KOCHI: Just a few days ago, Higher Education Minister R Bindu blamed people’s ‘false pride’ behind the aggressive migration of students to foreign countries for higher studies. Her remarks sparked a widespread discussion on our education system and the lack of job opportunities.
In the past four to five years, the number of students from Kerala who opted for higher education abroad doubled to over 30,000. According to education consultants, there is a quantum leap in the migration trend this year in Kerala after the relaxation of Covid rules in various countries.
They say quality education, job opportunities and a secure future are the main factors attracting students to pursue higher education abroad. Ronnie Timothy, senior marketing manager of Santamonica Study Abroad Private Ltd, says the industry is booming as student migration has hit an all-time high.
According to him, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and several European countries are the preferred locations for various undergraduate and postgraduate courses. “Unlike previous years, the number of enquiries has gone up and the migration of the students has peaked in the past six months. The situation was dull during 2020 and 2021 owing to the pandemic. Now there is a huge leap in the figures,” says Ronnie.
“Till September, we have facilitated visas for 6,000 students to Canada and another 4,500 students to the UK. We are getting enquiries even from parents of school students. Now youngsters are more aware of the courses and educational institutions abroad. They are well-researched and come to us with specific demands. That is a new trend,” he says.
He says the main reason for the trend is that students are looking for better career avenues abroad in almost every stream. Job-centric programmes, manager programmes and courses related to robotics and artificial intelligence are some of the most sought-after courses. “This is a good sign as migration will generate NRIs and it will benefit our economy in the long run,” he adds.
‘Ineffective education system’
However, educational experts feel that quality education abroad is a mirage. Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) Vice-Chairperson Rajan Gurukkal says students go abroad under the influence of various attractions or pull factors such as quality education, liberty, high salary, advanced materialistic culture and civic amenities.
“The boom of student migration is a passing phenomenon and it will come down when our universities facilitate quality self-learning,” he asserts.“Easily attainable degrees that are in good demand with high employment opportunities are one of the main attractions. But the quality of higher education is totally imagined and unreal. I strongly believe quality education is what the student achieves through hard work under inescapable institutional demand for sustained self-learning,” he says.
According to him, the education system in Kerala is ineffective because it gives precedence to teaching over learning. “This approach makes students unemployable graduates. If we adopt self learning in higher education, our students will become more employable products. New-generation programmes will not be enough to check student migration because these programmes are shoddy and have no domestic market. Quality enhancement is the only solution for which the institutions must demand quality self-learning from students,” he adds.
What students say
Nineteen-year-old Meenakshi Menon is all set to take off to the UK for her higher studies. She is planning to pursue MSc in General Psychology from a reputed university there. She says, “I had spoken to some of my friends who are practising psychologists. Many who completed their PG from colleges in the country said they were paid less”. Meenakshi’s friends have also cautioned her about fewer job opportunities in India.
However, the scenario is different abroad, she believes. “Studying the course abroad gives better job opportunities and better pay. Once I finish my post-graduation, I can also pursue a diploma course in some other field of psychology. I can take up part-time jobs to repay off education loans. These options are not available in our country. The UK extending the work visa for two years after graduation has also come as a boon for students,” says Meenakshi, who has completed her BSc in Psychology from Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kochi.
Twenty-nine-year-old Ajithlal Sivalal, who works as an acting coach, has started applying and writing for art and theatre-based courses abroad. “There are more career opportunities abroad. For instance, in countries like the UK, there are more established theatres and academies which provide a platform to young artists,” he explains.
Our country or state is lags behind when it comes to such offers for artists, he adds. “Moreover, there are more technically advanced stages. Also, viewers are more. I have applied for courses through various institutions run by foreign embassies such as Alliance française and Goethe-Zentrum,” says Ajithlal.
Pursuing passion
For 18-year-old Jerin Regimon Kurian from Thrissur, gaming is a passion. That is why Jerin, who just finished his Class 12 from Kendriya Vidyalaya, is going to Canada to pursue a three-year diploma course in game programming from George Brown College in Toronto.
“I had planned to study abroad from the very beginning. Initially, I looked for general computer courses. That is when I came across game programming. I can also explore other programming fields such as software development there,” says Jerin.
According to him, colleges abroad offer more practical learning, which is essential while doing a course like programming. “The course that I have chosen is job-oriented. Along with studying, I will also gain practical knowledge, which will make my job easier,” says Jerin, who also plans to work in Canada.
‘Lot to improve’
As per the statistics from the Bureau of Immigration (BOI), a total of 1.33 lakh Indian students went abroad for higher studies till March this year. All India Save Education Committee state vice-president Shajar Khan says Kerala should improve a lot in terms of the quality of education and academic atmosphere at campuses. “Our educational institutions have lost their charm. Earlier, There used to be a vibrant political, social and non-academic ambience on the campuses. This is lacking now. The habit of reading has also declined among the youth. Everyone is running after skill-oriented technical courses,” Khan adds. “There needs to be a proper study to find out why students are migrating. There are very few job opportunities and due o high fee structure, parents and students opt for courses in other states. Kerala can reverse the trend only if we mend our ways, introduce more innovative courses and give job assurance to youngsters, which requires more industries.”