The country which once had the oldest university education system with universities like Nalanda and Taxila attracting foreigners to visit India for its excellent education system is now suffering from the phenomenon wherein thousands of students go abroad for higher education every year. India, one of the pioneers of education in the world now has a dismal literacy rate of just 61% and ranks a disappointing 172nd in the world on this front. The 11th five year plan lays a huge emphasis on improving the quality of education. Still, there is a growing unrest in the minds of the students regarding the standard that the education industry offers them.
Statistics reveal that during 1960s around 3600 students went to UK to pursue higher studies; this number has now grown to 19,205 with approximately more than 83,834 studying in USA and around 97,000 studying in Australia. This dismal situation is the consequence of a lot of factors combined together. The gap in the infrastructural facilities, struggling technology, outdated pedagogical approach, theoretical framework of education, reservation system and extremely tough entrance exams are some of the factors which plague the present day Indian education industry. The aspirational value attached with a foreign degree and the lure of staying abroad for international exposure, independent lifestyle and increase in social status are some of the psychological and social benefits which play a major role in attracting students abroad. This phenomenon is detrimental to the growth of the Indian education industry.
When I draw a parallel between the education that was and the education that is, what comes to my mind is the fact that the practical approach and the mentor-mentee system of education followed in ‘Gurukuls’ is by far the best Indian model of education. The present education system needs to be modified and revamped to cater to the requirements of the new generation of students. The need of the hour is to build a sustainable system of education that focuses more on practical knowledge and is employment oriented. Vocational courses and skill development courses should be integrated into the education system right from the secondary education stage. GPRS and 3D technology should enhance the use of e-learning. Emphasis should be laid on merit based selection rather than reservations at least in Post Graduation courses. State investment policies should also be relooked into to allocate more resources for infrastructural development of the education industry and for increasing the intake capacity in centres of excellence like IITs and IIMs so that future generations are equipped sufficiently to operate in a knowledge economy.
With the World Bank launching low interest loans to develop facilities (approximately $80 million), the Government has a good opportunity to bring about the desired transformation in India’s education system and industry. Innovative education models and services like NIIT, Educomp solutions, Everonn Systems and MeritTrac provide technological advancement to the education industry and makes it more employment centric. With a little more effort, India can actually become the most desired destination in the world for pursuing higher education.
No comments:
Post a Comment