College Post, January – March, 2017 · competencies and over view of society , schemes and programmes of national development. (c) Identify areas of community intervention namely,

1College Post, January – March, 2017

EDITORIAL

First National Policy on Education was announced in 1968 following the Report of EducationCommission, headed by Professor D.S. Kothari. The report was titled as education for NationalDevelopment. The policy statements were intentions of the state and guiding policy fordevelopment of education at all the levels, namely primary, Secondary and Higher and professionaleducation. The policy remained in operation till 1986 when the second National Education Policywas announced following the report of National Commission on Teachers-1983-85 and nationallevel debate on challenges of education. The NEP was modified in 1992 on the basis of report ofRamamurthy Committee and situation arising out of socio political conditions of that time. All thethree policy statement on development of education and particularly the last one emphasisedon: (a) inculcation of democratic values, scientific temper and free and compulsory education for

all up to the age 14 years; (b) Promotion of mother tongue, regional language and English, 10+2+3+2 structure of educationand implementation of National Curriculum. In higher education emphasis was on promotion of autonomous colleges,improvement of quality and relevance of higher education. In 1990s liberalization became global agenda and followed byvarious deliberations on this aspect, in 1995 The World Trade Organization was set up. This was signed by as many as 144countries of the world including India. Globalization and liberalization- became main agenda of educational, social andeconomic development in subsequent years. As far the NEP 1986- revised 1992, this was not the main agenda. Though, inpractice after 1995 and particularly 2000 onwards globalization and liberalization became main agenda. The ground forpolicy of liberalization was laid in early nineties, this aspect, however, received attention after 1995/2000. But no policychange was attempted, although there was urgent need to do so. In practice many things namely, growth of privateschools, English medium schools, Private self financing colleges, Self financing courses in public universities and finally selffinancing Private Universities and self financing deemed to be universities happened without a clear policy pronouncement.

NEW EDUCATION POLICY - 2017/18 - THE AGENDA

CONTENTSEditorialNewsArticles:1. Elusive Quality of Indian

Higher Education: ACommentary on the Draft ofthe New Education Policy

2. Re-thinking Education forAll - Relevance of GandhianModel of Education in 2020

3. Professional DevelopmentNeeds of Rural PrimarySchool Teachers

4. Higher Education forBridging the Gap BetweenRural And Urban Students -Specially DesignedPrograms for The Purpose-a Case Study of KanyaMahavidyalaya

Researches in EducationEducation News AnalysisAcross the GlobeI ShareBook Review

Editor

G.D. Sharma

Co-editor

Baldev Mahajan

The scenario in 2014 when the BJP party took reins of government at the central level,need for having a new policy of education was expressed by them. In fact the outgoingCongress government had already initiated discussion on National Commission ofEducation, but could not progress much, as the party lost the election and BJP tookover. BJP constituted Education Committee headed by Shri Subramaniam TSR. Reportof the Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy was submitted in 2016 withsome controversy with MHRD on making the report public. Followed by this, MHRDmade the report public and it initiated debate on the report. Several discussions tookplace on the report and suggestion made by several groups. Recently it is mentionedthat MHRD has constituted a National Education Policy Drafting Committee. Thiscommittee may come out with draft policy for further discussion and may be for placingit before the Parliament. The time available for this Parliament is up to 2019 and anypolicy, if announced has to be announced before the end of this year so that someprogramme of action can be drawn and resources are allocated for implementation ofNew Education Policy. Since 12th Five Year Plan would be over in 2017, it has to be seenthat how new NITI Aayog ensures implementation of policy at Central, State, District,Block and Panchayat levels? What would be its method of planning and implementationas the present structure of Planning method seems to have been dismantled under thenew philosophy of plan-less development. All this is a matter of consideration onlyafter the New Education Policy is drafted, approved and announced. Therefore, it isimportant to highlight what is and what should be agenda for New Education Policy,2017/18?

The Agenda before the policy are:Elementary Education - Free and Compulsory Education for up to the age 14 years asmandated by the constitution of India and made lack of implementation legallychallengeable under the Right to Education Act, 2009. Here the issue is by what date itis likely to be achieved given the situation of: Out of School Children, good rate of studentsparticipation at Primary Level, relatively less participation at upper primary level, aspects

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NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT VOLUNTEER SCHEMESEED-ICF has launched a Scheme of NationalDevelopment Volunteers in Colleges. Objective of thescheme is to inculcate voluntary services culture amongthe students studying in higher education. The schemefocuses on enabling students to work in group of 10 todiscuss and undertake the voluntary work for:(a) Development of Swachh (Clean) and Green

Environment of the College. Help collegeadministration, library and laboratories in their upkeep.

(b) Self development through acquiring life coping skills,language competency, IT and computationalcompetencies and over view of society , schemes andprogrammes of national development.

(c) Identify areas of community intervention namely,advocacy on schemes of development, helping peoplein sorting out their problem with regard to localadministration and developmental agencies- play aleadership role while doing so.

(d) Acquire basic knowledge of health and hygiene, firstaid, calamity and disaster management and event andcrowd management

(e) Take a vow to transfer the knowledge of voluntary workand work for the cause of national and globaldevelopment voluntarily.The first batch of 100 students from HMV College, Una,

Gujarat had volunteered under the leadership of Nalini BenDesai. The programme of their participation in activitieswould be launched in July, 2017. Volunteers would beencouraged to participate in exchanges of experience ofvoluntary work among the colleges under mutual exchangeprogramme. The Scheme is being offered to ICF memberColleges, Leadership Development Colleges and all othercolleges. Interested colleges may write to SEED-ICF forthe same.

SCHEME OF E-CONTENT AND COURSE WAREDEVELOPMENT UNDER MOOCSMHRD has launched a scheme of support for developmentof self learning course ware in MOOC and have provided"Swayam" portal for uploading the course ware. Under thescheme UGC has been assigned the aspects pertaining toNon-Technical PG Programmes, NPTEL - Technologyrelated courses, Consortium of Educational Communication,non-technical Undergraduate Degree courses and IGNOU- Diploma and Certificate Courses, CBSE, NCERT, NIOSfor 9th to 12th Class CBSE and open education courses.MHRD is providing financial Assistance for development ofMOOCs compliant courses in four quadrants, namely, I- E-Tutorial, II-E- Content, III- Web based Resources and IV-Self Assessment. Funding is available under variousactivities for development of courses. For details readermay visit MHRD website.

23RD ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF INDIANCOLLEGES FORUM23rd Conference of ICF is scheduled to be held atHyderabad from 8-10 September, 2017. The theme of the

Newsconference is "Challenges of Higher Education in EmergingFourth Industrial Revolution". Sub-themes are: (i)Implications of Technology Revolutions on HigherEducation, (ii) Developing critical and analytical skills andR&D in the fields of Management, Commerce, Science,Law and other professional education to meet challengesof emerging revolution, III -Role of Management, Teachersand students to meet challenges of emerging revolution,IV-Role of Government in supporting and facilitatinginstitutions of higher education to meeting new challenges.The conference is being organized in collaboration withKedia College, sponsored by Marwari Shikshan Sansthan,affiliated to Osmania University, Hyderabad.

INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMA IN EDUCATIONALLEADERSHIP- HIGHER EDUCATION 4TH BATCHAfter completion three batches of International Diploma inEducational Leadership -Higher Education, SEED-CHESTis launching 4th Batch International Diploma in EducationalLeadership- Higher Education from July, 2017. This selfcontained modular programme is meant for leaders of highereducation heading key positions in Colleges andUniversities. The approach is facilitate key persons learnat their space and time over a period of one year 8 modulecourse dealing with different aspects of development andmanagement of higher education. Modules are provided inprint as well as sent to participants on mail in every termalong with additional material and possibility interaction withexperts. One week face to face or virtual basis programmeis provided to sorting queries pertaining to module andenabling them to develop proposal for project work. It alsooffers one week international exposure programme in Parisand Europe. For details contact Coordinator - IDEL-HE [email protected] or [email protected]

ACADEMIC EXCHANGE PROGRAMMERecently some of the ICF member colleges' Principalssuggested that there is a need for faculty and studentsacademic exchange programme among the member ICFcolleges. The exchange programme will provide studentsand faculty to observe and learn from innovative practicesfollowed in visiting colleges and would also help networkingwith the peer group for mutual benefit, strengtheningbondage among them and improving quality of highereducation. SEED-ICF supports this idea and offers tocoordinate such voluntary exchange programme among themember ICF colleges. Interested college may offerpossibility of one to two weeks exchange programme totheir colleges and also indicate areas and colleges wheretheir faculty and students would like to go for academicexchange programme. On receipt of such informationSEED-ICF will process and set up exchange possibilities.Collages need to indicate the kind of stay and interactivefacilities for number of students and teachers that could bemade available to visiting team and possible cost of thesame, if any. For financial support of such activities, collegescould approach respective state government /universitiesunder the concept of Gyan Yatra or any of the similar typeschemes.


The objective of achieving excellence in highereducation has been the most daunting of all thechallenges faced by the policy makers not only in Indiabut even in the developed countries, albeit to a lesserextent. The draft of the New Education Policy (GoI,2016A) devotes considerable amount of space todiagnose the factors responsible for poor quality inIndian higher education and seeks to provide a policydirection to address the issue.

We would like to reflect on the challenges involvedin improving quality of education and policies prescribedas outlined in the New Education Policy(henceforth The Report) against thebackdrop of the neoliberal hegemony ineducation policy making which issweeping across the globe and India hasbeen no exception as evident from thepolicy measures mooted in many of thecommittee reports and policy documentsbrought out by the government from timeto time,particularly during the lastdecade.

Deconstructing the Neo-liberal logicWhile policy making in higher education is increasinglybeing informed by the application of economic principles,the logic of market and the business, the question is towhat extent are these principles likely to be effectiveand efficacious to reform the sector keeping in mind thelarger role higher education should play in maintenanceof the social order and nation building other thanresponding to the demand for skill and knowledge in agrowing economy. However, the conceptualization ofan individual as autarkic and competitive engaged inthe pursuit of self-realization in the neoliberal policymaking casts doubt on the sustainability of socialrelations (Marginson 2014). With regard to the role ofthe state vis a vis the private in its provision,characterisation of higher education either in terms of a

ELUSIVE QUALITY OF INDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION: A COMMENTARYON THE DRAFT OF THE NEW EDUCATION POLICY1

SAUMEN CHATTOPADHYAY*

The paper reflects on the challenges involved in the improving quality of education as outlined in thereport of the Committee on Evolution of New Education Policy. It examines issues in backdrop of

neo-liberal approach to education.

