One reason for the widespread interest in AI is that it has the potential to reduce the degree of bias underpinning human decisions. For example, meta-analytic studies have long highlighted the pervasive nature of bias in hiring and recruitment. Even in the rich and liberal world, there are many biases at play in the workplace, which account for the unmeritocratic or unfair advantage that some groups have over others, irrespective of their actual talent or potential: sexism, racism, and ageism, to name just a few. Money and public status also leads to discrimination even in schools, college and jobs.
Discrimination in Jobs
One of the most prominent biases is hardly ever discussed or acknowledged, namely the beauty bias — also known as “lookism.” Indeed, the existence of a beauty premium in the labor market is well-documented. As a comprehensive academic review summarized: “Physically attractive individuals are more likely to be interviewed for jobs and hired, they are more likely to advance rapidly in their careers through frequent promotions, and they earn higher wages than unattractive individuals.”
Common manifestations of appearance-based discrimination may include bias against obese, oddly-dressed, or tattooed candidates, or any people who don’t fit a society’s dominant aesthetic criteria. In many professions some people are not selected just because of their dressing or looks. For example an anchor who doesn’t know to speak properly, fluently is selected over the other anchor who speaks boldly, fluently but doesn’t have good looks? Then where will his/her skills work? Wastage of his /her time in getting skilled.
Even a degree & experienced person is deprived of seeking jobs because of some unusual rules like a B.Ed candidate is not preferred as a teacher in school because she is not able to wear saree, even if she is ready to wear a casual salwar suit of the school uniform material for teachers. Instead a non B.Ed candidate is given the job role because she can wear a saree ! Is this justified?Then what about the rule that B.Ed is compulsory to become a teacher and schools will not prefer Non – B.Ed candidates ? Kerala government has recently announced that Saree is not mandatory; a formal casual dress like salwar- suit and kurtis can be worned by a teacher even in the dress code of school.
In many organizations it is differentiated in salary and work and the titles are given as fresher and experienced. Even we the fresher has skills and a 5 year degree; they are said that you are a fresher? How will a fresher get a chance to be experienced if he or she will be said in every organization that we doesn’t hire fresher or we need 5 years of experience then what about 5 year or degree ? A ten to twenty minutes interview or demo session cannot judge the skills of a talented fresher. He or she should get an opportunity to proof themselves.
Discrimination in Schools, College or Universities
Ever since childhood, we’ve been taught that school is a temple. A temple where a student is not only taught to mug up the lessons, but they’re also taught manners, values and basic fundamental ethics of life. The basic concept of school, as far as our knowledge is concerned, is to find the best potential in a child and mould the child to give it a precise shape. Basically, nurturing a child’s actual potential to get the best out of it. The purpose of school is not only meant to teach students to score good marks in exams. There are various other areas where the child can brush and develop on inborn skills and knowledge. Now, why do I say all that I’ve mentioned above? It saddens me to know that some of the schools authorities in India are reluctant to give admissions to students who have flunked in their exams.
My question to those institutes and the authorities is, is failure the end of life of a student? The teachers have to understand that each child is special and unique and is incomparable. Nobody can judge the students on the basis of their academic scores. The teachers are there to teach the students lessons of life, the basic etiquettes of life, morals and discipline, and many more such things. They are teachers by profession and not judges. We understand that it is indeed difficult and not an easy task to be a teacher at first. But since we have committed ourselves into this service, we are here today. We also understand that students are mischievous and are a nuisance at times.
In many schools a teacher always prefer a studious students or a buttering student of a well known personality to be the monitor of the class, also the names are fixed for any school level sports or skilful competition. Many children are deprived of this opportunities just because they are average or they are not a gold medallist or topper of the class ? But what if they are more capable in the same skills then the topper student ? Many of you might have experienced it. Even many of the schools provide the opportunities to toppers to become the Head leaders of students of schools, even many are not able to stand in the school elections even if they are well capable to win.
Consequences of this discriminations
Now, when we try to sideline those underperforming students, candidates , we have already created a junk room in the society. Those deprived students, candidates are then dangerous to the society. Therefore, the teachers, & job providers need to understand and try to find out ways to get these people on par with the mainstream instead of sidelining them and putting a tag on them as failures or not capable. Because, when proper encouragement and guidance is not given to such students, failure is bound to hit their heart so hard that they start finding false joy and subsequently ruin their lives.
Why our education system or employment policies is so biased and unjust to students or candidates who don’t perform well in academics or interviews or demos. Those single or two digit numbers can never or have never predicted a child’s future. Or a 10 Minutes demo session or interview cannot judge a skilled candidate. It is a very wrong notion that students or candidates who fail can never be successful in life and vice versa. Everyone is special with enormous potential in them. Our education & employment system has so wrongly inculcated this concept of education & job providing that only by getting good marks or passing the test or tasks, one can become successful and prosperous in life. It has instilled into the minds of the students & candidates that education and jobs is all about race for marks and not for skill development and personal growth. What is the use of putting students into the race for good marks in academics but have forgotten to develop on their skills and natural expertise? Perhaps if the teachers have had given a slight heed into this aspect as well as, then, I suppose, we would have had a cent percent academic performance. This should be started from schools itself to make students skill scorers not mugging marks scorer!
So, only a heartfelt appeal to the teachers and the job providing authorities of every sector of India concerned is that failure or average marks cannot decide a child’s future. You’ll need to reciprocate their failure with double encouragement and positive thoughts. If you are not providing the opportunities to the deserving one, the school, every organisation along with the whole society will be in big danger in the future. Let’s keep encouraging and keep supporting the young minds with good and positive thoughts, instead of discouraging them and discriminating them on the basis of the academic scores. Let’s provide each and equal opportunities to all irrespective of their looks, gender, money, status, academic marks…just the matter of fact should be only SKILLS AND TALENT.
Read More : Indian Laws Discriminate against the Poor: Orissa HC Chief Justice
