Education

KEY POINTS

·         Student migration from India has gathered steam in the last three years, even as that from other origin countries slowed.

·         A majority of Indian parents were eyeing varsities overseas both for undergraduate and postgraduate courses for their wards.

·         This is much higher than the global average.

·         Indian parents spent a hefty amount towards their children’s school and college education overseas.

·         Globally, India now accounts for the second largest population of international college students after China.

Reasons

·         Widespread belief that foreign institutions will offer quality education.

·         Quality faculty and research opportunities.

·         Superiority of foreign education institutions over domestic institutions in the International ranking framework.

·         Other motivations such as - learning foreign languages.

·         Gaining international work experience.

·         Exposure to new ideas.

Impact

·         Enhance job prospects.

·         Encourage cross-pollination of ideas.

·         A one-way street – While China had more number of students lodged in varsities abroad, it had also half as many international students lodged at its own campuses.

·         Malaysia and Singapore had also attracted more students to its domestic campuses than it sends overseas.

·         But, in India, the number of students lodged abroad is at more than four times the inbound numbers.

·         Brain drain – If the hordes of bright students who head offshore for their higher studies decide to settle there permanently.

·         The brain drain cannot be very good for India’s demographic dividend story.

·         Dollar drain - As more Indian parents pack off their children right from under graduation, foreign exchange remittances towards their support are growing by leaps and bounds.

Way ahead

·         Upgrading the quality of domestic educational institutions is therefore a must-solve problem for India’s policymakers.

·         It can staunch the brain drain, attract more international students onshore and thus help keep the balance of payments in check.

Please review.