1Based on the presentation made at the ComparativeEducation Society conference held at the Sri VenkateswaraUniversity, Tirupati during 19-21 November, 2016.* Teaches at the Zakir Husain Centre for Educational Studies,SSS. Jawaharlal Nehru University.

private good or a public good or even as a quasi-publicgood is utterly simplistic in nature as 'publicness' is policydetermined, nested within a cultural set up, nationallyand globally. (Marginson 2016) . Higher educationgenerates private goods in the form of earnings, socialstatus, incomes from the intellectual property rights(IPRs) along with the broader notion of public goodswhich go much beyond the rather narrow economicconception of externalities like contribution to publicdebate which is so essential in a democracy andsustainability of social relations (ibid.).

However, as argued (Chattopadhyay2012), the non-applicability of the twomajor aspects of economics ofeducation, the concept of an educationalproduction function which is invoked tounderstand the functioning of aneducational institute and the concept ofeducational market to study the systemas a whole comprising of the studentsand the education providers to explainwhy achieving excellence in educationand specifically for higher education,

learning outcomes often proxied by the number ofgraduates passed and absorbed in the labour marketdepends on how well the human resources, the teachersand the students in particular make use of theinfrastructure to produce quality outcome. While thevariation in the quality of human resources as inputs isintrinsic because of uniqueness and non-replicability ofhuman capital embodied in the persons, what isimportant for the policy makers to ensure how the humanresources, who are essentially self-interest drivenindividuals convert the resources, their own potentialsand make use of the physical infrastructure to realizeexcellence .To add to the complexity of the challenge,since both quantity and quality of university output arenot readily quantifiable, ritualistic participation in theprocess of teaching-learning and in the conduct ofresearch do not serve the purpose unless the teachersand the students are engaged in the process with agreat deal of motivation and dedication infused withadequate dose of scruples. For example, classes canroutinely take place devoid of enthusiasm and curiositywhich makes the very process ritualistic and therefore

The objective of achievingexcellence in higher

education has been themost daunting of all thechallenges faced by thepolicy makers not only in

India but even in thedeveloped countries, albeit

to a lesser extent.

Articles


virtually meaningless. This makes it clear the salienceof academic culture which is an outcome of governancegiven adequacy of resources to produce quality output.In sharp contrast, in a factory producing material output,machines churn out pre-specified output from pre-specified quality of inputs in a pre-determined andpredictable way as given by the technology that themachines are embodied with.

Despite marketization of higher education, thetypical market for higher education does not exist, trulyspeaking, which also renders the application of marketlogic to reform the sector rather tenuous. One majorproblem with the notion of education market is that thestudents who are being treated as the customers bythe neoliberals are also the inputs and the co-producersof quality education, learning outcomes and researchalong with the teachers. Further, propagation of marketlogic has the potential to overwhelm merit and marginby the sheer power of money much to the detriment ofhigher education objectives of inclusive expansion withexcellence as it is gradually unfolding inthe Indian scenario as deregulatedprivatization continues. If the marketlogic has the potential to deliver, theincreasing participation of the privatesector and the ongoing marketisationcould have led to an improvement in thequality of higher education by now. It ishowever neither an enigma nor aparadox that the neoliberals whoadvocate reform to achieve technicalefficiency and allocative efficiency havegained dominance in policy making as the teachers andthe students validate their assumption about economicagents that they are essentially homo economicus andmanipulatable. Excellence requires the teachers andthe students to remain intrinsically motivated in theiracademic pursuit and do justice to the academicfreedom that the university is bestowed with. Arguably,it is the abuse of freedom by the university communitygiven the resource endowments, which is the root causeof the poor quality. This has effectively allowed the policymakers to invoke the neoliberal logic of economic reformto fix the system by providing incentives and installingexternal surveillance mechanism to curb abuse ofacademic freedom by the self-interest driven teachersand make them deliver as per the design of the policymakers.

Conceptualization of Quality and diagnosis of theailmentsHow has the Report (GoI, 2016) sought to conceptualisequality of higher education, how have the challengesfacing Indian higher education been diagnosed and whatare policy prescriptions that follow from the Report to

improve quality are all inter-related and sequential inthis order. The very understanding of quality determinesthe nature of the diagnosis of the problems which inturn determine the approach of the policy makers todeal with the problems as identified in the Report.

It is apparent that the quality of higher educationhas been defined mainly in terms of employability,research output and the global rankings of the Indianuniversities. The Report possibly in a lighter veinadvocates the use of gross employability ratio (GER) inplace of the policy makers' persistent concern with thegross enrolment ratio (GER). In terms of the quality asassessed by the quality assurance agency, i.e., NationalAssessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), thereare enough reasons to feel worried about. Only 30percent of the universities and 9 percent of the collegeshave been awarded A grade, the Report points out. Thisis further exemplified by the proclivity of a large numberof students, around 3 lakh every year, who leave thecountry to pursue higher studies abroad costing around

$10 million per year.

Diagnosing the ChallengesAs noted above, from the perspective ofeconomics of education, resources andgovernance are two broad categories offactors which have bearing on the qualityof education and research. We discussthe Report's analysis of poor quality andits remedy under these two broad heads.

Quality and ResourcesThe Report notes with concern that 40 percent of theteaching positions in the government funded institutionsare lying vacant which has seriously affected the deliveryof quality education. For the private sector, the Reportis critical of the commercial practices indulged by theprivate providers and deficient infrastructure resultingin poor quality of education. The regulated fee structurefor the private providers has constrained them to spendadequately on the infrastructure which has resulted inthe delivery of poor quality. The argument thatderegulation of fees will do away with the illegal practiceof extracting capitation fees from the parents is not reallyconvincing. A majority of the private institutions indulgingin commercial practices operate under politicalpatronage and cheat the students who suffer frominformation asymmetry and irreversibility of choicemaking which push them to the corners when it comesto negotiation with the management. Qualityimprovement is a matter of mission of the managementor what is called 'prestige maximisation' and that is whysome private universities with a long term vision andconcerned about reputation are doing well.

The Report is however largely silent about the

Despite marketization ofhigher education, the

typical market for highereducation does not exist,truly speaking, which alsorenders the application ofmarket logic to reform the

sector rather tenuous.


imperative for infusion of more resources into thesystem. In fact, the Report argues that the institutionsshould explore alternative sources of finances and befinancially independent which is a pre-requisite foracademic autonomy. However, filling up of the vacantpositions would require resources which the stategovernments can ill afford because of their perennialfiscal crisis. In fact, after the possible revision of thepay scale of the teachers, the state governments willfind it harder to fill up the vacant teaching positions.Even in the University of Delhi, a Central University, theteaching positions are not being filled up. The silenceof the Report about resources has to be understood inthe present context of increasing privatisation and ingradual embracing of the market principles as articulatedby the government in other policy documents, promotionof public-private partnerships (PPP), the implementationof RUSA and setting up of the Higher Education FundingAgency (HEFA).

Quality and AutonomyThe issue of autonomy of the faculty and the institutionis intricately linked to the issue of governance structurethat prevails. The hallmark of the academia is academicfreedom the teachers and the researchers should enjoyto be creative and be innovative. Kumar (2015) noteshow autonomy has been compromised by bureaucraticinterference. Those institutions which are found to becredible and have achieved excellence, should be givenfreedom in what they do, the Report argues. In the caseof the government funded institutions, the Report quitejustifiably points out that the appointment of the Vice-Chancellors is political which makes them accountablenot to the university community but to the externalagency, the political party and/or the government oftenin a brazen manner leading to alienation anddemoralization of the university community.

As noted above, financial autonomy being definedin terms of lessening dependence on government grantswill actually interfere with the academic autonomy. Someof the alternative sources for garnering additionalrevenue are likely to interfere with academic autonomyand even compromise with the quality, like offering offull cost recovery of courses, and agreeing to industryfunding for research . Mode of funding determinesgovernance as exercise of autonomy gets conditionedby the imperatives of mobilizing more resources.Complete academic autonomy requires input basedfunding with no string attached but this model delivers ifthe teachers and the students are intrinsically motivatedand the government has resources to meet the growingdemand. The Report does not probe deep into some ofthese dilemmas in the Indian context which are intrinsicto higher education reform.

With respect to the faculty autonomy, it is reassuring

to know that the Report takes a critical view of the UGCRegulations (GoI2010;GoI2016B), the PerformanceBased Assessment System-Academic PerformanceIndicator (PBAS-API) which is neoliberal by design (Dasand Chattopadhyay 2014), seeks to improve universityoutput in terms of both quality and quantity by makingthe teachers accountable to the system ostensibly inan objective manner. The implementation of the APIsystem is also an example as to how a neoliberalapproach to university governance fails to address theissue of quality if not quantity as the teachers achievethe set target by accumulation of points in a mannerwhich is often unfair and devoid of quality (ibid.) asexemplified by the mushrooming of journals andpublication of low quality books. The Report has lookedat the teachers' activism rather negatively possiblybecause it is viewed to be disruptive. However, teachers'activism is essential in a shared governance structurewhere the teachers should have a platform to addresstheir discontentment and grievances in a bureaucraticset up which would only motivate them perform betteras long as the teaching-learning process is notdisrupted. The Report argues for making full use of ICTto create a data base of the university in order to betransparent and regularly monitorable by thegovernment. There also arises a possible trade-offbetween full autonomy and accountability as objectiveassessment and benchmarking may circumscribeautonomy as normative trust is being replaced byrational and instrumental trust (Kehm 2014). This trade-off is equally true for the autonomy in pursuit of a missionby a university if the university exhibits proclivity toparticipate in global ranking and to comply with thequality assurance mechanism which entails adjustmentand conformism in what a university pursues. .

The typical neoliberal construction of a quasi-marketis expected to bestow sovereignty to the student-consumers and the education providers (Jongbloed2004) and foster competition. The Report reiterates theneed for setting up of a regulatory authority for the entirehigher education system. However, there are positivesto be gained as well as negatives to be negotiated with.There is a need for an uncompromising attitude towardsthe concern of the students from the margin and thestudents with merit requires regulation so as to relegatethe adverse role money power can potentially play whichrequires a delicate balance between giving sovereigntyand regulation of activities (Chattopadhyay 2012). TheReport is scathing in its criticism of the prevalentregulatory regime as one of favour granting systemwhich spawns unfair practices. . The Report argues forautonomy for those who have proved their worth andregulation for those who are yet to deliver excellencewhich requires the proposed Regulatory authority toadopt a more nuanced and flexible approach.


