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I greatly appreciated your editorial ‘Self-inflicted damage of Indian capitalism’ (EW August). How I wish it would inspire reluctant Indian capitalists to step into the shoes of Warren Buffet! If Indian capitalists would learn from America’s great philanthropists, they could definitely promote ‘equality’ in our increasingly unequal society.

Although some corporates such as the Tata Group, Infosys, and Wipro, are aware of their corporate social responsibilities, their philanthropy pales in comparison, and they have yet to meet the modest expectations of society.

Thank you for your special report feature ‘Criminal neglect of vocational education’ (EW August). I read your report after I finished reading ‘India’s New Labour’ published in Businessworld (August 21).

It is heartbreaking to see how in a society with immense opportunity and need, government has been so negligent about providing employment-oriented vocational education. When will officialdom and educationists wake up to realities and offer a plethora of vocational education and entrepreneur-ship study options to students? There’s a crying need also to change parental and student attitudes towards vocational education. As your special report emphasises, it’s time to liberate vocational education from bureaucratic bondage and develop symbiotic bonds between industry and industrial training institutes.

The promotion of employment-oriented vocational education and training offers great hope for our country. Let’s make it happen!

The special report ‘Criminal neglect of vocational education’ (EW August) hits the nail on the head by addressing one of the major deficiencies of the Indian education system. Cheers to Krishan Khanna, founder-director of iWatch, for assuming the onus of educating politicians, bureaucrats and citizens about the abysmal vocational education and training facilities in India. I was shocked to read that only 2 percent (1.5-2 million) of the student population in India is enrolled in VET against over 80 percent in Europe! Little wonder that Europeans are way ahead of us in every aspect of life.

The neglect of vocational education is all the more condemnable because India has a large pool of young people yearning for quality education to help them break the cycle of poverty. If only the government would establish a VET institute in every district in the country, the millions of children who drop out after class VII will have employment and a future to look forward to.

I am glad that instead of continuously writing about improving the education system for children and youth, in your latest issue (EW August), the cover story focuses upon parental education. I hate to say this, but Indian parents are perhaps the world’s most cruel people.

As admission into the IIMs, IITs and other top-rung colleges becomes more difficult and competitive, middle class parents are making life hell for their children by forcing them to study long hours and abandon all extra-curricular activities.

As Dr. Shekhar Seshadri of NIMHANS, Bangalore, has perceptively observed, such ambitious parents are haranguing their children for their own greater glory or "status change". You deserve the thanks of all young people for advising parents to "lighten up" and allow children to enjoy their formative and adolescent years.

As one who has experienced the loss of childhood years to books and constant study, I have resolved not to inflict the same experience on my four-year-old son. I hope parents will heed the advice of Prof. Nandini Sardesai quoted in your cover story, and educate themselves before they attempt to educate their children.

Your cover story titled ‘Pushy parents driving kids over the edge’ (EW August) was an eye opener about the pressures young children face at home. I found it hard to believe that over 4,000 students, including some studying at the most high-profile education institutions, committed suicide last year. The article comes as a warning to over-ambitious parents who exert unreasonable pressure on their children to achieve top grades in school.

As highlighted in your cover story, one of the causes for this is the great scarcity of quality higher education institutions in our country. Parents are worried that their children may get left out in the race for admissions into the too few top-grade technology, medical or legal institutions. With middle class India’s obsession with engineering and medicine and disdain for alternative blue-collar careers, parents continue to push their children to excel academically. If a child is unable to measure up to the standards of over-expecting parents, she is driven to despair, depression and finally suicide.

I fully agree with Dr. Prema Rajagopalan that "parents should look at the positive side of globalisation" and encourage children to explore new options in education and careers rather than constantly nag them to excel in academics. After all, there’s more to education than mere academics.

Your feature should make pushy parents introspect and let children enjoy their childhood and grow up into balanced citizens.

M.S. Murali Krishna
Mysore (Karnataka)