs in India and have bright carrers.

The disadvantages of foreign education are no less alarming. Some of them are as follows:—

(A) Most of the students do not come back after their education in the foreign universities. They get jobs or professional assignments abroad and therefore, they get lucrative salaries that are much higher than Indian pay packages. The problem of brain drain has cost India dearly and during the past thirty years, we have lost most of the productive manpower to the West. There is no end to this problem as the Western nations welcome .the talented individuals from all the nations with open arms.

(B) The cost factor is very crucial. Most of the parents cannot afford to pay the fees and other costs of their children and wards. They have to borrow these funds from banks, private financiers or relatives. The problems of repayment of these loans remain a major headache as the children are not likely to pay back these loans. The rich and neo-rich families are able to afford the costs and therefore, are able to go abroad. Scholarships are limited as the foreign universities have also been facing funds shortages due to global recession.

(C) The demands of the graduates (who have got a foreign degree) are quite unreasonable. Only the foreign companies operating in India, multinationals and big corporate firms are in a position to afford them. The small-scale industries and medium scale industries are not in a position to offer them jobs. Moreover, after a brief stint in the industry, these professionals start small enterprises of their own. The firms suffer as they groom them for specific professional jobs after years of hard work and investments in terms of time and money.

(D) These professionals have a new cultural orientation after they come from abroad. They do come back but they go back to foreign lands because they are sans emotional affiliations with their families in India. Some of the professionals get married and settle down in the foreign countries of their choice. The families (especially, the parents) miss their children but they are not in a position to go to that foreign country and meet them. The families break up in this manner. Social security and the norms of the joint family are sidelined. What remains is the hunger for money and materialistic assets.

(E) Ego levels of these professionals reach new heights as they are Crame de’ la Creme of the human race. They are superior, feel superior and are treated as superior. They generate many problems, duels and corporate wars in India and abroad. This could be a nuisance for those who have plaebian status or moderate abilities and are forced to work with these professionals. When these professionals face confrontation on a routine basis, they try to lead secluded lives and meet only those who have a status that is at par with theirs. They ignore the ordinary mortals and the society at large.

(F) Due to the human problems faced by them, these professionals develop serious health or psychological problems that include heart ailments, asthma, bronchitis, respiratory diseases, hypertension and diabetes.

(G) Confidence levels of many a student remain at their lowest ebb despite educational stints abroad. It must be noted that by the year 2005, the service oriented fobs would be nearly 30-40 per cent of the total jobs offered in the markets. Further, there would be a shift from white-collar jobs (which requires managerial abilities and humanistic approach for solving the problems) to computer-based and analytical jobs (which involves engineering talent and scientific knowledge bases).

The most lucrative careers would be in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Information technology (IT), Bio engineering. Computer Graphics and Multimedia, Electronics   engineering. Space Research, Nuclear Science and Engineering, oceanographic Research and Applications and Surgery.

We do not dissuade the students from going abroad. However, we must point out that educational standards in India are also improving/one may not need to go abroad in rider to earn a degree. There are many institutions in the foreign countries also that merely offer degrees and no knowledge is imparted by them.

These educational institutions have mushroomed around the world because of the rise in demand for quality education by the Asians and the Africans. For example a university located abroad would certainly give the degree in Computer science but if the same degree is earned in India (and the young boy or the girl can go abroad for a training for one year or so after the graduation), then he would be saving a  lot of his financial resources.

Many universities are offering courses that allow the students to attend academic sessions in the foreign country for one year or so. The rest of the academic curricula are completed by the students in India as those universities have liaison offices or affiliated colleges in India. This is a good concept and should be appreciated

In sum, the students of the new millennium should work hard if they wish to earn a good degree from a foreign university. They have to keep their sights on their targets and have to burn the midnight oil for achieving their short term and long term academic objectives. Nothing is impossible if they are determined/ committed and willing to slog.

They must, however, avpid applying for admission to Spurious universities that abound in the foreign countries. Indian education scenario is also changing and we also have professional courses and institutions in India as well. The idea is to build a career and not make a visit to a foreign country as many of the students think.