Blaming students for a school’s poor performance at the exams would not convince POJ Lebba, who headed the committee set up by the Kerala government to examine problems in secondary education sector and suggest remedial measures. He submitted his recommendations on April 16. Proper attention to secondary education is the solution, asserts the 77-year-old, who has over 36 years of experience in teaching and management.
Milestones galore
Lebba graduated from College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, in electrical engineering (1958). He majored in electrical machines during his postgraduation at Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai (1964). For the next eight years, he served as professor of electrical engineering at TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, Kerala. In 1976, he was appointed as principal of the same college. At TKM, he increased the number of courses to more than 10 from three. He also worked as an AICTE consultant from 1992 to 1994. Lebba was offered the post of pro vice-chancellor of Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), which he turned down. He was also a consultant for Water and Power Consultancy Services (India), a Government of India undertaking. Presently, he is the secretary of the Muslim Educational Society, Kozhikode.
“Over the past few years, the pass percentage of secondary examinations in Kerala has shot up and stands above 90 per cent. Even while it brings cheer, we can’t ignore the fact that there are still children who are forced to study something they don’t want to. This should change,” he says.
Uniform syllabus
In his report, Lebba suggested revising the curriculum of secondary education in Kerala, as the present one is five years old. He is particularly worried about the vocational sector where things don’t happen by chance — you can’t get up to speed with technological advancements unless you put your heart and soul into it, he says. The solution for this is a uniform syllabus. “Rather than segregating things into CBSE, ISCE and state syllabi, a common curriculum can root out all issues. Due to regional flavours, some subjects may require modifications — history is a case in point. By making minor modifications wherever necessary, for science and other subjects, following the same structure everywhere in India can be recommended,” he says.
Accreditation
Lebba also recommends that an independent body of academicians like NAAC should rate schools. “Accreditation differs from approval as when the latter necessitates a minimum requirement, former seeks something above the mark and hence quality can be brought in,” he explains.
Steps to rectify
Lebba has a two-point plan to make secondary education sector more fruitful — admit quality students and appoint well-trained faculty members. “Professional colleges in the government/aided sector boast of good pass percentage and results. This is because they admit result-oriented students, thereby making things easier for the school,” he says.
But in self-financing colleges, students who are able to bear its fee structure alone will join and this affects the results. At the same time, if these colleges reduce fee to attract the kind of students who opt for government/aided sector, he says, it will strive for survival.
Call for more dedication
When it comes to teachers, Lebba finds they are not committed to their work. “Teaching is looked upon as a temporary platform until they land a steady job. If teachers are going to be paid poorly, their insistence on government or related jobs is understood. This is a cycle since their predecessors also came in with the same notion. Ultimately, quality of education slumps,” he laments.
Need for more autonomy
Giving a nod for autonomous colleges, according to Lebba, can reduce the burden of universities. Yet placing this mere idea itself invites brickbats from staff and students alike. “When the number of colleges under a university increases, monitoring the quality is difficult. As far as Kerala is considered, one university in each of its 14 districts is needed,” he says.
Role models
Lebba credits two professors — S Hariharan and RE Bedford — for succeeding in his academic journey. Professor Hariharan who taught him electrical engineering had a good approach to students and his way of teaching inspired him to become an academician. RE Bedford, a teacher at IIT-Bombay, Mumbai, was also a great inspiration. As a teacher, Lebba’s greatest achievement was mentoring many a good engineer, who are now in every part of the world.
