‘Teaching students is the most satisfying job’

Their mission is to impart high quality and well designed professional education to transform learners into globally competent professionals. The institute started off as a trust whose office bearers then realised that to further the prospects of nation building the aspirations of the youth must be fulfilled.

“Personally, the greatest satisfaction I get is when I have a chance to meet former students and learn that they are doing well in their respective careers,” says Dr Meganathan,who is a post graduate in Public Administration from Madras Christian College and has a PhD from the University of Madras for her thesis on ‘Technical Education in Tamil Nadu: A Study’. Her commitment to ensure quality teaching in institutions of higher learning prompted her to pursue the Cambridge International Diploma for Teachers and Trainers (CIDTT) in 2006. 

Indian institutes of higher education have found it incredibly hard to make it to the ranks of the top centres of learning. “On the home front, privatisation of the educational sector only began in the 1980s. The value of an educational centre is gauged by the number of years it has behind its name. The backbone of any educational institution is the number of alumni. The education industry needs more time to mature,” says Dr Meganathan.

According to her, quality in education is self-regulating. “You can have students from different sections of society blend together and taste success in their lives. It is a challenge to take average students and make them excel, but it is equally challenging to make exceptional students reach their full potential,” she says. “Students are very resilient and know how to overcome any obstacle.” She realises fully that education is not a one-man show. It includes many stakeholders, including students, teaching faculty members, parents and policy makers who have to come together to create a conducive environment to improve the quality of higher education in the country. 

“The biggest challenge faced by the country is having to watch the brightest students settle in foreign countries after finishing their higher education. India is yet to make a mark in the manufacturing sector which is the cause for the brain drain faced by the country. But, we have made real strides in the IT sector. India has taken advantage of the IT revolution and is now considered a forerunner in the software field. This has created a magnitude of employment opportunities in the country in the last few decades. Since more than 50 per cent of the population is below 25 years of age, we need to create more jobs,” she points out.

Dr Meganathan emphasises how teaching in our society has always been a much respected profession. There is a certain prestige that is associated with being a teacher. “As a corporate executive, one might enjoy certain perks, but it will never match the satisfaction of dealing with students and watching their destiny unravel. It is a god given opportunity and not everyone is lucky enough to experience it,” she says. 

The education sector is suffering from a shortage of skilled teaching staff. According to her, “It has been difficult for us to cope with the surge in the student population. But over the last few years, we have been witnessing an improvement in the teacher-student ratio. The challenge lies in trying to attract a student to pursue a career in academics.”