Every parent I come into contact in India talks constantly about their kids’ education. In India education is held very high. Educated people are treated well and respected. With just 61% of literacy most Indians put a lot of emphasis on education. The most notable fact is that majority of Middle class people are well aware of the fact that only education can pull their families out of their financial troubles and save them from slipping into poverty.
That is the reason why the tuitions market in India is flourishing. When I leave for my J2EE class in the morning at 7am, I see throngs of students waiting for the bus. Everyone mostly aged between 15 and 25. They usually go to a Institute for some tuition and then go attend their college. Majority of these tuitions are computer based. SAP, Testing tools seem to be in heavy demand now. Some are aiming for US and UK. I have a cousin who is dreaming of US and preparing for TOEFL. His parents can’t afford to send him even if he gets through TOEFL well. They need at least 1.5 lakh Rupees (4000$) for his initial flight and applications etc. Once he gets a visa and admission into a college there in US they may have to spend more money. These parents are borrowing money at high interest rates from local lenders to send their son to US for education. Because deep inside they believe that once their son gets a good education, he will pay back all that money and pull them out of their poverty.
Education is the bridge which helps majority of middle class Indian people to pull themselves out of poverty.
akbar's blog 