Policy PrescriptionsInnovation, Accreditation and Ranking: a narrowapproach to quality

Quality assurance, ranking and accountability aredifferent mechanisms to assess organizationaleffectiveness of the institutions which have gainedimportance in the wake of ongoing massification ofhigher education, increased concern for costefficiencies, enhanced autonomy and corporate styleof governance, credibility of credentials in the job marketboth at national level as well as global market and risingglobal mobility of students and researchers (Harman2011). Focus on accreditation and ranking to reform thehigher education sector is now the focus of the reformersworld over. Given the large size of the Indian highereducation system and a large number of pending casesinvolved in the process of assessmentand accreditation of the colleges and theuniversities, coupled with the meek anddelayed responses from the institutionsthe, the NAAC is faced with a gargantuantask. However, this does not make acase to allow the private parties to enterthe accreditation system as the processis prone to subversion because ofpossible collusion between the agency and the institutionat the expense of the students' interests. Whatassessment and accreditation essentially do in particularis to improve governance only to the extent by makingit explicit and mandatory for the institutions to make theirperformances transparent, quantifiable and accountableto an extent. Further, this managerial approach toachieve effectiveness is no guarantee for quality as thefocus is laid on target with possible compromises withthe processes as the implementation of the PBAS-APIsystem exemplifies .

Possible CompromisesQuality and inequality

The question is what does this approach to policymaking entail for addressing the inequality that prevailsin India in various spheres of the economy, particularlyin access and in the processes. Though there has beena steady rise in the gross enrolment rate to 23-24 percentor more, the expansion has been led largely by theprivate sector in the realm of professional educationmitigating thereby the inclusiveness of the expansion.Though it is still debatable whether educationaccentuates inequality by widening the earning gapbetween the skilled and the unskilled, setting up of theworld class universities, and differences betweenfunding capacities between the Centre and the statescontribute to the increasing differentiation in the highereducation system by policy design. However, there haveonly been some glimpses of excellence as the overall

situation looks grim. The Report proposes to set upCentre for Excellence in Higher Education (CEHE) tofoster excellence in select universities to begin with.While some are promoted based on their provenpotentials, the issue is whether the rest would suffer inthe process. The status goods that higher educationbestows on the graduates depending on the brand ofthe institutions further contributes to the differentiationin the job markets. Gupta (2016) draws attention to theforms of inequalities broadly conceptualized that Indiasuffers from have been given scant attention in theReport.

Quality and DiversityAssessment, quality assurance or accreditation, rankingand accountability mechanisms require some degree

of conformity which underminesautonomy and diversity at the both thelevels of faculty and the university. ThePBAS-API system, ranking andaccreditation seek to reward innovationin teaching and research. The criticismslevelled against API is not only becauseof its abuse, but in-built in it is itsdisregard for individual differences,

discipline wise differences and institution wisedifferences in terms of its mission and functioning (Dasand Chattopadhyay 2014). The higher education shouldideally be striving for promoting diversity in mission andin the field of knowledge generation and knowledgedissemination. Focus on innovation in teaching andresearch is apparently a factor to mitigate this forcedriving towards standardization. Though the concept ofinnovation in teaching and research is fuzzy, weakfoundation, poor governance and absence of vibrancyin the academia are unlikely to be conducive forinnovation in the majority of the institutions in absenceof visionary leadership, inadequate infrastructure andlow morale. This enhances the importance of strategymaking and leadership which have implications for thenature of future of the universities. As Kehm (2016)argues in the context of Europe,

"Accountability, evaluation, or accreditation havecertainly led to more bureaucracy while the necessityto diversify the funding base or activities geared towardsprofiling and branding make higher education institutionsmore entrepreneurial. Leadership styles too can eitherbe more entrepreneurial or more bureaucratic." (p.95)

Concluding RemarksThough the Report has apparently made an honestattempt to diagnose the problems facing Indian highereducation, the policy prescriptions do not deal with theproblems which are deep rooted and systemic. TheReport gives a clear indication of a shift from state control

Focus on accreditationand ranking to reform thehigher education sector is

now the focus of thereformers world over.


to state supervision, granting more autonomy, to bemore efficient, effective, accountable and responsiveto the environment very similar to what Kehm (2016)has noted in the context of Europe. Kumar (2015) arguesthat mechanically copying the Western model withdisregard for the grim ground reality is unlikely to yielddesirable result. However, the Report adopts aconvenient approach to advocate autonomy andaccountability, accreditation and ranking, innovation andresearch as popular conventional ways to improvequality of Indian higher education. The Report does notdelve deeper to throw some light on why such a lowpercentage of higher education institutions are actuallyof A grade as per NAAC. If adequacy of resources andgood governance are the two main factors for achievingexcellence, the question is to what extent, would theprocess of assessment and accreditation reinvigoratethe system by giving autonomy without any substantialhike in budgetary allocation by the government,particularly by the state governments.Advocacy autonomy in actual practicewill get undermined and diluted by theneed to explore alternative sources offinance, the requirements of the qualityassurance and accountabilitymechanism, unequal ground levelsituation due to variation in public fundingand bureaucratic interference. Neoliberalpolicy making has the potential to negatethe very purpose of education asstudents and teachers undergotransformation to become students-consumers and service providersrespectively as universities emulate corporate style ofgovernance. Setting up of the CEHE, if successful, willmerely scratch the surface of the problems the systemas a whole is faced with as only a few will be nurtured tocompete in the global ranking while the rest may bearthe brunt of budget compression. The policy measurefor scholarship, unless adequate and well designed, willnot be able to deal with the access problems which gobeyond the ambit of the higher education sector. Themarket logic and business principles have not been trulyeffective as the neoliberals continue to advocate,otherwise at least a part of the higher education sectorwould have undergone transformation for the better bynow. Rejuvenation of the system is by no means asimple task. It is an imperative that we take note of thefact that the processes in both the government fundedinstitutions and the private funded ones have beensubverted, however on account of two different sets ofreasons, poor governance and commercial practicesrespectively (Chattopadhyay 2012). It is also high timethat we, the teachers, in particular, in the governmentinstitutions reflect on the problems and the practices

which border on malpractices in various spheres of theacademic activities which lead to compromises withquality in what we do, teaching and research. Theuniversity has to create an ambience of trust, freedomalong with accountability. We should look for possibilitiesand new avenues for making higher education tocontribute meaningfully to the social order anddemocratic functioning of the institutions apart fromcatering to the rising need for skill and knowledge tomaximize the publicness of higher education.

ReferencesChattopadhyay, Saumen (2012): Education and

Economics: Disciplinary Evolution and PolicyDiscourse. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Das, Dipendra N and Saumen Chattopadhyay (2014):Academic Performance Indicator (API):Straightjacketing Higher Education Reform,Economic and Political Weekly, December 13, Vol.

49, Issue no. 50.Government of India (2016A): NationalPolicy on Education 2016: Report of theCommittee for Evolution of the NewEducation Policy, Ministry of HumanResource Development, prepared by theCommittee for Evolution of the NewEducation Policy chaired by T S RSubramanian.Government of India (2016B): UGC(Minimum Qualifications for Appointmentof Teachers and other Academic Staff inUniversities and Colleges and Measuresfor the Maintenance of Standards in

Higher Education 2016) Regulations. 4thAmendment. The Gazette of India, July 11, 2016(Part III, Section 4).

Government of India. (2010): UGC Regulations onMinimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachersand other Academic Staff in Universities andColleges and Measures for the Maintenance ofStandards in Higher Education 2010. UGC30.06.2010, The Gazette of India, September 18,2010 (Part III, Section 4).

Gupta, Vikash (2016): Politics of the Guarded Agendaof National Education Policy 2015-16, Economicand Political Weekly, October 15, 59-69.

Harman, Grant (2011): Competitors of Rankings: NewDirections in Quality Assurance and AccountabilityShin, Jung Cheol, Robert K. Toutkoushian andUlrich Teichler (eds) University Rankings:Theoretical Basis, Methodology and Impacts onGlobal Higher Education, Dordrecht: Springer.

Jongbloed, Ben (2004): 'Regulation and Competition inHigher Education' in Pedro Teixeira, Ben Jongbloed,David Dill and Alberto Amaral (eds.), Markets in

Though the Report hasapparently made an

honest attempt todiagnose the problems

facing Indian highereducation, the policy

prescriptions donot dealwith the problems which

are deep rooted andsystemic.


Higher Education: Rhetoric or Reality?, Dordrecht/Boston/London: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Kehm, Barbara M. (2014): Beyond Neo-Liberalism:Higher Education in Europe and the Global PublicGood in Gibbs, Paul and Ronald Barnett (eds)Thinking about Higher Education, Springer.

Kumar, Arun (2015): Challenges facing New EducationPolicy in India, Economic and Political Weekly,December 2-6, vol L, No. 52, 14-16.

Marginson, Simon (2014): Higher Education and PublicGood, in Gibbs, Paul and Ronald Barnett (eds)Thinking about Higher Education, Springer.

Shin, Jung Cheol (2011): Organizational Effectivenessand University Rankings in Shin, Jung Cheol, RobertK. Toutkoushian and Ulrich Teichler (eds) UniversityRankings: Theoretical Basis, Methodology andImpacts on Global Higher Education, Dordrecht:Springer.

