When Education Doesn’t Translate Into Civic Sense

Chandasmita Kashyap

Man in a clean shirt tossed his empty tea cup on the side of the road one warm morning before entering an office that proudly displayed its quality certificate. A few minutes later, people rushed to get out of the way as two schoolboys drove their scooters through a red light while laughing. These incidents took place in a city that prides itself on being educated and modern. They were both well educated. But during those times, a fundamental  quality: civic sense vanished.

Thirty years ago, India was not nearly as educated as it is today. Literacy has increased from 52 percent in the early 1990s to over 77 percent today. More managers, engineers, and graduates are produced here than in many other nations. There are coaching centres, schools, and colleges everywhere, and applications that promise "future-ready students." However, the same society that places a high importance on education still has problems with basic public behaviour, such as spitting in the streets, disobeying traffic laws, discarding trash in public areas, or offering bribes to get around A the law.

Why do we have this gap? Basic civic education is taught in schools. Children in India are taught about traffic safety, cleanliness, and respect for public property. They participate in Swachh Bharat campaigns, discussions about healthy behaviours, and the creation of water-saving posters. However, these lessons are frequently taught in classrooms. The message is different in the real world. Small incidents like a neighbour throwing plastic in a river, a parent paying a bribe to avoid paying a fine, or a family member arguing with a traffic cop teach kids that rules can be broken if they are inconvenient.

This issue is not unique to India. Germany and China have also realized that classroom instruction is ineffective on its own. In Germany, students' behaviour improved and persisted longer when they were given genuine tasks like maintaining clean parks or assisting with waste management. Following years of lectures and posters, the emphasis in China changed to getting kids involved in actual community service, which produced better outcomes.

Examples of this can also be found in India. Indore, which has been named India's cleanest city for six years straight, achieved this not just through government directives but also through collaboration between residents, businesses, and educational institutions. In Kerala, schoolchildren can assist with traffic safety and awareness campaigns through the Student Police Cadet program, which creates enduring habits. With its emphasis on organic farming, Sikkim engaged students in forest and stream conservation rather than merely having them write essays about it.

These instances are still uncommon, though. Civic duty is typically only evident during campaigns or inspections in most cities and towns. Public areas are viewed as "not my problem," trash cans are overflowing, and traffic laws are merely suggestions. Many educated people still believe that rules are "for others to follow, not for me," according to a 2019 survey conducted in Delhi by the Centre for Policy Research. This kind of thinking demonstrates a lack of shared responsibility, which is worse than ignorance.

Knowing about civic sense is not enough if we want it to develop in a meaningful way. Regular practice leads to change. More than 100 lectures can be given at a college that asks students to help clean the streets once a month. Long speeches about rules are not the only lesson that parents impart when they stop at a red light, even when the road is empty. By rewarding those who report illegal dumping or separate waste, local governments encourage pride rather than merely a fear of punishment.

India is quickly changing. We are creating smart cities, fast trains, and highways. We're building large start-ups and launching rockets. However, it is not just buildings and machinery that will be the true indicators of progress. It will be in the decisions people make on a daily basis: to pay taxes honestly, to keep the street clean without being asked, to allow a pedestrian to cross the street even when no police are around. Small acts like these transform a nation into a compassionate society.

Therefore, education requires more than just earning degrees or passing tests. It should gradually develop daily routines, routines that translate individual achievement into respect from the public. Until then, we will still witness engineers creating better cities while running red lights and master's degree holders spitting on metro walls.

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