100 days for education reforms

Updated on: Monday, June 29, 2009

The Union HRD Ministry has decided to come up with a series of radical reforms in higher education within the first 100 days of the UPA government, including the creation of a National Commission for Higher Education and Research that will subsume all the statutory bodies such as the University Grants Commission, the AICTE and the MCI.

While this is indeed a welcome step, one question that lingers in the mind is whether the creation of a super national commission alone can bring in a mindset change; or whether there needs steps to offer some more incentives that can change the mindset; one which works for excellence, quality and commitment to all stakeholders. Only then will each parent and student feel they have got their money’s worth in higher education.
But before that let’s concede that almost all the problems associated with education in the country can be brought under five heads. It is time that we take very serious steps to address each of them with bright new ideas.

They are: Infrastructure including buildings, labs, connectivity, playgrounds, sports equipment.Curriculum development that translates into evolving world class curriculum, graded syllabus, time is not a factor for completing educational objectives, skills and knowledge based, incentives for new ideas, multi-dimensional approach, flexible learning plans and subjects
Teaching – learning process covering educational aids, time table, school administration and assessment of students.

Classroom transaction: that covers teacher capability, teacher qualification, lighting,
Teacher Development: a package that includes good pay structure for attracting the best, offering of continuous education programs, re-training, bonuses, incentives, pay restructuring according to ends.

Value education for all round personality development. The National Commission would do well if it can create within its ambit a National Educational Development Council chaired by the Union HRD Minister. Its mandate would be to come up with large macro level policies and funding methodologies for improving educational standards and infrastructure in higher, professional, technical, legal education streams and research. The council should comprise a Vice Chairperson and four members. These would be persons of eminence, appointed through a transparent, advertisement-based process. In addition, the council should also have one member from among the two Houses of Parliament.
The Council’s executive should include premier educationists, planners, financial analysts, industry and NGO members. The executive will be empowered to enlist the support of or coopt experts from different fields from time to time, as dictated by the circumstances.

The Council would have five special units to address issues of Infrastructure, Curriculum Planning and Development, Classroom Transaction, Teacher Development and Value education.
Most importantly, the Council should be created as a Section 25 company, whose paid up capital can come from government, industry and public contribution and whose surplus income will be ploughed back for improving the Council’s mandate.

The formation of the Company will give the body the required flexibility to approach the market and market regulators to raise funds through floating of educational bonds. The council should also be empowered to approach the Central regulatory agencies and the Union Finance Ministry for offering attractive tax exemptions for those who subscribe to the Educational bonds.
The corporate structure is essential to ensure that all the stake-holders have the necessary commitment to improve the quality of service rendered to its customers, students and the secondary stake holders who are members of the public who invest their money in educational bonds.

The Council would also be the agency to conduct entrance examinations to the various UG and PG courses. The money raised from such a process would remain with the body and be re-invested into the system.

Deccanchronicle

100 days for education reforms

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