Explorationsi prepared by T S R Subramaniam committee constituted

by the government.ii A pure public good is in terms on non-rivalry in

consumption and non-excludability. The degree ofexcludability is a matter of policy decision. Marginsonargues that neoclassical economics cannot do justice towhat higher education does to the society and the polityas the privateness and publicness vary across the nationsdepending on the state, society and the universityrelationships.

iii However, the increasing use of IT and ITES in the delivery

of education can overcome to a considerable extent theuniqueness and non-replicability of human capital bydisseminating the recorded lectures delivered by theexperts of repute for years to come

iv Technical efficiency is based on the assumption ofeducational production function and allocative efficiencyis based on the viability of a quasi-market for education.

v The setting up of the Higher Education Funding Agency(HEFA) by the Cabinet as reported on September 12, 2016is a clear signal that the universities will now be compelledto generate own resources through fee hikes andexploration of other sources to pay for the capitalcomponent of the loans taken from HEFA while thegovernment will be providing the financial support to payonly the interest component. The HEFA will mobilisefumdsfrom the market and would tap CSR.

vi Self-financing courses while admitting students wouldprioritise money over merit and margin and customizationof curriculum keeping in mind the need of the market.Industry funding will be promoting applied research andthere are instances of serious compromises with theconduct of research and its dissemination in the USA inbiomedical research.

vii It is now being argued to encourage academia andindustry collaboration. While industry can contributetowards curriculum design and enhance employability,infuse resources for research for the market, there is aneed for caution as commercial interest can subvert theinterests of the academia and independence of theteachers and the researchers.

viii Regulations (2016) is expected to have attended to someof the pitfalls of the earlier versions, say, Regulations(2010).

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THE BEGINNINGIn my view die of modern education was cast during1832-35, when Lord Macaulay visited India and wrotehis minutes of education. His observation about Indiawas as follows:"I have travelled across the length and breadth of Indiaand I have not seen one person who is a beggar, whois a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, suchhigh moral values, people of such high caliber, that Ido not think we could ever conquer this country, unlesswe break the very backbone of this nation, which is herspiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I proposethat we replace her old and ancienteducation system, her culture, for if theIndians think that all that is foreign andEnglish is good and greater than theirown, they will lose their self-esteem,their native self-culture and they willbecome what we want them, a trulydominated nation"( Extracts from hisspeech of Feb 2, 1835 in the BritishParliament).

This philosophy and approach ofBritish for education of people of Indiaaccording to Gandhi - " .. has been nurtured in sin, forthe tendency has been to dwarf the Indian body, mindand soul."

SITUATION PRIOR TO BRITISH IN INDIAPrior to this, education was in the hands of teachersboth under the rules of Indian kings and under Mogulperiod. What education the young generation shouldreceive was decided by teacher, master craftsmen,Master Mason, Master Vaidya, Master agriculturists ,Master weavers, Master tailors, Master Warriors,Master blacksmith, Master chemist and so on. Therewas no structuring of grades of education. There was

RE-THINKING EDUCATION FOR ALL - RELEVANCE OF GANDHIANMODEL OF EDUCATION IN 2020

DR. G.D. SHARMA*

The paper argues that India has been following a model of education as designed during colonial rule, evenafter Independence. The failure to achieve education for all lies in this model. Therefore, we need to re-think

on this model. Author pleads for debate on Nai Talim- the Gandhian Model of education in the emerging fourthindustrial revolution, where critical, analytical and innovative thinking would matter.

* Dr. G. D. Sharma, formerly Secretary, University GrantsCommission (UGC) Govt. of India, Director, Consortium ofEducational Communication (CEC), Director, Indian Instituteof Education, Pune and Senior Fellow and Head, HigherEducation Unit, NIEPA, New Delhi and Consultant: UNESCO,UNDP, DFID and Ed.Cil., India.

system of acquiring the knowledge at one level toanother till one becomes a person trained to use theknowledge. Hence education was in the hands ofteachers' i.e Gurus- experts in different vocations andprofessions as also religion and beyond religion- thesalvation. Thus those who possessed knowledgedecided what to teach, how to teach, how to assessand declare him /her fit to pursue a vocation or aprofession.

FIRST BRITISH EDUCATION INTERVENTIONThe philosophy of McCauley was built into approach

to education in Woods Despatch. Butreal change came after Indian EducationCommission 1882 headed by Hunter.This came as response to 1857 revoltagainst East Indian Company - the firstIndian freedom attempt. After this, thereign of governance of India was directlytaken over by the Crown. HunterCommission was set up to recommendon primary education of people of India.In fact control of education of native wasshifted from people of India to Bristish

Rulers. On primary Education Hunter Commissionmade several recommendations with regard tolanguage, curricula, management and finance. Itsuggested that Primary Education should be in MotherTongue and Curricula should be related to needs oflocal area. On governance responsibility was given toLocal Boards and preference in appointment of primaryeducation level people in services. It proposed primaryeducation in mother tongue, secondary and highereducation in English language. It also suggested thatprivate education institutions should also be under thelocal school boards. It made provision for financialsupport to schools. It also found indigenous schooluseful and recommended for financial assistance. Butin practice, when these schools came under the controlof Local board they started fading away

PROGRESS OF BRITISH MODEL OF EDUCATIONThe Primary education was foundation for progressionto secondary education. So the state policy was to

This philosophy andapproach of British foreducation of people of

India according to Gandhi- " .. has been nurtured insin, for the tendency hasbeen to dwarf the Indian

body, mind and soul."


support such schools against oriental form of education.People saw the importance of education in the systemof governance and promoted Primary education throughphilanthropic support of business community.Philanthropic supported primary and secondaryschools, attempted to preserve indigenous language,culture, values while imparting, what was needed forjobs in services. Business by and large kept their nativeways of doing accounting and communication withsome efforts to adopt and adapt what was neededunder the British rule. Private schools also offeredopportunity to alternative thinking than what was givenin government run schools. Since education wascontrolled through Directorate of Schools, their effortto promote what was indigenous was subtle or subdued.A research study about primary education during Britishperiod in Kerala has effectively revealed that indigenousschools promoted alternative thinking and leaders offreedom movement, whereas government schools andDirectorate of Schools effectively discouraged this.(Sudhir Kumar P. - Education and politicalconsciousness in Kerala with specialreference to Malabar 1900-1950) Ph.D.thesis submitted to Calicut University,Calicut.) There may be several suchexamples in other states also.Universities set up during 1857 andsubsequently with the support ofcommunity and kings did broaden thescope by covering subjects other thanwhat was available with BritishUniversity system, but by and largestructure, function and importance ofBritish system of education continued sowas also of the feeder sector likePrimary and secondary education. Likealternative thinking at school thealterative thinking at higher educationalso germinated and urge for freedom and what is nativewas also attempted to resurrect, but not much successas dominant system was British both in supply ofknowledge resources and employment of educatedpeople. None the less, alternative thinking and desirefor freedom did take root and spread through systemof schooling and higher education. After a long struggleby those educated and not so educated and withfreedom movement gaining wide spread support frommasses with Mahatma Gandhi being in leadershipposition. Finally India got freedom through division ofthis habitat in two parts India and Pakistan

THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION IN FREEINDIA- CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONSThe free India had to chart its future course ofdevelopment and governance. Since freedom came

with division of this habitat on religious ground, thepopulation though settled in both parts had to crossmigrate. Gandhi was opposed to this division, but manywere keen to get free from yoke of British rule and tohave self rule, so leaders of Indian National Congressand Muslim League agreed for partition of this habitatand people.

Soon after India became Independent, it set up aUniversity Education Commission headed by Dr.Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan in 1948 and followed this byLaxmaswami Mudaliar Commission on SchoolEducation in 1952. Both these Commissions laid downfoundation for policy for higher and school education.The framers of the Constitution of India clearlyrecognized the importance of Education and hence theyincorporated in Article 45 of the Constitution - underthe Directive Principles of State Policy that the Stateshould endeavour to provide free and compulsoryeducation to all till the age of 14 years.

To quote , "The state shall endeavour to providewithin a period of ten years from the commencement

of this Constitution, for free andcompulsory Education for all childrenuntil they complete the age of fourteen."

One might ask: what is the purpose ofharping on British model of educationwhen India, after getting freedom, hadchosen its own tryst with destiny? Wehad a choice to decide: what should bethe model of education of people ofIndia? The two Commissions mentionedabove had the freedom to recommenda model which suits most for thedevelopment of people and the country.Mahatma Gandhi had extensivelywritten on the type of education whichwould be good for the people in villages

and cities in India. It was hoped that his concept ofNai- Talim would receive a serious considerations whileformulating the model of education for all as providedin the Constitution of India.

Both the Commissions mentioned abovedeliberated on the issue of knowledge and languageof education and came out with a balanced view ofeducation as assembly constitution took a balancedview, while framing the constitutions of India.

LANGUAGE AND KNOWLEDGEThe language, in fact determines many aspect ofdevelopment of people like culture, values, learningfrom knowledge resources and so on. Since in practicein states of India, different languages were beingfollowed and they are being followed today also, itsettled with a balanced view of language that is mother

Mahatma Gandhi hadextensively written on thetype of education whichwould be good for thepeople in villages andcities in India. It was

hoped that his concept ofNai- Talim would receive a

serious considerationswhile formulating the

model of education for allas provided in the

Constitution of India.


tongue, regional language and language of thoseeducated in English and they were comfortable with it.English though being alien, was a connecting languageof educated in all states. This position was ensuredduring nearly 200 years of British rule, English beingtaught at Secondary and Higher Education levels.

It may not be out of place to mention that as far asPrimary Education is concerned, Hunter's commission'srecommendation that Primary education be in MotherTongue continued, except in Christian MissionarySchools, where medium was English. Most of thepeople did work and communicated in their mothertongue or regional language, but link language foreducated people was English. Even today with seventyyears of independence, in villages, towns in most partsof India, language spoken by majority of population ismother tongue or regional language. But Englishoccupied a position of link language and language ofthose in power. Since Hindi language was viewed asnational language, as it was spoken by majority ofpeople and this language also connected massesthroughout India, as many leaders, particularlyMahatma Gandhi, spoke in Hindustani, though hismother tongue/regional language was Gujarati.However, giving the status to Hindi, as nationallanguage raised another passion for language of theirrespective regions. Hence by taking a balanced viewpolicy makers settled for three language formula i.e.,English, Hindi, and Regional language at schooleducation. Recently under influence of globalizationGerman was also viewed as third language by someschools leading to controversy of a kind. Why this longnarration on language, is because this formula andNational Curriculum Framework-with focus on multi-lingualism, seeks to replace Mother Tongue at Primaryeducation with regional and English languages. It maynot be out of place to mention that under the perceptionthat English language offers position of power andgreater higher employment opportunity and possibilityof globally positioning people, many states evenchanged policy of introduction of English language at3rd, 4th, 5th and sixth standards, which was followedduring British rule, to first standard itself. So our pupilhave to learn English, Regional language and Hindiand de- learn mother tongue to pursue education.

