Learning curve

Updated on: Monday, December 26, 2011

In the last few years, the Indian government has been focusing on several initiatives to ensure that every child has access to school education. In fact, the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which came into effect on April 1, 2010, made India one of the 135 countries to make education a fundamental right for every child between six and 14 years.

Further, the current annual elementary education budget, which is Rs 21,000 crore, has seen an increase over the last few years. According to the ASER Report 2011, basic school infrastructure has been put in place across the country: classrooms and toilets have been built and most villages now have a school within one kilometre. This push towards universal coverage has led to more than 96% of all children being enrolled in school.

QUALITY CONCERN

However, while access to education has been emphasised, quality in education is still a cause for concern. Experts in this field feel that the current school education system shouldn't just focus on bringing a child into the classroom but also focus on giving them quality education.

As former President APJ Abdul Kalam pointed out, it's not fancy buildings or world-class facilities that a school is all about. Instead, it is about exceptional teachers. Primary education, he feels, should be disseminated and promoted in such a manner that there is a synergy between the stakeholders - students, teachers and parents.
Kalam was speaking at the 'Schoolonomics 2011' conference organised by The Times of India, in association with The Millennium School & Orris Infrastructure , on December 19. The conference offered a platform to educators, academicians and decision-makers to discuss a way forward to help students find a foothold in a global marketplace.
Kalam further added that good teachers and a good education make all the difference . The school in which he studied may not have had a great building, but it had exceptional teachers. "The teachers ensured there was quality in what was taught in class, paid attention to individual growth and made learning not just an informative experience, but also a pleasurable experience," he said.

As Shyama Chona, educationist and recipient of Padma Bhushan, pointed out, the need is to go beyond the urban-rural divide to give quality education and make sure that it is a blend of both old and new.

Stressing on the need to change, Shantanu Prakash, CMD Educomp Solutions, said, "Schools must focus on content credibility and creativity. This is the only way schools can aid innovative learning methods and meet global education standards ." Also, Manjeet Singh, president legal , Orris Infrastructure, mentioned, "Real estate has come with investment options for the education segment by providing infrastructure, thus eliminating a major cost factor.

CHILD-CENTRIC CURRICULUM

Amarjit Singh, joint secretary (EE-I ), ministry of HRD, department of secondary education and literacy, said that the government has been focusing on enrolment , forgetting about quality teachers. It is now working on the capacity building of teachers who can provide quality education.

"We are revising the curriculum that is being taught in teacher-training courses to make the new curriculum child-centric . Also, we are looking for an active proposal for a public-private partnership," Singh informed.

Also, Abhinav Mittal, Sr Principal Emerging Markets and Education practice , The Parthenon Group, added, "Today , parents feel that private schools have better facilities to offer, thus as investors it is important to know whether schools are providing value added features to parents or not."

CLASSROOM LEARNING

Besides, what happens inside the classroom plays an important role in the overall development of a child. Three areas - expansion, equity and excellence - are the need of the hour. According to Lata Vaidyanathan, principal, Modern School, Barakhamba Road, a child in a classroom is no more an isolated individual but a global citizen.

In a country where only 17 million complete senior secondary school, sharing ICT infrastructures with schools, focusing on quality teachers at the primary level, training teachers to understand technology , innovation through a dynamic syllabus could be some of the ways to add quality to the learning process, suggested Kalam.

Some of the other speakers at the conference included Abha Sehgal, principal, Sanskriti School; Partho Dasgupta, president , Educomp Schools and Shabnam Sinha , senior education specialist, The World Bank, among others.

As to a future roadmap, a range of issues discussed at the conference included weaving the way to a future-ready education system, redefining the school system and reshaping the education business, to mention a few.

Times of India

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