Dear Friends,
When I look back at my education journey—which started at the age of 6 (my parents delayed my schooling by a couple of years as I was unable to speak) and officially ended at 40 when I completed my PhD—I experimented with many things beyond conventional education (my Graduation and Master of Computer Applications).
I spent a year in Chennai attempting the AMIIE program when I couldn't secure an engineering seat. I pursued a Financial Management course with Pondicherry University and attempted the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program, though I did not succeed in those. However, I completed an Executive GMP from IIM Bangalore and earned another MBA alongside my professional duties. Beyond earning my Management PhD, I guided another PhD scholar in Computer Science specializing in DevOps. I also completed the Academy of Customer Excellence program at Harvard Business, certified in the Customer Centricity Program (Ron Kaufman - Up Your Service), and became PM Elite Certified.
I was a school topper, but after that, I never topped again—though I managed decently well and enjoyed the journey without stress except two years. Looking back at the root cause, it all stems from my Plus 2 (Intermediate) education, which felt like the Japanese mongoose experiment on Amami Ōshima Island, Japan. (I will explain this experiment shortly.)
In my entire academic journey, Plus 2 was the most stressful phase. I could understand the concepts, but I struggled to crack the entrance exams with speed and accuracy. That pressure impacted my regular conventional exams too. I owe a deep debt of gratitude to my classmates: Ravi Kumar, who regularly cleared my conceptual doubts, and Ravi Sankar Kottada (currently a Professor at IIT Madras), who helped me in mathematics that ultimately enabled me to pass my plus two.
A couple of days ago, there was a debate about the artificial hierarchy surrounding IIT/NIT branches. A CSE or ECE student is biasedly perceived as having higher merit compared to a Metallurgy student at the same institution—even if the candidate chose Metallurgy purely out of personal interest. Society has built a norm that if you get a top rank, you must choose according to a pre-decided societal hierarchy (CSE, ECE, EEE, Mech, etc.). This rigid expectation is creating a new era of student stress.
Now, what is this Japanese experiment?
In 1979, 30 small Indian mongooses were released on Amami Ōshima to control venomous habu snakes. However, due to mismatched active hours (mongooses are active daytime, while habu snakes are active night-time), the plan backfired completely. By 2000, the mongooses exploded to roughly 10,000, severely threatening native wildlife like the endangered Amami rabbit. A systematic eradication campaign officially launched in 2005 ("Amami Mongoose Busters"), deploying thousands of traps, search dogs, and environmental DNA testing. Following 6 consecutive years with zero sightings, Japan’s Ministry of the Environment officially declared the mongooses completely eradicated on Sep 3, 2024. This 45-year chapter is now closed, standing as one of the world's greatest ecological restoration achievements on an inhabited World Heritage island.
On a lighter note, I also concluded my own 45-year educational story (excluding those first 6 years) along with my Plus 2 "mongoose experiment"! Today, many parents are exploring alternative paths like NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling, similar to CBSE, ICSE, or State boards). It offers a stress-free opportunity to pursue passions at ages 16 and 17—the most critical age when students develop the capacity for Transitional Autonomous Decision-Making.
In India, we currently lack institutions where students can pursue a NIOS degree while attending experiential, skill-focused institutions like Barefoot College (Rajasthan) or Practical Action (formerly ITDG, founded by E.F. Schumacher in Rugby, UK), where the sole focus is on practical mastery.
Ten years ago, I introduced the HHH Model:
• Head (Cognitive/Degree): Academic knowledge, theory, and formal qualifications.
• Hands (Psychomotor/Skill): Practical skills, technical execution, and vocational application.
• Heart (Affective/Holistic): Values, emotional intelligence, character, and overall well-being.
If we combine the flexibility of NIOS with the HHH model, could it trigger a new revolution in education?
Do you agree?
Ravi Saripalle
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