GANDHIAN VIEW ON LANGUAGE ANDKNOWLEDGEGandhi was very clear on the issue of Language,Knowledge and methods of education at Primary andhigher education. He in no uncertain terms said-" It ismy considered opinion that English education , in themanner it has been given has emasculated the EnglishEducated Indian. It has put severe strain upon theIndian students' nervous energy, and made us

imitators." It is not that Gandhi did not accord due placeto English language. He said to quote" English is todayadmittedly the world language. I would therefore accordit a place as a second, optional language, not in school,but in the university course. That only for the selectedfew not for the millions... It is our mental slavery thatmakes us feel that we cannot do without English."

TRYST WITH DESTINY- EDUCATION FOR ALLIn our tryst with destiny we considered education forall an important instrument of democracy anddevelopment. But it seems we missed on whateducation, how to link it with development of people,particularly vast majority of population living in villages,how to impart education, what should be mediumthrough which students in village would understand,analyse and apply for his/her wellbeing, wellbeing ofvillage, city and society at large. We did not ponderenough on issues of direct relevance of education anddevelopment of people and went ahead with an attemptto meet the target of education for all. Though wepromised to ourselves in the constitution that we wouldprovide free and compulsory education to all within tenyears, but we continued to extend it from time to time.First time Shri MC Chagala the then education ministerfelt it may not be possible to fulfil the promise in giventime and resources and it is necessary to extend thedate.

Though progress of education at all levels wascontinuing in terms of provision of education facilitiesand enhancing access to education by considering allthe factors like economic, social and geographiclimitation, yet it was felt that education was notdelivering the development of people and the nation.Hence another Education Commission was set up toexamine the education processes and recommend forfuture. This Commission was headed by Professor DSKothari. Followed by the submission of report ofEducation Commission titled as Education forDevelopment, National Education Policy wasannounced in 1968.

THE NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY, 1968The Policy also emphasized that "Strenuous effortsshould be made for the early fulfilment of the DirectivePrinciple under Article 45 of the Constitution seekingto provide free and compulsory education for all childrenup to the age of 14. Suitable programmes should bedeveloped to reduce the prevailing wastage andstagnation in schools and to ensure that every childwho is enrolled in school successfully completes theprescribed course"

The Policy also elaborated on the issue of languageof education and emphasised on regional language atprimary education, implementation of three language


formula at post primary and secondary education. Itemphasised on the promotion of: regional languagesat higher education also learning of Sanskrit and otherinternational languages.

THE PROGRESS AND PROBLEMSDuring progress of implementation of provision ofeducation for all, several limitations in fulfilling theobjective of Free and Compulsory education wasobserved with regard to disparities in women education,education among SC and STs, OBC and education inremote areas as also lack of financial resources withstates and adequate income level among the populationfor education of their children. Hence equity in provisionand access to education became a major challenge.Along with issue of access the aspect of quality ofprovision of education in terms of infrastructure andteachers also became the challenge, as some studiesdone on Minimum Level of learning showed that qualityof primary education was not up to expected minimumlevel. Relevance aspect had not attracted attention atthe Elementary Education level; it became more visibleat higher education level owing rising graduateunemployment in India.

POLITICAL TURMOIL, EDUCATION ANDTEACHERS' COMMISSIONMid seventies was period of political turmoil.Emergency was imposed. A comprehensiveconstitutional amendment was carried out. With theamendment in the Article 42 of the constitution,education was brought to concurrent list. The Indianconstitution has provisions to ensure that the stateprovides education to all its citizens. The Indianconstitution in its original enactment defined educationas state subject. Under Article 42 of the constitution,an amendment was added in 1976 and educationbecame a subject in concurrent list which enables thecentral government to legislate on it in the mannersuited to it" Thus with amendment both centre andstate's responsibility to provide education wasincorporated with objective of Right of free andcompulsory education for all till the age 14.

Period of political turmoil of mid seventies leadingto emergency and subsequent re-instalment ofCongress Party government made people ingovernment to think about the teachers and teachingprofession. It may be mentioned that educationprocesses and persons involved are passive in nature,but its impact at times are very active, as was seenduring internal emergency and in subsequent period.Early 1980s i.e., 1983 Government of India set up aNational Commission on Teachers. This was first of itskind. Commission had two parts- one for the HigherEducation - headed by Dr. Rais Ahmed, then Vice

Chairman, UGC and other was school education whichwas looked into by Shri Keerit Joshi special advisor,education in Ministry of Education, Government of India.Both the parts were headed by ProfessorChattopadhya, Professor of Philosophy and Chairmanof Philosophical Research Council, New Delhi. Both ofthem submitted their reports in 1985 based on detaileddata analysis of teachers' status and steps to changereal and perception about teachers. Among other thingsat higher education it attempted to bring teachers' salaryand their progression in career at par with those incentral services and to restore autonomy of profession.At school level also a similar position was taken andteachers at school were also accorded economic andprofessional status at par with those in services at thatlevel and their career progression comparable to suchservices. Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi whocommissioned this report was killed and reins of powerwas taken by Shri Rajiv Gandhi who accepted therecommendations of the Teachers Commission whichwere then taken care of while formulating PayCommittees for Central Government staff as alsoTeachers Pay committee for Higher Education

NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY-1986Followed by this a debate was initiated throughoutlength and breadth of the country to formulate a NationalPolicy on Education. As a follow up of this, second timea National Policy on Education was announced in 1986and its programme of Action in 1987. The policydocument emphases on:

The promotion of democratic values, secularism,socialism and scientific temper among the students atall levels. It moved from general approach to providefor primary education to quality primary education andaddressing the issues that hinder promotion of girlseducation, education of SC, ST, OBC and MinorityCommunity. As a follow up action of this policy, severalsteps for meeting the objectives of Equity, Quality atelementary Education level and Equity, Quality andRelevance at higher education level were taken. Atelementary Education, the Scheme of Operation BlackBoard was launched in 1987. The scheme mainlyfocused on providing at least two classrooms in everyprimary school; necessary toilets exclusive for girls andboys; appointing women teachers- at least fiftypercentage of the total teachers etc.

POLITICAL CHANGE, NEW WORLD ECONOMICORDER AND LIBERALISATIONThe policy could hardly take full ground. Shri RajivGandhi who announced policy and programme of actionin 1986 and 1987 was assassinated on May 21, 1991through explosion of human bomb at Perumbdur, nearChinnai in Tamil Nadu. Followed by this Shri Narsimha


Rao became Prime Minister.Around that time world leaders were deliberating

on new economic order and globalization andliberalization in early 1990. By mid nineties that is In1995, when Congress government was in power, a newworld economic order in the form of World TradeOrganization was agreed by many countries includingIndia. Millennium Global Development Goal was alsoagreed, educational expansion to achieve educationfor all at Primary Education and removal of poverty wasone of goals of Millennium Global Development. Indiaalso shared and participated in achievingdevelopmental goals. It also started period ofliberalization of economy and opening of Indianeconomy to world trade and market. With liberalizationexternal intervention/support also started at PrimaryEducation in India.

EXTERNAL FUNDING /INTERVENTION INEDUCATION: DISTRICT PRIMARY EDUCATIONPROJECT (DPEP)When Shri Narsimah Rao took the reins, India was alsofacing the problem of foreign exchange and debtrepayment. With a view to provide education for all anew scheme to revitalize Primary Education and toaddress the issue of universalisation of primaryeducation under the title of District Primary EducationProject (DPEP) was started in 1994" as a major initiativeto revitalise the primary education system and toachieve the objective of universalisation of primaryeducation This was an externally funded programme.The arrangements were as follows:

"DPEP is an externally aided project. 85 per centof the project cost is met by the Central Governmentand the remaining 15 per cent is shared by theconcerned State Government. The Central Governmentshare is resourced through external assistance. At thattime external assistance of about Rs.6,938 crorecomposing Rs.5,137 as credit from IDA and Rs.1,801crore as grant from EC/DFID/UNICEF/Netherlands wastied-up for DPEP." The ratio of grant and loan was 74.04Percent being loan amount and 25.96 percent as aid/grant. There are views that the external funding wastaken to overcome foreign exchange and repaymentproblem by India.

SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYANThough a good deal of progress was made under DPEP,yet it fell very short of huge requirement of providingfree and compulsory education up to the age of 14 yearsconsidering all the aspects of gender, minority, SC,ST,OBC, differently abled persons and pupil in remoteand difficult areas, particularly with required level ofquality of primary education and its outcome. SinceGovernment of India and State government also

became at ease in seeking external funding for Primary/Elementary Education a new flagship programmenamely Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan with external assistancewas launched in the year 2001-2002, when BJP was awith allied party in the power.

This flagship programme of Sarva Shikhsa Abhiyanwas launched by Central government in a mission modeto achieve the objectives of Universalization ofElementary Education up to the age 14 years for all inthe 2001-2002. The SSA was centrally funded andexternally supported mission in partnership with WorldBank- IDA , Department of Foreign InternationalDevelopment, UK DFID, European Commission (EC).A great deal of progress was made over the period.India was under pressure for several years internallyand externally- more externally, to make education asfundamental right by enacting Right to Education Act.Under SSA India had attempted to reduce out of schoolpopulation from 6-14 years. Increase enrolment ofvarious sections of population and in region and retainchildren in school through various schemes includingMid Day Meal Scheme, enhance quality andinfrastructure in schools and also progress in primaryto upper primary. Yet by the time it enacted the Right toEducation Act 2009 there were stated to be 13.4 million- another estimate 7 million. The target was to reduceby 3 million by 2008-9 it reduced to 2.8 Million. , Shareof Girl students at primary increased to 48.22 from 47.79and at upper primary from 45.80 percent to 46.99.Retention rate at Primary increased to 74 percent from71 percent. At upper primary the progress was from32 percent to 38.37 percent. With regard to satisfactory

RIGHT TO EDUCATION ACT, 2009When Right to Education Act came into operation in2010 SSA was modified to take into account severalprovisions of Act. The Progress of education ofelementary education for all during the last five yearsunder the Act still leaves much to be desired. Henceprovision of free and compulsory education for all leavesa large gap to be filled in. Phenomena of temporaryteachers, growth of English medium primary schoolsin villages and small towns- at times catering to castedenominations are new development in the field ofelementary education. The aspect of equity, quality atprimary education still remains a target to be achievedwhen we have celebrated our 67 years of Republic dayin January, 2017. As far as I am concerned there areissues of relevance at Primary and school educationlevel also.

