Why Pearl Academy Should Definitely Be Shut Down!

I woke up today by a call from one of the college heads in Delhi, who informed me that UGC has asked Pearl Academy to shut down all its centres in India on the charges of fraudulent degrees being awarded to the students.

A little surprised I was yes, but not entirely. But let me add this, I was not surprised that this came in news, but with the fact that it took so long for it to break to this point. Eventually; if UGC does plan to crack down Pearl Academy, the right decision has been made.

Having been part of Pearl Academy for over two years till April this year, I can say with ease that I have no second thoughts about the fact that Indian education system would do much better without institutes like Pearl Academy that are not educating students, but literally selling them.

Keeping aside the degree controversy (one of the ex students had to lose her job last year- Read Here: http://www.hindustantimes.com/education/after-paying-rs-25l-they-have-degrees-that-are-not-valid-in-india/story-wV8GIsEEjQ1frTatCqJAjN.html), there are a lot of wrong doings that are happening in colleges such as Pearl. But for now, I will only stick with- Pearl and not take other institutes under the same radar as I am not privee to their ways of working and it would be wrong on my part to comment on them.

For started, the whole eligibility factor in this institute is based on a fraudulent system. While their student hand book says that a minimum of 70% attendance is required to sit in an examination, when it actually comes to the date, students with even 35-40% (at times even as low as 25%), are allowed to sit in the exams, which is an absolute disregard and insult to the students who attend the college throughout the year  

I failed to understand during my tenure, how certain students who are never seen in the classrooms, but are close to certain superiors, (and I say it out of experience), ended-up having far better attendance record and marks than some of the regular and hardworking students, who might not be brilliant academically but did the things right way.

I also failed to acknowledge how the favoritism culture worked in their Juries; is still strongly prevailing, and continues to dominate the very essence of 'fair marking.' Not on one occasion, but more than, that the marks of the students were changed by the time they reached the desk of the course supervisor from the jury room.

It also baffled me how the marks of certain favorite students got manipulated and how they were played along with just to satisfy people’s own ego and personal relations (at times not so good) with specific students.

One of the diploma courses that runs under the same supervisor (the course in question here in my previous paragraph), is in complete disarray and fast losing its identity. The students do not attend classes because of this supervisor and the limited skill set of the teacher who heads the course. What would you make out of this statement by a  teacher to the external jury member “aap marks dedo yaar kuch bhi, humne toh decide kar rakhaa hai ki topper kaun hai batch ka!”

What kind of an impression does it give to an external guy about the institute, more so, what kind of morale booster will that be to the student who is slogging his/her butt be the best, but misses out because of such favouritism?

Students are given not one, but three-five attempts to get to the next semester, irrespective of their bad and disappointing background during the whole tenure. While I agree that students do deserve second chances, but not multiple chances, when they have been found plagiarising content, cheating on attendance and disrespectful to the very system of education as a whole?

There is only one solution given in the college to plagiarising students; give them a re-do but don’t file an academic case, why to take stress of such paper work and making an enemy out of students? I mean really? Are we there to sell the degrees or educate students who are there to learn?

Why be afraid of the rich-spoilt-brats who threaten the existence of students who work hard in recognised colleges, but fail to get a better paying job, because of the glam-factor shown by institutes like Pearl Academy to the market?

Education system and colleges try to make sure the betterment of our society by giving skills to the students who are willing to work the hard way, but not meant for people who kill such talent by getting there; the easy way!

After all, how can a college that has such a flawed system, award degrees to students and claims to be the best in the business?

One thing that remains an issue here though is what happens to the innocent students who have nothing to do with these un-recognized degree giving procedures of the academy? 

Well, I personally think, not only they should be compensated heavily in financial terms, but on the expense of the management should be sent overseas to colleges recognized by India with similar courses to finish their studies and get a legitimate degree. There is no way students should suffer for the wrong doings of certain sections of the management who work only for money and have no interest in betterment of the education system of India. 

Pic courtesy: www.pearlacademy.com