One often comes across repeated laments on the absence of even prominent Indian higher education institutions in global rankings.
Low quality output from large number of technical and management institutions is also a genuine cause of worry. As it has no takers, young people are not enthusiastic about joining the courses.
Consequently, hundreds of such private institutions are being forced to down shutters.
Government-funded institutions are supposed to be the guiding lights for new institutions, most of which are private enterprises. Unfortunately, even government institutions suffer from basic infrastructure and human resource inadequacies. Failure on this front deserves incisive scrutiny in every attempt to compare the decline in quality of output and severe loss of institutional credibility.
Quality in professional courses just cannot be improved upon unless basic reforms in school education are put in place. At present, the government schools remain deficient in spite of multi-pronged reform strategies announced regularly by Central and state governments. So long the leaner attainments remain distressingly below the delineated levels in schools, it would be futile to expect large scale quality enhancement in higher education. Once this premise is accepted, the task ahead becomes clear: Committed, competent, and professionally-equipped teachers, and a ‘Thinking Head’ of a school/university. One could cite umpteen examples of transformation achieved by school heads working in difficult situations. Only a person who is in intense ‘love’ with her/his job, and is convinced that s/he is reshaping the future of nation can achieve such a feat. The system stands spoiled not because of the paucity of such persons, but due to the systemic apathy that has led to delays in teacher hiring, entrenched corruption and loss of faith.
High hopes were woven around the golden period of demographic dividend for the young Indians. Ageing societies, once aware of the weakness of Indian education system in quality and skill acquisition, would not open up avenues for young Indians. Further, the very nature of the workplace is changing fast.
Emerging demands just cannot be met with more than a decade-old curricula, or by adhering to the age-old pedagogy. If workplace is characterised by artificial intelligence, latest gadgets and automation, no school/university can respond if the principal or the vice-chancellor remains ‘computer-terrified’.
Instead of establishing computer facilities in schools, politicians prefer to distribute computers individually. Such an approach indicates lack of sincerity of purpose and poses a serious challenge before the policymakers and implementers. Decentralisation of teachers’ recruitment in schools and transparency in higher education appointments are the much-needed strategy. Things stand spoiled because of vested interests. These facts must be acknowledged, as otherwise it would be impossible to get rid of rampant malpractices. The recent Supreme Court judgment on the regularisation of UP Shiksha Karmis has great potential to prevent recruitment of teachers on ‘political consideration’. It can usher in an era of qualification, competence, commitment and inclination being the basis of teachers’ appointments. One expects that these considerations would be the basis of training programme being launched by National Institute of Open Learning for 11 lakh untrained teachers.
Howsoever tough it may appear, the most vital reform the nation needs is to lay “stress on moral education and inculcation of a sense of social responsibility.” In Dr Radhakrishnan’s words: “Even from the nurseries, we must train human beings by unconscious influence and conscious effort to love truth, beauty and goodness.” The objective is to create persons who are “disciplined, dedicated, pure in heart and gentle in spirit”. India needs such teachers and academic leaders to reform its education system.
J S Rajput
Former director of the NCERT
rajput_js@yahoo.co.in