This is a long narration of success or even ourfailure to achieve the objectives of free and compulsoryeducation for all up to the age of 14 years. Studies onachievement of students at primary education byNCERT and Pratham -ASER are not very encouraging.


I consider Nai Talim isfundamental to educationPhilosophy, approach andmethodology for educationof people not only in Indiabut for people in many ofthe developing third world

countries.

RE-THINKINGThe question arises why with all the good intention andefforts we have failed? Given the philosophy, approachand method will it be possible for us to achieve thetarget by the end of completion of ten years of Right toEducation Act, 2009 i.e. by 2019? If not, then there isa need for re-thinking of our philosophy, approach andmethodology of provision of education for all.

My recent visit of many villages and analysis of dataof study on quality of education at primary level in sixstates of India has made me think that our philosophy,approach and methodology of primary and upperprimary education i.e. elementary education need re-thinking. While doing so I after a long time, attemptedto look into what Mahatma Gandhi wrote on PrimaryEducation and higher education under his vision of NaiTalim. I am not aware whether this still continues fordiscussion and debate in Education Departments ofIndian Universities? But I have not heard many peopleeither in the government and policy making bodies todiscuss and debate. We have taken itas given and are following relentlesslythe agenda given by British Model ofeducation - may be consciously orunconsciously.

I consider Nai Talim is fundamentalto education Philosophy, approach andmethodology for education of people notonly in India but for people in many ofthe developing third world countries.What is this philosophy let me quoteMahatma Gandhi:

"..as to primary education, my confirmed opinion isthat the commencement of training by teaching thealphabet and reading and writing hampers theirintellectual growth. I would not teach them the alphabettill they have had an elementary knowledge of history,geography, mental arithmetic and the art (say) ofspinning. Through these three I should develop theirintelligence. Question may be asked how intelligencecan be developed through the takli (Spindle used inspinning with the fingers without the use of the spinningwheel) or the spinning wheel. It can to a marvelousdegree if it is not taught merely mechanically. Whenyou tell a child the reason for each process, when youexplain the mechanism of the takli or the wheel, whenyou give him the history of cotton and its connectionwith civilization itself and take him to the village fieldwhere it is grown, and teach him to count the roundshe spins and the method of finding the evenness andstrength of his yarn, you hold his interest andsimultaneously train his hands, his eyes and his mind.I should give six months to this primary training. Thechild is probably now ready for learning how to readthe alphabet, and when he is able to do so rapidly, he

is ready to learn simple drawing, and when he has learntto draw geometrical figures and the figures of the birdsetc., he will draw, not scrawl the figures of the alphabet."

In modern time, education if linked to context, linkedto scientific explanation of what is being taught andexamples are drawn from habitats, where education isbeing provided would not only interest the students,but sharpen their intellect and ability to apply thelearning. Any application of learning would require abilityto work with hand, mind and soul or to say innercommitment and energy. What is an added aspect fordeveloping countries is that, if while learning a studentby engaging in productive activity can earn, he/she mayunderstand the economics of application of knowledgein real life. And if this happens even family membersand society would appreciate and respect the students.Imagine lakhs of schools with hundreds of students inrespectable age group contributing through productivityand learning, there would not be any need to takecharity or loan from abroad for education for all. By

taking loan and charity we haveinadvertently fallen in the trap ofappendage education and economy.We have started an experimental

school in Mandi village, where wefollowed the method of concrete toabstract before introducing alphabet orfigures to students. I have seen manystudents in Thailand Schools gettingproficiency in one or other vocation,before they complete their higher

secondary education. Our respect for manual labour isleast as compared with many countries of the world.

Why I mentioned relevance of Gandhi in 2020? By2019 we will complete ten years of our additional effortunder Right to Education Act, 2009 and I am sure giventhe scenario today, with about 40 thousand studentsdropping out before completion of primary educationin Delhi Metropolitan City alone, large number ofstudents out of school, rate of poor progression to upperprimary level and rate of retention, it is not likely thatwe will be able to fulfil the promise of education for allin spite of completion of ten years of Right to EducationAct.2009. The quality of education with classappropriate level of achievement of students is distantdream. Our attempt to fall back to colonial system ofevaluation of students, over throwing the concept ofContinuous Comprehensive Evaluation is a step inwrong direction. What we need is to discuss and debatethe Nai Talim in present and future context, follow thephilosophy of Hand, Mind and Soul- or inner energy,methodology of scientific explanation and work withhand not for the sake work with hand, but for productivityand economic earning would only enable us to fulfilour promise of education for all within a period of ten


years with prosperity, power to people and power toteachers to take decisions. Power to people will comewith decentralization and not with centralization. WhatMahatma Gandhi wanted us to work for is: type ofeducation that empowers people to be self reliant basedon all round development i.e. - mind, hand and soul.Power to people is possible through decentralizationand not through centralization. Through developmentfrom below and not top down approach to guide and

control the development. Let us discuss and debateNai-Talim for bright and intelligent development ofpeople of India. In the emerging fourth Industrialrevolution- critical and analytical thinking andinnovations by people will matter. These abilities canbest be acquired by following Gandhian Model ofanalytical, innovative and skill based model of educationfor all. Mahatma Gandhi meant this as early as 20-3-1924. See box on Page 25.

of retention and achievement by the students and so on.Reports of achievement survey are not very encouraging.Therefore, besides access, retention through mid day meal,automatic promotion to upper primary level, and thechallenge of achievement of students. Here the major issueof is of language competencies. There has been lot of messingwith regard to language at Primary education. The idea ofmother tongue-which was crucial, has been slowly replacedby regional or English language in many states from 1ststandard. This is very confusing for the students. In fact ,leave aside urban centre or smart cities, challenge beforechild is transition from mother tongue to regional languagein the first place and then to other foreign language. All thismakes child diffident and confused. Coupled with this is ourmethod of teaching ,which focuses on remembering andreproducing rather than understanding. Hence he/sheremembers, reproduces and forgets. When survey peopleask him to read lower class text than what he/she is learningnow, he/she fumbles and fails. As far the English language isconcerned the imposition has been very cruel even forteachers, as most of them have learned through regionallanguage. Therefore, first challenge is to have a clear viewon what language and how language should be taught up toprimary then transiting to regional and other language. Manypolitical parties keenness to teach a foreign language from1st standard has done more harm to learning abilities andachievement of students at primary levels in many states.National Curriculum Framework of multilingualism soundsvery lofty, but it is of no avail as far as primary education isconcerned. Mathematics learning has fewer problems, iftaught in mother tongue. Problem arises when student isnot able to understand the questions asked in regional orEnglish language.

The next challenges is how much and what text to betaught at primary and upper primary levels. Should itrelate to habitat of students - geography, cropping pattern,climatic conditions, fauna flora, culture and values or text ofregional, national and global levels- which again is a majorissue.

At upper Primary and Secondary education levels,besides language, challenge is not knowing more and wide,but ability to learn, know and apply in real life in places he/she lives. It is no gain or use to make them remember moreand reproduce which is least relevant to them.

continued from page 1

Let us be very frank, any attempt to respond to theseissues will run into rough weather and opposition fromvested interest groups- including teachers, publishers, anddistributors and by those who monitor the progress of theachievements.

With regard to agenda for higher education, the issue isfreeing colleges from colonial legacy of affiliated colleges. Itis a key challenge. An attempt was made in NEP 1986 andrevised 1992 policy. But this attempt failed miserably. Thereare islands of success of this concept, but there is vast sea ofaffiliated colleges. This is much higher challenge as vestedinterest group here is very vocal and capable of disruption.Hence in the past, one has towed a least resistance line. Thishas seriously affected potential of growth of knowledgerelevant to societal and national development and madehundreds and thousands of graduates' unemployable. Theconcept of autonomy was to bring social relevance andimprove quality of higher education as 86 percent of studentsstudying in higher education are enrolled in colleges. If thesedo not develop and impart knowledge of socially relevantcourses and keep focusing on: remembering and reproducingtext books knowledge in examination held for 100 thousandof students testing the same abilities, it would to sheerwastage. This prototyping is enemy to innovations, diversityand change. This is one of the key agenda for highereducation.

Research and Development has received very poorattention in India. Here again to do research on issues whichare being done in developed part of world is a ban have oninnovative and developmental research for India. Takingresearch out of universities has marred development ofresearch in universities. There is challenge to make researchsocially relevant and rooted in university system, may specialinstitution continue with their work, but research needs tobe re-established in university system. Prior to this we shouldstop aping- what is being done in developed part of world.This would be possible only if autonomy to universities isgiven in letters and spirit. Make them accountable tostudents, public and society at large rather than puttingpolitical representative in bodies of governance ofuniversities.

These are a few agenda for New Education Policy whichneeds to be addressed in the policy likely to be framed andannounced hopefully in 2017/18.


INTRODUCTIONIndia has made significant advances in school educationwith respect to overall literacy, infrastructure, accessand enrolment in schools. The two majoraccomplishments is the political recognition ofUniversalization of Elementary education (UEE) as alegitimate demand and the state commitment towardsUEE in the form of the Right of Children to Free andCompulsory Education (RTE). The Act calls for centralcontrol over the development and enforcement ofteacher training standards. It institutes minimumqualification standards for teacherrecruitment and mandated the existingteachers without minimum qualificationsto acquire the same within five years ofthe Act ruling. Furthermore, the Actdictates specified pupil-teacher ratio toensure that teachers have reasonablestudent load and that adequate numberof teachers are recruited to meet theproportionate student population(MHRD, 2013).

This has led to a higher demand ofqualified teachers; there are questionsraised if the teachers are being trainedproperly to meet the ever-increasingdemands of quality education. There isa broad consensus that "teacher quality"is one of the single most important schoolvariable influencing studentachievements (De, Khera, Samson andKumar, 2011). Teacher characteristicsthat are harder to measure, but are vital to studentlearning include the ability to (1) convey ideas in clearand convincing ways, (2) create effective learningenvironments for different types of students, (3) fosterproductive teacher-student relationships, (4) beenthusiastic and creative, (5) work effectively withcolleagues and parents (OECD, 2005). However mostof the discourse about in-service teacher training takingplace in India has shown severe inadequacy where

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF RURAL PRIMARY SCHOOLTEACHERS

PROF. K. PUSHPANADHAM PH.D.*

The paper, based on research study, clearly brings out the areas of improvement in teacher education toimprove the quality of primary education in rural settings.

