The Changing World of Work
Jobs don’t come with ‘lifetime guarantee’ any longer
The world of work is changing. #jobs won’t come with lifetime guarantee. Not even “sarkari naukri”. #education must focus on #employability not #employment. Develop #skills, #entrepreneurship. Not just degrees. Don’t fall for fake promises of politicians.
In recent weeks there has been a lot of debate on the Education System. On one side, the teacher recruitment scam in West Bengal has been grabbing the headlines. On the other hand, there are claims by the Aam Aadmi Party about dramatic improvements it has brought about in education through primary schools. Talks of corruption in recruitments of teachers, like in many government jobs, is not new. A few years back there was a massive uproar about the Vyapam Scam in Madhya Pradesh. States like Bihar and even Uttar Pradesh have always been in the news for rampant cheating in Board Exams. All these point towards the problems in the education sector.
Since Independence there has been a ten-fold increase in the number of schools in India. From an estimated 1.5 lakh schools in 1947 the number has increased to over 15 lakhs in 2021–22. Improved rural infrastructure of roads and bridges has increased access to schools. massive increase in the number of schools in rural areas. Schemes like “Mid-Day Meals” had a positive impact on attendance in village schools. Though still lower than the global average, there has been a phenomenal rise in literacy rates from barely 18% in 1951 to over 74% as per 2011 census. However, there has not been commensurate progress in the overall standard of education. The reasons for that are many and have been documented in various research papers and reports. But those are subject of experts and too technical for discussion here. However, one of the biggest problems has been the availability of competent teachers. Many schools in rural India do not have adequate numbers of teachers or sometimes no teachers at all. Even where there are teachers the calibre is poor. Then there are issues of commitment, dedication, and large-scale absenteeism as often teachers in village schools pursue a second job while drawing salary from the government. It is commonly said that the government needs to increase its education budget both at the central and state levels. While that may be true the return on current investment is low because of huge leakages in the system. The net result is the quality of output from our mass education system remains poor. This is coupled with the problem of dropouts after primary school with children easily sliding back in literacy levels. Those who manage to finish high school or graduation are often unemployable. Even the better ones among them are not able to find jobs. This leads to a downward spiral.
In the cities, the poor standard in government schools has led to the mushrooming of private schools. Though these have fancy names and charge exorbitant fees the quality of education is not up to the mark. As a result, students must supplement classroom teaching with private tuition. The fascination for Engineering, Management and Medicine courses has led to the creation of the industry of Coaching Classes for Joint Entrance examination of IITs, IIMs and Medical Colleges. Since, only a minuscule percentage of those who take the exams get admission the vast majority go for private colleges paying huge fees. But at the end of the day get degrees that are not worth the paper it is printed on. Therefore, end up applying for jobs that call for far lower qualifications. This is manifest in the rush for unskilled government jobs sometimes leading to riots as one recently saw in Bihar earlier this year.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-60165825
The problem, therefore, is both humongous and complex. There are no easy solutions. It must be tackled with a multi-pronged and multi-level approach. That is why, quick-fix formulas like creating 10 lakh government jobs within a year as promised by the new Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar or the debatable Delhi Education Model appear hollow and impractical. Unfortunately, the common people do not understand this and live in hope. Those who can don’t question the politicians. As a result, they get away with unfulfilled promises and come up with new dreams to be sold before the next elections. So where does this leave the ordinary citizen who wishes to secure the future of their children? This calls for re-evaluation of the situation by applying some reality checks. That is something that cannot be left to politicians whose singular objective is to win the next elections at any cost. What is required is re-orientation of mindset. Opinion leaders, academicians, industry leaders and activists can play a major role in busting some myths for bringing about a change in societal attitude.
The first realisation that must be drive home to people is that the nature of work is changing irreversibly. Lifetime employment guarantees are a thing of the past even in government jobs — as we see in Public Sector Units which must cut manpower numbers to stay competitive or look at closure or sale which will lead to reduction in excess manpower. Even government departments will have to undergo downsizing to stay efficient and reduce the cost of governance. Besides, the advent of Digitisation, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Automation will eliminate many routine and clerical jobs. Number of shop-floor employees will see a drastic cut. Soon, we will have like driverless cars also driver less trains also. So, what does it imply for the next generation? While manufacturing and clerical jobs may come down other forms of jobs — especially in the service sector will come up. Those will require different kind of skill sets. Younger generation should prepare for these new jobs than running after academic degrees and “sarkari Naukri”. They must understand the value of “dignity of labour” when no job is considered small. Above all we should kindle the spirit of entrepreneurship — so that the next generation become, to use the words of the Prime Minister, “Job givers and not Job Seekers”. Being Atma Nirbhar applies to individuals as it does to the country.
This is the English version of the Article first published in Dainik Jagran on August 27th, 2022
