Educational Qualification of a Politician

Is a minimum educational qualification necessary for politicians?

I believe that the point to be debated on here is what the minimum education qualification should be for a politician and not whether there should be any educational qualification at all.

Education is a process that makes people more humane and teaches them a lot about the country, how to express themselves through effective communication and so on. History teaches them the changes the world has undergone, the relations with the rest of the world mistakes made by people in the past and so on. Geography tells them about the landscapes and demographics. Civics keeps them informed on the system of functioning of the government. Economics is important as it helps rationalize market failures and can be used for planning for economic stability. The importance of math and science cannot be underestimated as it is the foundation for rationality in life. The most important of all is the language used for communication to get across the point. All said and done, unless communication is effective, the most brilliant politician cannot get work done effectively.

It is true that there have been great leaders who were uneducated, Kamaraj in India, for example. But, such gems are a rarity. In life, compromises must be made. Until an intelligent and foolproof plan exists for electing such gems from the public, we must resort to what is best for the common man. An educated person is more likely to do a good job as a politician than an illiterate person. Imagine if President George Bush was illiterate. The most powerful country could fall into shatters.

On the question of minimum educational qualification, the threshold must be fixed at something like tenth grade, by which time most people acquire the basic knowledge of the world. In the cases wherein an aspiring politician does not meet the minimum educational qualifications, he must be referred to a committee consisting of social activists, who have the interests of the common man in their mind. The committee must also look in to the level a politician is in and whether he/she can handle the office he is going to hold. However care must be taken to eliminate corruption in the committee.

Universities must be set up across the country which must aim at imparting political education for young aspiring politicians. Such a college can do wonders, producing very capable politicians who can do a lot of good for the country. Such a ‘political school’ exists in Chennai, India.

Thus it is clear that an educational qualification cannot be a rigid criterion for choosing politicians. Though flexibility must exist, only capable candidates must be allowed to hold high offices. This must also be extended to the grass-root level, the lowest level of administration.

Educational Qualification of a Politician

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