Professor of Educational Management, Faculty of Educationand Psychology, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of BarodaVadodara, Gujarat, India. E.mail: [email protected]

teachers feel incompetent. Therefore, much remains tobe done to improve the quality of in-service teachertraining in rural India. The policy literature and reportsindicate the glaring disconnect between what teacherslearn in the teacher training programs and what theyeventually teach in the classrooms. This policy-implementation gap is particularly wide in rural schools.India needs teachers in rural areas. The demand forprimary school has grown exponentially, increasingnearly furfold from 0.23 million in 1950 to 0.93 million in2010. The 2009 Right to Education act (RTE) mandates

further growth, with the ambition ofcreating free, universal education for 6-14 years olds.

The primary education in India, theconstitution of India supports the right ofuniversal education until age 14 and hashad a long-standing goal of free andcompulsory education for all childrenbetween the ages of 6 and 14. However,India remains a land of contradictions.Despite a vibrant emerging economyand a string of excellent colleges thatproduce high caliber professionals, Indiahas not made the grade yet on primaryeducation. The reading and maths levelsin all Indian states according to theAnnual Status of Education Report(ASER) reveals that nationally, 46.3percent of all children in Class V couldnot read a Class II-level text. Thisproportion increased to 51.8 percent in

2011 and further to 53.2 percent in 2012. (ASER Report,2010).

In a large country, physical distance can be an issue.In rural areas, some communities do not have a schoolnearby. In urban settings, unsafe travel conditions, suchas traveling alone or crossing busy roads and train lines,may prevent parents from sending their children toschool. Social distance can be an even greater hurdle.Some communities do not see the value of schooleducation they feel the things learned at school are notrelevant to their lives. In some cases, the school maybe in another community of a different socio-economicclass, caste, or religion, making it difficult for the child to

The primary education inIndia, the constitution of

India supports the right ofuniversal education untilage 14 and has had a

long-standing goal of freeand compulsory educationfor all children between the

ages of 6 and 14.However, India remains a

land of contradictions.Despite a vibrant emerging

economy and a string ofexcellent colleges thatproduce high caliber

professionals, India hasnot made the grade yet on

primary education.


cross that invisible but effective barrier. Whilediscrimination on the basis of caste is now illegal,attitudes of thousands of years are difficult to changequickly.

Child labour is prevalent. Many children need towork and earn in order to supplement a meager familyincome and therefore do not attend school. Schoolsoften lack facilities and teaching aids includingclassroom space, toilets, drinking water, blackboards,and chalk. Teachers' lack of training and motivation andthe feedback that taken from the Realizing theimportance and the critical state of primary educationin India today, many organizations on many levels arefocusing on this issue. That is required in the differentthings

The Government of India began a program forimproving the status of primary education in 2010, withthe following areas of focused on increase in teacherappointments and training, improvement in elementaryeducation content and techniques, provision of teachingmaterials, improvements in infrastructure and Educationfor disadvantaged groups: girls, disadvantaged castes,and the disabled children. The policies related on thedifferent functions rated the scenario of the teacherstowards the development of the programmes in the ruralareas.

The 2009 Right to Education Act also attached greatsignificance to the role of teachers in reformingelementary education: Section 23 highlights the needfor making available trained teachers available for theschooling system, though it relaxed this requirement forcertain states until 2015; Section 24 specifies theacademic duties of teachers, including timely completionof the curriculum, and providing additional support whererequired; Section 27 prohibits teacher deployment fornon-academic work and; Section 28 bans teachers fromgiving extra private tuition and has set the norm for aPupil-Teacher Ratio of 30 to 1 at primary level and 35 to1 at upper primary.

A Teacher Eligibility Test was introduced in 2010 toensure that even after teachers have obtainedprofessional qualifications, they are screened to ensurethat they have requisite knowledge before joining theteaching force. In 2012, the Justice Verma CommissionReport on teacher education was submitted to theSupreme Court and covers a whole range of issueswhich have a bearing on improving the quality of teachereducation as well as improving the regulatory functionsof the NCTE. Realizing this, undertook the present studyin order to answer the following questions.

With teachers being most crucial component of aschooling system, no education reform effort is effectiveunless their competency is ensured. They also happento be the most costly resource in schools (OECD, 2005).Therefore teacher professional development should be

considered a national priority from various social andeconomic perspectives. But unfortunately the quality ofin-service teacher training in India has repeatedly failedto match the expectations that have risen with theintroduction of 21st century learning framework. As aresult, a teacher is unable to transact in a classroom alesson/concept as the training s/he received was notreflective of what is expected of him/her. Studentlearning is influenced by many factors, including:students' skills, expectations, motivation and behavior;family resources, attitudes and support; peer groupskills, attitudes and behavior; school organization,resources and climate; curriculum structure and content;and teacher skills, knowledge, attitudes and practices(OECD, 2005). Schools and classrooms are complex,dynamic environments, and identifying the effects ofthese varied factors, and their influence on differenttypes of students and different types of learningcontinues to be, a major focus of educational research(OECD, 2005).

According to the National Curriculum Frameworkfor Teacher Education (2009), in-service teachereducation broadly perform the following functions: (1)updates teachers on issues concerning content,methodology and evaluation, (2) upgrades servingteachers in tasks with which they are currently occupied,(3) initiates and orients teachers to new roles andtechnologies, (4) provides opportunities for unqualifiedor under-qualified on-the-job teachers to update andupgrade their knowledge (NCTE, 2009). However, thereality is far from this. Another major concern withteacher trainings - both pre- and in-service - is theinconsistency between the practiced training methodand the proposed method of teaching. Most teacherswho are currently being encouraged to adopt child-centered and activity-based learning methods are beingtrained in traditional lecture-based methods (NCF, 2005).In a review of in-service training methods, NCTE (2009-10) posited that the existing in-service teacher trainingsare too short to impact teaching methods. It cuts intoteaching time as teachers are usually unwilling to comeafter school or during vacations. Curriculum, syllabi andtextbooks are never critically examined by the studentteacher or the regular teacher. This leads to the inabilityof many teachers to interpret the textbooks in accordwith the principles of NCF.

Language proficiency and communication skills ofthe teacher need to be enhanced, but existing programsdo not recognize the centrality of language in thecurriculum. Teacher education programs provide littlescope for student teachers to reflect on theirexperiences. It is assumed that links between learningtheories and models and teaching methods areautomatically formed in the understanding developedby teachers. There is no opportunity for teachers to


examine their own biases and beliefs and reflect on theirown experiences as part of classroom discourse andenquiry.

The shortcomings in teaching process and the poorachievement levels of the students reflect thedeficiencies in teachers' training and hence there is asevere need for substantial reforms in this process. Theneed is that of a better understanding and a balancedapproach towards pedagogy amongst theseprofessionals. A training need is the gap between theskills, knowledge and attitude that the job demands andthose already possessed by the trained. Thisassessment of training is essential if an accurate pictureof the gaps in the knowledge and the skills of work forceis to be built up. Training is the key point in the processof educational reconstruction.

RESEARCH QUESTIONSDuring the development of this present research study,several research questions have emerged in the areaof teacher development programs.• What are the current needs of primary Teachers of

rural area?• What kinds of programmes are needed for the rural

primary teachers?

Purposive sampling technique was used for selectingthe villages for the study. The villages were selectedpurposively on basis of the following criteria as per SSA• The villages where SC /ST population is

comparatively higher• The villages where low literacy rate exists.• The villages where enrolment rate is low and

dropout rate is high• The villages where students' achievement rate is

low.The data was collected through questionnaire and

observation schedule with focussed group discussions.

MAJOR FINDINGSIt was found that primary school teachers of rural areaof Vadodara District opined that they had good workculture and job satisfaction has helped in self-motivation.Though the teachers are working effortlessly forunmotivated and most difficult students, the performanceof the students was not found to be very effective. Groupplanning and working in groups was another goodpractice. It was found that teachers have good supportof management in the schools. It was found that thesupport among the staff is healthy. It was revealed thatthe cause for stress in work was due to extra work andnot by classroom teaching. The teachers opined that tomake the illiterate parents understand about theimportance of education is a big challenge.

It was found from the questionnaires that students'

poor economic conditions was the main problem.. It wasalso found that the issues like the lack of parentalinvolvement, students' dropout also posed minorproblems. According to most of teachers, Teachers'involvement in other government duties is also aproblem, due which the teachers' opined that they couldnot perform their teaching in classroom properly. Theother issues were the seasonal migration of parents,poor health of the students. From the table it was foundthat teachers' poor remuneration, lack of teachinglearning materials, lack of training in ICT and newteaching methodologies were the major issues. Teacherabsenteeism is not a problem at all as opined by theteachers.

The findings of the study are relevant to drawimplications for the professional development of primaryschool teachers in rural Gujarat. Professionaldevelopment or in-service training of teachers is not anew concept in India. Teachers require professionaldevelopment programs to develop the students of thepresent for the future globalised world. Teachers neededmore programs in technology to upgrade theirknowledge. The National curriculum framework 2005and National curriculum Framework for TeacherEducation 2009 has given recommendations for the in-service training of teachers. The present educationsystem is still not adequate for the needs of the ruralteachers of an emerging and developing country. Thisrequires the development of the teachers. Teacherperformance is the most crucial input in the field ofeducation. India is on the threshold of the developmentof new technologies likely to revolutionize teaching inclassrooms. There are great reform expectations forstudents to meet the global challenges. India lives inher villages. Consequently these reforms efforts expectthe rural teachers to master new sills andresponsibilities. States and districts must ensure 'highquality' programs which are classroom focused andhave positive and lasting impact on classroominstruction; performance of teachers in the classroomand increase teachers' knowledge of the core academicsubject.

The following diagram indicates the list of trainingneeds which were identified from the study entitled "AFeasibility Study For The Identification Of TrainingNeeds Development Of Primary School Teachers InThe Tribal Areas Of Gujarat "for the professionaldevelopment of rural primary school teachers ofVadodara district.

The identified training needs can be implementedat a place and time convenient to the teachers. Trainingcan be developed for multilevel teaching and integratedteaching of languages. The training must be conductedin their dialect, so the teachers understand easily andimplement the same. The Resource persons must be


available to the teachers when required. The resourcematerials must be provided to the teachers.

