Indian Education System — What’s Broken and How We Can Still Thrive

We’ve all said it at some point — there’s something wrong with our Indian education system. But most of us just move on, adjust, accept, and survive. I’ve done the same. But this blog isn’t just about repeating what we already know. It’s about pausing to reflect: where did it begin, why is it still like this, and most importantly, what can we do about it even if the system doesn’t change overnight? Change begins when we start questioning and thinking.

A Brief Introduction to The History of Indian Education System

In ancient India, education system wasn’t just about learning- it was about living knowledge. The Gurukul system was deeply rooted in nature, simplicity and self- discipline. Students lived with their gurus, often in forest or hermitages, where they studied everything from philosophy, logic, astronomy, languages and mathematics to ethics, art and spirituality.

But more than subjects, they learned values like respect, patience, resilience, humility, self-reliance and a sense of responsibility towards society. Education in ancient times was a part of living life, not just careers. Additionally, education and religion were taught simultaneously and individual didn’t just grow from knowledge but also in spirituality, as in ancient India, religion was not rigid.

Then came British rule and with it came a major shift. The system was redesigned to serve the empires needs. Britishers didn’t need creative people or critical thinkers, they just need people who would work according to them without questioning.The Indian Education System was restructured to produce workers, not thinkers. The outcome of this changes was exactly what the empire wanted.

After independence, India tried to regain control over the system. Boards like CBSE and institutions like NCERT were formed. Later policies like The Right to Education Act (2009) and the New Education Policy (NEP 2020) were introduced to modernize learning, promote skill building and ease the pressure on students.

Changes are taking place but still certain issues need to be addressed here:  

What’s Broken in the Indian Education System?

Rote Learning

This is one of the significant problems in our education system. What’s the point of studying something and forgetting it after exam. But the good part is: Our system is transitioning from rote learning to conceptual learning which is a great change but not enough, here’s why:

1. Students having more stress: This usually happens because in earlier standards, rote learning is promoted and suddenly in higher standards like 9^th and 10^th, there’s a whole shift in curriculum which is hard for students to digest and it takes time for them to adjust in it, but the environment is not that supportive for all, and that’s why it creates stress, frustration and burnout in children.
2. No Proper Training for Teachers: Teachers are also habitual to teach in a way which emphasize on rote learning and due to lack of proper training and guidance, they tend to fail in clearing concept of students in detail, as teachers also in their times studied by memorising things more than understanding it. This gap frustrates both students and teachers and often becomes a huge burden on both. (Situations will change overtime as this conceptual learning is not fully implemented for earlier classes).

Emphasis on Marks over Learning

No one asks what you learned, they ask what marks you got. Students are under huge pressure and many get burnt out. Some even start cheating during exams just to get good marks, which is wrong. What’s even worse that if someone scores high by cheating, society still accepts them. It’s all about marks, not about actual understanding.

Toppers in Spotlight, Rest in Dim Light

 I believe that every student is a gem, but our system only sees a few as gems—those who top exams. The rest are left out, ignored, and made to feel like they’re not enough. Students who may be good in music, art, sports, or thinking differently are sidelined. This causes many students to lose confidence and question their worth and their abilities.

Broken Government Schools

Most government schools don’t even have proper buildings, toilets, libraries, or enough teaching staff. That’s why even parents with low income send their kids to private schools. But these private schools charge heavily—for books, notebooks, uniforms—and still don’t deliver quality. Many kids still need coaching classes on top of that.

Who All Are Affected?

STUDENTS:

Imagine making a fish, tortoise, elephant, and cheetah run a race. Of course, the cheetah wins. But that doesn’t mean the others are useless. Their qualities are just ignored. Same way, creative or curious students get lost in the system. Their creativity suffocates. They are told to run in a race that never suited them.

Many of them stop dreaming. They lose their spark and they tend to just to survive in the system.

