Essay On Ageism

Among the ‘isms’ that afflict us, one that has been taken for granted is ageism. Ageism has been built into the structures of education and bureaucracy in India so much so that we often ignore it. When one calls it out, the first reaction is a puzzled look, and then—“But madam, this is how it is”, or, “Those are the rules”. The rules often decided based on age. This is ageism.

When the Defence Research and Development Organisation chief was asked to move out, the reason reported was that he was too old. Whatever the real reasons were, it is interesting that age discrimination can be seen as a legitimate reason to decide on a person’s ability to perform a job. The simple assumption that an older person loses his/her capacity to perform is belied by evidence of many old people leading active, productive and intellectually useful lives. Longer

We start school at a certain age. According to India’s Right to Education (RTE Act) students have to be placed in age-appropriate classes. This, despite the fact that we know that students have varied abilities—some are better at maths, others at languages. They learn at different speeds and may be at different learning levels. Forcing them all to conform to age-based levels is unkind and unwise.

As the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) reveals year after year, age and class cohort do not represent learning levels. Classes are marked by the textbooks handed to students, issued by age, not ability. A child who is eight years old, but with the reading ability of a five-year-old has to be pressured into leaping into age-appropriate curriculum. Forcing age to be a criterion for anything undermines its goals. We start ageism early, embed it and carry it through to the job market.

In a country where around half the population is under 25, it is easy to forget the rights of the old. The pressure of this demographic will be felt by the old, especially in