Manish Sisodia: ‘India Will Change Only When Education Changes, And Education Needs Leaders With Vision’

National News: Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia has started a new and awareness-raising initiative regarding India's education system. He has launched a video series called "The World's Education System and India," which aims to explain to the people of the country what kind of education should be given to children and which leaders are necessary to choose for this. Sisodia's clear message behind this initiative is that until the education system does not change, the country will not change—and the education system will change only when the thinking of the leaders changes.

India’s Education Compared With Five Nations

In the first episode of the series, Manish Sisodia has analyzed the education systems of Japan, Singapore, China, Canada, and Finland. He explained how these countries made education the basis of their national progress and how India lagged behind them. Through these examples, Sisodia has tried to make it clear that education should not be limited to books and examinations, but it should be the foundation of character building and economic development of a country.

Japan: Education of responsibility and self-reliance

Citing the example of Japan, Sisodia said that it was decided there in 1872 that the government would be responsible for the education of every child. India did the same thing by making the Right to Education Act in 2011. The purpose of education in Japan is not just to provide information but to make responsible citizens. In schools there, children clean the classrooms, toilets, and corridors themselves. These habits give rise to patriotism and self-reliance. Their education system saved them from a terrible disaster like a nuclear attack and made them a technology leader.

Singapore’s Journey: From Scarcity To Prosperity

Singapore's story is even more inspiring. At the time of independence in 1965, they had neither resources nor land nor money. But their first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, considered education the only way and made it the foundation of the future. Sisodia said that today in Singapore, everyone from a sweeper to an engineer is given equal quality education. This is the reason why this small country is counted among the richest countries in the world on the basis of education.

China: Hard work made the basis of education

The specialty of China's education system is hard work. Hard work is given more importance there than talent. In Chinese schools, along with marks in the report card, the hard work of the child is also evaluated. There, it is not asked how many marks were obtained, but how much hard work was done. Parents are also included in the education—they get updates on the performance of children every day. This is the reason why the youth of China do not just run towards government jobs but lead in the global market.

Canada’s Education Success Through Diversity

Education in Canada is not limited to studies only, but it also teaches leadership, communication, strategy, and social engagement. More than 100 languages are spoken in the schools there, and children of every religion, culture, and race study together. Canada does not consider this diversity a burden but an opportunity. Their parliament decides which skills children should have at every age. There, subjects like leadership and communication are part of the main curriculum, whereas in India these are still considered "extracurricular."

Finland’s Most Trusted Education Model Globally

Finland has been regarded as having the best education system in the world for decades. The reason for this is not just the curriculum but also their thinking and system. There, children are not taught before the age of seven, but they are given the opportunity to think, play, and understand. Finland does not have school inspectors, but the government relies on the training of teachers. Becoming a teacher is one of the most difficult jobs there—it requires five years of rigorous training. This is an example of the quality and depth of their education.

India's question: Will we give priority to education?

Manish Sisodia raised a big question through all these examples—will India also now bring education to the center of politics? Will we dare to change the thinking of the leaders? Will we elect such leaders who want the same education for their children that is given to the children of the general public? He says that we should not copy any country, but we will have to create a dedicated, effective, and equitable system of education according to our conditions.

Change Leaders, Change The Nation

Manish Sisodia's clear message was that India's future depends on the education we give to our children today. And this education is determined by the thinking of our leaders. If the thinking does not change, then it is time to change the leader. The only way to change the country is through education.