I recently came across an article (1) which discusses the magnitude of dropouts from elite schools in India over the past 5 years. This was data from the response of a minister to a query raised in parliament. As with everything, I have seen some takes on twitter which inevitably are on lines of “the cause for this is something which I don’t like, and the solution is doing something which I do like”. In this write up, I will attempt to analyse and offer a suggestion which I think mitigates the problem.
Apr 23, 2023·edited Apr 23, 2023Liked by Vamsi Tatavarthy
I found your analysis of the blog post to be really insightful, and I particularly resonated with your suggestion to split courses into Core and Advanced components. This approach offers several benefits that are similar to an elective system, where students can opt for the Advanced part of a course based on their interests, aptitudes, and desired specializations.
By doing this, students have more freedom to pursue what they are passionate about, which can reduce undue stress and anxiety associated with taking on too many courses simultaneously. This can also improve students' mental health and well-being, as they are not overwhelmed with a heavy course load.
Moreover, the Advanced component of a course could be designed to teach practical skills that students might need when they enter the workforce. Some of these could be offered as self-study options through pre-recorded video series, which would reduce the burden on faculty to cater to a wide range of electives via live classes.
It would be a great idea to offer these electives in partnership with potential employers, who may have a vested interest in identifying potential candidates early on. These could take the form of mini-internships, where students gain a glimpse into the real-life applications of the subject matter they are studying.
Another suggestion I want to add is to establish a system of buddy/mentors for new students joining the institute, with 3rd/4th-year undergrads continuing the relationship even after college until the first year finishes their education. Although this idea is in place in some form or another at many institutes, it may not be receiving the attention it deserves as a measure to ensure mental well-being, reduce dropouts, and provide support to students during a phase when they are away from their families (who filled this void during pre-university days).
Most students are unaware of the career options available to them and the life that awaits them after college. They need guidance on the kind of resilience they need to build to be successful in life. If institutes track the benefits of such mentorship programs and continuously work to improve them, it could pave the way for a much better community.
With rising life-expectancy and a consequential rise in age of retirement, it might be interesting to explore the prospect of increasing the duration of university life perhaps, turning the courses from 4/5 years to 5/6 years, without adding additional course content. burden
Overall, your suggestions offer valuable insights into how institutions can improve their academic programs and support students' well-being.
Baal, really nice post. You’ve discussed so many important things here. Apart from improving schools and colleges from a learning perspective, I wonder if we must also think about investing in mental health and other support systems, especially when their families aren’t around or informed enough to support children mentally. In fact, I believe government health departments actually have budgets allocated for this purpose, at least at the school level, really not sure how much of this ends up getting utilised and how though.
You know, on this point - my view will be considered unfriendly but I think mandatory attendance is a low hanging fruit. Discipline and routine is very helpful in preventing mental health issues. Once that is done, then the corner cases of mental health becomes manageable number which currently I know it is not. We have a mutual friend whose wife is a doctor and she says her first questions have evolved over time . Initially it was about symptoms, but now its "when did you last eat properly, when did you last sleep on time for students."
Great write up on path out of current set up with sub-optimal outcomes...possibly one can fully separate teaching colleges from research responsibilities...that pull/pressure will always affect Faculty. So given India's needs, make a substantial number of institutes pure teaching driven pass/fail institutes (and faculty accordingly trained) to produce graduates who are fully ready for industry to work. And have another stream for those research oriented (presumably a much smaller cohort) in research oriented institutes (like IISER types which are more on basic science side) but need one for engineering...One is reminded of "bare foot doctors" which CCP in initial years did..and which improved health outcomes much better than India (even today)....
I found your analysis of the blog post to be really insightful, and I particularly resonated with your suggestion to split courses into Core and Advanced components. This approach offers several benefits that are similar to an elective system, where students can opt for the Advanced part of a course based on their interests, aptitudes, and desired specializations.
By doing this, students have more freedom to pursue what they are passionate about, which can reduce undue stress and anxiety associated with taking on too many courses simultaneously. This can also improve students' mental health and well-being, as they are not overwhelmed with a heavy course load.
Moreover, the Advanced component of a course could be designed to teach practical skills that students might need when they enter the workforce. Some of these could be offered as self-study options through pre-recorded video series, which would reduce the burden on faculty to cater to a wide range of electives via live classes.
It would be a great idea to offer these electives in partnership with potential employers, who may have a vested interest in identifying potential candidates early on. These could take the form of mini-internships, where students gain a glimpse into the real-life applications of the subject matter they are studying.
Another suggestion I want to add is to establish a system of buddy/mentors for new students joining the institute, with 3rd/4th-year undergrads continuing the relationship even after college until the first year finishes their education. Although this idea is in place in some form or another at many institutes, it may not be receiving the attention it deserves as a measure to ensure mental well-being, reduce dropouts, and provide support to students during a phase when they are away from their families (who filled this void during pre-university days).
Most students are unaware of the career options available to them and the life that awaits them after college. They need guidance on the kind of resilience they need to build to be successful in life. If institutes track the benefits of such mentorship programs and continuously work to improve them, it could pave the way for a much better community.
With rising life-expectancy and a consequential rise in age of retirement, it might be interesting to explore the prospect of increasing the duration of university life perhaps, turning the courses from 4/5 years to 5/6 years, without adding additional course content. burden
Overall, your suggestions offer valuable insights into how institutions can improve their academic programs and support students' well-being.
Baal, really nice post. You’ve discussed so many important things here. Apart from improving schools and colleges from a learning perspective, I wonder if we must also think about investing in mental health and other support systems, especially when their families aren’t around or informed enough to support children mentally. In fact, I believe government health departments actually have budgets allocated for this purpose, at least at the school level, really not sure how much of this ends up getting utilised and how though.
You know, on this point - my view will be considered unfriendly but I think mandatory attendance is a low hanging fruit. Discipline and routine is very helpful in preventing mental health issues. Once that is done, then the corner cases of mental health becomes manageable number which currently I know it is not. We have a mutual friend whose wife is a doctor and she says her first questions have evolved over time . Initially it was about symptoms, but now its "when did you last eat properly, when did you last sleep on time for students."
Very true.
Great write up on path out of current set up with sub-optimal outcomes...possibly one can fully separate teaching colleges from research responsibilities...that pull/pressure will always affect Faculty. So given India's needs, make a substantial number of institutes pure teaching driven pass/fail institutes (and faculty accordingly trained) to produce graduates who are fully ready for industry to work. And have another stream for those research oriented (presumably a much smaller cohort) in research oriented institutes (like IISER types which are more on basic science side) but need one for engineering...One is reminded of "bare foot doctors" which CCP in initial years did..and which improved health outcomes much better than India (even today)....
Yes. It also allows for better usage of resources. DST providing 10 lac grants to some corner professor isn't going to make us leader in research.