1. Describe the system of education in the movie.

To be able to fully describe the system of education in the movie “The
Three Idiots”, one must know the educational system being implemented by the Indian government.

Although some states in India have already used modern teaching methods such as creative learning by Howard Garner, Modern education in India is often criticized for being based on rote learning rather than problem solving.

The system of education in the movie is Authoritarian because the teacher, in this case the university professor, is the law and the only authority in the process of learning inside the classroom. It is also is based on the Traditional Method because it emphasizes rote learning which was already replaced by other more effective teaching methods because of its limitation in developing higher learning skills in students. Instances in the movie have shown how the emphasis in rote learning has stifled the students’ full comprehension of a theory that also hampered the development of their creative abilities because they must always follow what is being prescribed them by their mentors. Insubordination will mean being rusticated from the school system.

With this fact, it is no surprise that this dysfunctional engineering school system portrayed in the movie, pressures huge numbers of students into suicide.

2. Describe the main characters in the movie. ( at least five )

a. Aamir Khan as Ranchhoddas "Rancho" Shamaldas Chhanchad / Phunsukh Wangdu/Chhote

Rancho is the main character in the movie who studies for the simple reason the he loves learning. His passion in machines made him enroll in the prestigious college of engineering. Despite being poor, he used every chance he can get to study. When he grew up, he grabbed the only opportunity offered him to study that is to enroll in an engineering course by using the name of his master’s son. He is an intelligent, loving, caring and concerned individual who doesn’t stop at sacrificing himself to help other people, especially his friends. He has a mature personality who has a deeper understanding of human nature, which gets him in contention with his professors. He believes that that one should follow excellence, not success, as success will take care of itself if excellence is followed.

b. R. Madhavan as Farhan Qureshi

Farhan, a chubby, good-looking young man, is an obedient son who studies engineering to pursue his father's wishes. It made him uninspired because his real passion is to become a wildlife photographer which his father does not like because he thinks it will not bring much money. He secretly yearns for his dream to become a reality which adversely affects his engineering studies. This conflict places him at the lowest rank in class and in danger of being rusticated from his class. He is the other roommate and friend of “Rancho” who sticks with him no matter what happens. He is loyalty to his friends led him to be picked at and being humiliated by their “terror” professor, “Virus” even in front of their classmates.

c. Sharman Joshi as Raju Rastogi

The most financially marginalized among the three friends, He is a son who cares deeply for his parents and his sister whom he wants to see married. Raju is studying engineering not only because he loves the course but to get his family out of poverty as well. His great desire to lift his family out of their economic problem developed in him a fear of failure that he resorted to idolatry in his hope of a miraculous intervention for passing his subjects in engineering. This also prevented him from mastering his lessons because his fear has already paralyzed his mind from functioning well so much that he is at the last of his class.

He is a driven man who greatly wants to graduate from his studies and which made him reject his friends for a while thru the instigation and veiled threat of Professor Viru. Yet in the end, the value of their friendship won when he realized that his friends really care not only for him but the rest of his family also. Though he got low grades, His frankness and honesty impresses the corporate agents during a job interview that they hire him as an employee.

d. Boman Irani as Viru Sahasrabuddhe (Virus)

A loving father to his two daughters, Professor Viru as the Dean of ICE is a ruthless administrator who doesn’t know the word “consideration.” His is a demanding and harsh professor. This kind of treatment of his students made him infamous to all. Because of the fact that he is a pushy man, his only son committed suicide when he failed to pass the entrance examination at ICE. As an authoritarian administrator and professor, he sees himself as a god whose commandments all must follow. He is a scheming man who maliciously sets his students to fail exams just to get back at them and present himself as an infallible individual. He is unsympathetic to students who are having personal problems. All he sees and cares about is his goal of pushing his students to the limit so that the college will be able to maintain its top position as the best engineering school in the country.

e. Omi Vaidya as Chatur Ramalingam (Silencer)

Chatur "Silencer" Ramalingam (Omi Vaidya) is an immature young man who sees nothing but his goal of becoming the top student in ICE. He is selfish and calculating as shown in the scene where he places sexy magazines in his class mates’ rooms to distract them from their studies on the eve of their examinations. He is narrow-minded and believes in mindless memorizing over understanding in order to reach his goal of enjoying the corporate status. He is a blatant liar who cannot own up to his ill deeds. He is prideful and scornful of others whom he considers his subordinate. He especially loves disparaging others that rebounded in the end when he belatedly realized that the great scientist he is pursuing is none other than Rancho.

3. Describe the effects of competition in the academe

The competition in the academe has basically two effects, the positive and negative effects. The factor that determines the effect of the competition in the academe or in any other contest is the attitude of those who are in the “competition”.
These effects are clearly presented in the movie, where the main character Rancho studies without any cares for what others may think about him or of how he performs in school. Though basically, everyone is his rival in class because of their goal of getting the top places for them to enjoy good jobs after graduation, this did not prevent him from forging true and lasting friendship with Raju, Farhan, Millimeter, and others. He is empathic to a needy friends’ problem and goes out of his way to help to the point where he violated school rules. He represents the positive effect.
While the movie villain on the other hand, Chattur “the Silencer”, does everything he can to undermine his rivals’ interests and to ensure that he comes out as the best student. He resorts to dirty tactics to distract his rivals from their studies. He is totally focused in his studies that he wasn’t able to develop friends in school. This prevailing attitude toward competition prevented the students to develop their social skills positively and leads to the “ME” generation. If this continues, the society will be adversely affected because moral and ethical questions will arise.

4. React on the teaching methods of the faculty. In these modern times where everything changes by the minute, I find it quite surprising that the faculty is still using outmoded, impractical, and ineffective teaching methods as shown in the movie.
This scenario is too glaring and one that cannot escape my notice because, even though I have been teaching in the public schools for three years, I have already acquired many teaching methods which I try very much to apply in my classes. I just do not stop there because I also evaluate the effectiveness of the techniques I am using to be able to successfully adapt to my students mode of learning.
Embarrassing and insulting one’s student in front of others will automatically place a teacher’s position in jeopardy in the Philippine educational system, yet the faculty does it without any trace of fear.
Scheming to fail students is a blatant disregard of the ethical standards that teachers must and at all times practice yet in the movie, Viru ( the professor ) employs it to get back to his students who ran afoul with him.
Pushing a student to the edge is a big no-no in the Philippines, because it places a great pressure on the students. I t is no surprise then that our country has a very low suicide rate among Asian countries.
Rote learning is no longer given importance in the DepEd system because we are already emphasizing the development of higher thinking skills to prepare student for lifelong learning.
After viewing the movie, I can say that the educational system in India is still implementing teaching methods that are not learner-centered. Their faculty still cling to traditional and authoritarian methods of teaching that are no longer applicable to todays’ generation of learners.