The choices are immense and obviously good for the young students. However like everything else, nothing should be taken at face value and it is here that parents, guardians, elders of the family and yes the young students themselves need to be very, very careful while choosing the institution of their choice as well as the subject concerned. Not all students will get into the Government sponsored professional courses such as engineering and medical courses and invariably parents have to focus on the other alternatives available and this is where many enterprising people have got together to set up educational institutions and so today students have a vast choice. And so it is that one sees numerous private universities, offering a vast array of courses such as hotel management, business management, computer applications, paramedical sciences, management, nursing, phar- maceutical sciences etc etc. Nothing wrong here, but extra care ought to be taken by all the parents and elders of the family while choosing the stream of studies for their children. Is the institute recognised by the UGC and approved by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), is just an example that comes to mind. Important too to know the medium of instructions. Not all students from Manipur can be expected to master or at least have a thorough knowledge of other languages, notably Hindi. And it is here that the elders of the family need to know the medium of instruction at the institute of their choice. It is here that the middle man, probably a local man who manage the admission process here, need to be questioned thoroughly.
For parents who can afford it, there should be no problem, but remember not all parents are that well placed but the compelling need to give the right education to their children is felt by all the parents. And most of the private universities, which have sprung up all over the place are invariably expensive, much more expensive than the Government managed universities. It is here that the students who have enrolled in private institutions for their higher studies need to understand the heavy burden their parents have to bear to ensure that they get a decent education. Now if all the students return home, educated in the truest sense of the term, then the huge expenditure involved will be justified. The question is how many of the young students actually come back, fit for meaningful employment. In as much as the burden is on the parents and elders of the family, it is the responsibility of the young students to fully realise their responsibility. It is only right that everyone, the public and civil society organisations come to the point that it is the responsibility of everyone to ensure that a conducive atmosphere is created to allow the young students to pursue their studies without any hindrances here or else the situation will continue and it will be for the loss of everyone.
Source: The Sangai Express
