Events & Issues

New Delhi, 23 June 2016

Draft Education Policy

SET UP UNIVS IN VILLAGES

By Dhurjati Mukherjee

The recently formulated draft education policy document has come at the right juncture given the need to improve educational standards and quality. The Committee’s 217 pages recommendations has been critical of earlier policies even as some disapprove the recommendations as innovative ideas are missing.

Moreover, the creation of new bodies like Council for Excellence in Higher Education, Standing Education Commission etc in addition to the existing ones has not been taken kindly as these may end up as fiefdoms like the existing corrupt regulatory bodies.  

Undeniably, reforms in higher education are needed and being discussed at various levels.  The HRD Minister Smriti Irani is also discussing the draft with States before finalizing the document. However, educationists, scientists and social scientists should also be consulted before its finalization as concerns have been expressed about why the draft was given to retired bureaucrats to prepare.

Certainly, the need for more funding for education has been in the air for a few years but various constraints have come in the way of making available more resources, specially to higher education. Though the private sector has entered the field in a big way, students from well-off sections can only enter these due to high costs.

Consequently, Government sponsored colleges and universities have to expand keeping in view the needs of students from economically weaker sections and lower income groups.  

Besides, there is a need to expand and bring basic changes in higher education. Also, India is beginning to become conscious of an acute shortage of quality institutions of higher education. For far too long the country has been complacent about the fact that we have not produced since the 60’s a pool of trained scientists and engineers.

Pertinently, while expansion of higher education is being carried out, a few years ago a Planning Commission’s working group had recommended strengthening the existing institutes rather than open more IITs or IIMs.

Undoubtedly, both need to be carried out simultaneously as by 2020, the Government has targeted to push the gross enrolment ratio from 18 per cent to 30 per cent. Whereby, the country would need at least another 40,000 brick and mortar colleges to satiate the rise in demand.

Furthermore, higher education can also be imparted through the Open University or distance learning format, improving digital infrastructure and greater digital connectivity across geographies. 

While some opine there is a ‘gloomy’ scenario in declining standards both at the school and higher levels, the reality might not be dark as made out to be. During the last few years, there have been major improvements with the setting up new schools, colleges having reasonably good infrastructure.

Obviously more needs to be done as education spreads fast into remote villages. However, inadequacies remain, especially at the secondary level and in colleges where there is paucity of well-equipped science labs.  Add to this, lack of specialized science and commerce colleges also needs to be looked into.

Shockingly, UNESCO’s 2012 Education For All index ranks India 102 out of 120 countries, therefore improvements in quality and standards are imperative.

While private funds for non-profit areas are rare, it would have been better if the private sector had set-up institutions with modest fees. Unfortunately most, private universities charge fees which are beyond the paying capacity of even the lower middle class.

True, talk of quality and linking education with industry is of crucial importance, a significant suggestion in the Report has been to free campuses from politicization, starting from appointment of vice-chancellors “being political appointees” to regulating political activities in campuses.

It has suggested an independent Teacher Recruitment Board and cited ‘transfer camps’ organized by States which are “attended by applicants in the presence of local officials, non-officials and media in an open and transparent manner”.

Though the Report has been criticized, it rightly states: “Ideally universities ought not to lend themselves as playgrounds for national rivalries, inequalities, inequities and social or cultural fault lines; these need to be tackled by society as a whole …..” However, it is not against “unfettered generation of ideas, free speech and association in campuses” and the right of students.

Indisputably, it is necessary to improve and upgrade schools and colleges in the rural and semi-urban sector where majority of the population live. It must be ensured that good education does not become the monopoly of the rich and the urban middle class, which has unfortunately happened.  Good students in rural areas can rise if opportunities of availing quality education exist in their areas.

Alongside, the syllabus and course content should be made employment oriented and linked to market conditions. Over the years, education has not been oriented to the needs of industry, agriculture or the services sector and, as such, there is need to think afresh on the subject.

The earlier theoretical formulations have to make way for practical and need-based --- job-oriented and market-based --- syllabus which would benefit students and help socio-economic development.   

Importantly, specialized courses have started in private universities but most State ones have still to adopt these courses which have great potential in the market. Namely, environmental science/economics, water resources management, marine sciences/engineering, energy studies etc. Vocational education should also have an advanced component so that students can be eligible for good jobs. 

Additionally, good faculty should not be concentrated only in metros and big cities. Even as we talk of decentralization, centralization exists as the Government continues to pump money into big universities, IITs, IIM, etc.

Consequently, there is need to develop one or two model colleges and one good university in each district. Wherein, spreading higher education to the masses should be the new policy’s aim and this has to be accomplished by 2020.  

In sum, the regulation and control of private universities should be made stricter so that these do not solely operate for profit making. The final education policy should ensure that 10 per cent students be allowed to study by paying at least 50 per cent or less of the actual fees charged by these private institutions.

Clearly, the draft policy should delve into all issues in consultation with States and come out with an action plan to be achieved in the next 4/5 years. While the Report suggests, setting up 100 centres of excellence in higher education is indeed welcome, but quality higher education should not be confined to metros and big cities. It must spread out to villages where good colleges and universities need to come up. It is vital the draft education policy be finalized at the earliest with a pro-poor approach. ----- INFA 

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)