OF VIRTUES AND VICE AND ALL THINGS NICE...

This is a report published recently in the Times Of India and its a great article and even greater to see my alma mater mentioned (highlighted in green) again.....

What to do. We are like this only.

Ciao

Vish

Taking lessons in honesty to fight corruption
15 Feb 2009, 0020 hrs IST, Saira Kurup, TNN

Just weeks ago, Indonesia took its fight against corruption to a new level altogether.

It introduced anti-corruption classes in the school curriculum. It was a significant step for a country that ranks 126 on Transparency International's Global Corruption Index 2008, far behind India, which is at number 85. If Indonesia appears to be addressing the canker of corruption at a nascent stage, what of India's complete lack of interest in the matter? Right to Information (RTI) activist Manish Sisodia, who recently filed an RTI query on 'corruption as a topic in school education' laments: "

In reply, the NCERT sent me photocopies of the chapters in which the word 'corruption' had been highlighted! There was one reference to Chilean dictator General Pinochet's corrupt regime in a Class IX book. But no chapters that discuss the issue."

In fact, India could do worse than adopt a 'look East' policy when it comes to educating the young about corruption. Schools across south-east Asian countries are 'catching them young' by introducing anti-graft and 'honest education' theory and practice in the school curriculum.

China, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, South Korea, Poland, Ukraine and Nigeria are some of the countries which have introduced anti-corruption classes. The recent Indonesian example offers strict but sensible guidelines for India, not least Jakarta's new Pangeran Diponegoro anti-corruption school, which aims to discourage graft by offering extra-curricular classes on nationalism, humanity, democracy and social justice.

It's a fact that there's a high level of tolerance towards corruption in India. Scandals per se, don't shock us any more, only their scale does. A 2005 study conducted by the universities of Auckland and Melbourne on attitudes towards corruption in Australia, India and Indonesia, revealed that Indians exhibit a higher tolerance towards corruption than Australians; Indonesians were found to have the same attitude to corruption as Australians. Perhaps that explains Indians' reluctance towards tackling the all-pervasive corruption issue.

An exasperated Sisodia says, "We have laws and commissions to tackle corruption but that's not enough. We spend 20 years of our lives in education. It is the duty of the education system to teach ethics in public life." But the education authorities' lack of interest in coaching against corruption has not prevented some schools from taking the initiative.

St Joseph's School in Darjeeling has been awarding a certificate of merit — of honesty — to students who desist from cheating. "One of the biggest problems in schools is cheating in exams. I tell children to tackle this, so that it inspires them to tackle issues of justice later in life," says the school's principal, Father Kinley Tshering. He adds, "I made it a condition that the entire class should decide that they would not cheat. Each student is responsible to do an honest test. Many classes between grades 8 and 12 now sit for unsupervised tests. And I am really happy that in the 2008 final exam, not a single child was caught cheating in any class between grades 1 and 12."

Raising the 'honesty bar' has been given another dimension in some other government and private schools across the country. They have set up 'honesty shops or imandari ki dukans'. Stocked with stationery, books and sometimes food, the shops don't have cashiers. The students take what they want and put the right money into the cash boxes. The aim — to inculcate honesty in children. Similar 'honesty bars' are being opened in Indonesian schools. Perhaps it is time for a well thought-out Indian syllabus to teach Gen Next about the evils of corruption. At present, the textbooks published by Indian government institutions lack chapters on corruption.

"I am not inspired by our education board, the ISCE. There should be syllabus on such issues, be it corruption, sex education or religion, especially for children who are not so motivated," says Father Kinley.

For added measure, he paraphrases Edmund Burke's quote,

"Evil results when good men do nothing."