TEACHERS:

As students, we often blame teachers, but they suffer too behind the curtains. Teachers are often underpaid, overworked, and pressured to finish the syllabus no matter what. Many of them are given non-teaching tasks like election duty or paperwork. They deal with so many students with different personalities at same time which makes them overwhelmed and sometimes they also have deal with parents who are not cooperative and blame teacher for everything. I’ve seen teachers who were once passionate for teaching slowly lost their spark and teach just for the sake of finishing the syllabus. It’s not that they don’t want to help, but the system doesn’t support them enough to do so. At the end they are humans too.

PARENTS:

Parents are also the silent sufferers of this system. Government schools don’t feel trustworthy so they opt for private schools but they charge a lot—some even force parents to buy everything from the institution itself right from notebooks to uniforms. Yet, students still struggle in studies and parents end up spending more money on coaching. It’s not that the child is weak, it’s the system that doesn’t fit all. Parents feel confused, helpless, and even guilty at times and in frustration they blame their children for not fitting in the system.

COMPANIES AND INSTITUTIONS:

Companies need skilled people, not just degree holders. But students coming out of this system often lack basic skills like communication, problem-solving, teamwork, or emotional intelligence. This affects companies on a large scale which leads to unemployment, and therefore weakens the economy. In the end, they spend extra resources training these students from scratch.

POLICY MAKERS AND REFORMERS:

Even those who want to bring real change in the system face resistance. Some policy makers are genuinely good, but they get stopped by politicians who don’t care or aren’t educated enough to understand the dept of the situation. Many good ideas get blocked. And because of poor implementation, even good policies fail.

So, What Can We Do?

For Students:

• Learn for growth, not marks. Some parts of the syllabus might be boring or outdated, but many topics are actually valuable. Learn them deeply, even I had got several lessons from school syllabus, it’s just that you should be willing to learn.
• Be curious. Ask questions. Don’t believe everything blindly. For example: If you read about a historical figure, have that curiosity and know about them even more than just your textbook.
• Know your interests. Find out what you enjoy to do, what you’re good at and find what work fits your personality.
• Learn soft skills. Like communication, teamwork, digital skills. These matter more than marks in the real world.

For Teachers:

• Speak up. If you truly want change, raise your voice. Form groups or committees that demand better resources, training, and support for teachers because it’s just you teachers who can make change for yourself.
• Support each other in difficult moments because I had seen my teachers in school cry sometimes which truly broke my heart.

For Parents:

• Don’t compare your child to others. Every child is unique and yours is a gem.
• Support your child’s interests, even if it’s not academic because that’s where you will get to know true capabilities of your child and I guarantee you, you will be shocked. 
• Invest more money in improving their skills, which will help them excel in the fields then want to opt. Avoid expensive school or coaching’s as they also fail to give quality education (my honest experience).                                   
• Raise your voice if schools are being unfair with fees or policies or even giving small threats for buying everything from school which isn’t necessary.

For Policy Makers:

• If you truly want reform, stand firm. Create platforms or committees for real change. Unite with people with same purpose as it’s hard to win over resistance and suppression but I know we will win.
• Focus on implementing policies properly because the policies are good on paper but because of poor implementation, things get even worst.

Final Words

We all are part of this system, and yes—it is flawed. But instead of just complaining or staying silent, let’s start where we are. Start with ourselves. Whether you’re a student, teacher, parent, or reformer—do your part. Think, speak up, question, support each other. It’s not about changing the whole country in one night.

It’s about the small steps, the honest efforts, the courage to question and keep going.

Someday, if we keep at it, we won’t just fix the cracks—we’ll build a new foundation. One where every learner, every voice, every dream matters. And that’s the India I want to see — an India with an Indian Education System that finally serves its people.

What are your thoughts on this topic, I would love to hear your perspective on this issue and you can also mention your own experience which made you realize that our education system is deeply flawed. Let’s grow together by pausing, reflecting and taking actions accordingly.

If you’re not comfortable sharing your thoughts in the comments, you can also write to me personally — I genuinely read every message, and your words inspire me to keep writing. Click here to contact me.

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