LUCKNOW: The educational landscape of Lucknow has changed drastically in the last four decades but whether this is leading to any good is debatable. About four decades back when I first came and joined my posting at Lucknow, the schools were mostly of three categories – government, government-aided and a few missionary schools. About 90% of the schools were in the govt/aided sector and only 10% in the private unaided sector. The number of schools were few, but all are quality driven. The seats were limited, and admissions were far and few particularly in missionary schools.Since then, National Education Policy came into being twice – in 1986 and in 2020-along with new National Curriculum Framework in 2000, 2005 and now in 2023. All these have changed the educational perspective. With the opening of more private schools, the trajectory has shifted from Hindi medium schools to more of an English medium and 2+/3+ kids have started attending English medium pre-primary schools. It proved to be of some advantage. Majority children had started communicating in English. Good education was available to the masses which in turn enhanced the employability skills of our students in a globalised world order.With the availability of schools in all nooks and corners, parents got a choice for their kids as per their resources. Today, the number of schools has increased to 10-fold. About 85% of them are in the private sector.However, as the number of schools made a quantum leap, the quality aspect nosedived.The holistic approach is somehow missing, and the schools are just becoming machines to churn out students with certificates and diplomas without any necessary skills. The consumerist tendencies were prevailing in most schools with virtually no focus on quality and value.The schools have miserably failed to be the man-making machines. The purpose of education is going for a toss and there seems to be no sincere effort to arm students with appropriate skills so that they can face the new world order successfully and competently. In higher education, many students are moving out which is a cause for concern and must be stopped. Lucknow is strategically placed to become an education hub alongside Kanpur and Prayagraj and we need to make this triangular axis a reality. With NEP-2020, the future seems to be good. More and more opportunities are coming. Let the schools not become insensitive to societal expectations. Let the schools not be rudderless and remain focused on constitutional values and cultural ethos.So, educationally we need to take Lucknow to the next level. We have the necessary competence and will power. Only thing all stakeholders need is hard work in unison to take Lucknow to great heights in another five to six years.

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