THE ACTION PLAN FOR CHANGEThis research focused on understanding the keychallenges and opportunities that the administrativesystems, policies and the contextual particularities ofthe rural areas selected for the study pose for developingrelevant teacher training methods and effective teachertraining programs. The study attempted to provide aclear picture of the challenges and opportunities ofteachers, trainers, policy makers, students, andeducation officials in translating the intended values ofa curriculum into training. Through research the

conclusion is reached that the existing in-service teachertraining practices in the selected rural districts are noteffective. So a relatively modest, targeted program ofinnovations and resources geared toward teachertraining, teaching and learning, and educationalprogramming, coordination, monitoring, andevaluation will significantly improve the outcomes ofinterest.

Thus this Action Plan address the issues of how totransform teacher education/teacher training in the ruralareas, as it is observed that the initiatives undertakenby the DPEP and the SSA in providing training to theprimary teachers could not meet the objectives andneeds of the rural primary teachers as expected. It is


important for the educational institutions to be self-sufficient with continuously updating teachers with skillsand knowledge to achieve the long term sustainability.This requires strategic planning and bold policychanges, all aimed at reaching the shared goal of self-sufficiency. Self sufficiency requires transformingeconomy, transforming relationships to be partners withthe government and transforming government to bemore open accountable and responsive.

However, the government firmly believes thatteacher training is a pre-requisite for success and forachieving school quality. A transformed system will leaddirectly to a better trained teacher population whoseskills more closely reflect the needs of present ruraleducation system. Teacher's skill development is apowerful tool it can create a "virtuous cycle" ofopportunity and prosperity that will help the system ofeducation itself. The following action areas wereidentified that would help to change the current systemof rural teacher training.

A Rural -Focused SystemThere must be a source of funding for rural studentteachers. There must be measures to enhancestudent financing. New programs can be established toimprove access and increase participation for ruralstudents, low-income earners and other underrepresented groups. Being able to access universitycourses close to home will encourage their participationand help to reduce the cost of a teacher educationcourse to students.

Enhanced Teacher TrainingTeachers are now expected to have much broader roles,taking into account the individual development ofchildren and young people, the management of learningprocesses in the classroom, the development of theentire school as a "learning community" and connectionswith the local community and the wider world. Giventhe varied and multifarious nature of teachers' work,adequate training (both pre-service and in-service) needto be constantly re-worked to reflect the requirementsof their job. The success of the educational processdepends on the quality, commitment and expertise ofthe teacher. This dependence is further enhanced dueto the rampant illiterate parents. Many teachers in thefocus group discussions stated that they did not receivetraining after entering the profession of teaching, thereis a need for more training. The data indicated thatteachers find teacher training useful and expressed theirneed to have more training on multi-grade teaching,engaging with community, and student development.Also, they wanted more training on how to deal withchildren if they are unable to understand certainconcepts.

Increased Learning OpportunitiesFormal partnerships between universities, communitycolleges and communities will be established to developnew, applied and articulated programs. Through theresearch conclusion is arrived that the existing in-serviceteacher training practices in rural are not effective. Therelay of information from the state to district to the clusterand then finally to the teacher leads to heavy dilution ofany given training. Lack of local participation in thedecision making regarding teacher training will onlyserve to widen the gap between well intentioned policiesand implemented realities. Establishing a rural teachertraining education agency will provide overallcoordination, planning and governance for thetransformation of the teacher training system in ruralareas.

CONCLUSIONProfessional development is the bridge that allowsteachers to enhance their knowledge and practice. Theinfluence of professional development should beunderstood if one believes that it makes a difference inthe lives of teachers and students (Guskey, 1997). Thepurpose of this descriptive study was to study theprofessional training needs of rural primary schoolteachers of Gujarat. The results of this study can beused to look into aspects like knowledge, skills, practicesand attitude of teachers with the goal to improvingstudent achievement. The professional training of theteachers needs to be strengthened so the rural primaryschools can be a model to the Indian villages.

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THE BACKGROUNDEducation is the backbone of any strong economy. It isone of the most potent mechanisms known for reducingpoverty and inequality and for laying the basis forsustained economic growth. Education system of anynation bridges the gap between the people of differentcommunities, castes, genders etc. It raises theproductivity and competence of individuals andproduces skilled manpower that is capable of leadingeconomic development. Education is a process throughwhich the intellectual, moral capacities, proper conductand technical competency of individuals are developedto make them cultural members of their societies (Tuan,2009 as cited in Dorleku, 2013).Higher Education System - India

Is the education system of India,especially the higher education system,successfully achieving these goals? Theanswer to this question needs carefuldeliberation. The higher educationsystem in India has grown in aremarkable way, particularly in the post-independence period to become one ofthe largest systems of its kind in theworld. Being driven by economic anddemographic change, higher educationin India is going to face unprecedented transformationin the coming decade as well. By 2020, India will bethe world's third largest economy, with acorrespondingly rapid growth in the size of its middleclasses. Currently, over 50% of India's population isunder 25 years old; by 2020 India will outpace Chinaas the country with the largest tertiary-age population.Despite significant progress, Indian higher educationis faced with numerous challenges, the most crucial ofthem being the rural-urban divide amongst the studentsenrolled for various higher education programmes.

STUDENTS BACKGROUND OF RURAL AREASWhile rural India is home to around 830 million people,about 370 million reside in towns and cities. In absolutenumbers, India lives in its villages. Rural-urban disparityin economic and social development in India has led to

HIGHER EDUCATION FOR BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN RURAL ANDURBAN STUDENTS - SPECIALLY DESIGNED PROGRAMS FOR THE

PURPOSE-A CASE STUDY OF KANYA MAHAVIDYALAYAPROF. ATIMA SHARMA DWIVEDI*

The paper attempts to highlight the innovative programme initiated by the college to bridge knowledge, skillsconfidence level gap between Rural and Urban students and students within periphery of city.

* Principal, Kanya Maha Vidyalaya, Jallandhar

disparities in educational resources and variations instudents' achievement in different parts of the country.This suggests that bridging the rural-urban gap ineducational resources could promote quality teachingand learning and thereby raise academic achievementof the students.

According to Gray, Griffin, and Nasta (2005),students come to school with unique sets ofcharacteristics that include cultural backgrounds thatmay assist or impede academic performance. Students'background is another factor that influences theirperformance (Weber, 2000, as cited in Dorleku, 2013).Students from different backgrounds and cultures bring

differing prior knowledge and resourcesto learning. The background of a studentis a major contributing factor to theteaching-learning process and alsoserves as a springboard for furthereducation (Adedeji & Owoeye, 2002).

There is no universally accepteddefinition for a rural area becausedifferent countries have differentperceptions of what "rural" means(Adedeji & Olaniyan, 2011). Kashaa(2012) simply describes rural areas asdeprived, lacking many government

developmental interventions such as potable water,electricity, good roads and school infrastructure toimprove upon the lives of the people. In this sense arural pocket may well exist within the limits of an urbancentre. The rural-urban differences in levels ofeducational resources, quality of teachers and students,students' entry grades, geographical location, prestigeof school, character of the community in which a schoolis located and other environmental factors seem to havesome influence on student learning and performance.The Gap between rural and Urban students and withinurban areas:

In the case of India, this gap is not only witnessedin students coming from rural belts like villages andhamlets but also in the students who are products ofgovernment schools well within city limits. The reasonfor this can be traced to strict vigilance and qualitycontrol mechanism of private and public educationalinstitutions as opposed to the lackadaisical approach

Education is the backboneof any strong economy. Itis one of the most potentmechanisms known forreducing poverty and

inequality and for layingthe basis for sustained

economic growth.


of the ones being managed by state governments.There is no doubt that primary and high schooleducation needs marked improvement to producestudents who exhibit qualitative readiness for highereducation. But this is not happening, especially in thecase of students hailing from rural areas. Even in urbanbelts, the requisite level of readiness is not achievedby students from many government as well as somepublic and private schools.

BRIDGING THE GAPWhen students from such widely different backgroundsand schooling enter the portals of a higher educationinstitution, it becomes a challenge to expose them tothe same level of academic experiences that can beeasily understood and appreciated by them all. At atime when the world has become a veritable globalvillage, such divides should not be a limiting factor fora student in order to realise his dreams and ambitions.Creating necessary conditions that will enable all thestudents to develop alike to their highestpotential to aid national developmentrequires bridging the gap that is the resultof their rural and urban milieu and schooleducation.

A CASE STUDY OF KANYA MAHAVIDYALAYAWith specifically this aim in mind, manyinnovative programmes have beendesigned and are being run for thestudents at Kanya Maha Vidyalaya,since the college caters to both the cityand the adjoining rural areas. Thestudent body of the college is a composite of both publicas well as government school pass-outs hailing fromcities and villages of Punjab and nearby states. Theseprogrammes endeavour to bridge the gap between highschool and higher education as well as reduce thedifferences arising out of diverse economic andintellectual backgrounds of the students. The presentpaper focuses on three models that are practical andhave been tried at KMV yielding very encouragingresults.

KMV FOUNDATION PROGRAMMEThe first of these special programmes is the KMVFoundation Programme for all the new students comingto the college for the first time. This course has beendesigned to strengthen the intellectual foundation ofall the new entrants in the college while bridging thegap between high school and higher education. It aimsto enable the students to realize their position in thewhole saga of time and space, to inculcate in them anappreciation of life, cultures and people across the

globe while promoting an awareness of the humanintellectual history so that they can carry forward therich legacy of humanity as responsible and humanecitizens of the world. The course curriculum traces thestory of evolution of human intellect passing throughthe ancient, middle and modern ages. Students areprovided a glimpse of all the stages that human thoughthas passed through to reach the present wheresolutions to the most complex of problems are available.Beginning from the dawn of humanity, each module ofthe course focuses on the important milestones in thegrowth of human intellect right from the Vedas, the Gitaand the Bible, passing through historically definingmoments of the Renaissance to the more recentstruggle for the rights of women as well as othermarginalized communities both in the East and theWest. Special focus is laid on India's contribution aswell as the making of modern India.

Student assessment and feedback form animportant segment of this programme which is highly

interactive and seeks studentparticipation in the form of discussions,interactions and activity sessions. Thepresentations are made interesting withthe use of technology whileincorporating music, dance and moviesto make the learning exciting andmotivating while opening the world infront of the eyes of the students andfilling in the gaps left behind by highschool education. Being conductedsuccessfully since 2011, this course isa favourite among all the students alike.

KMV SCHOOL FOR PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENTKMV School for Personality Development is anotherattempt by the college to develop a student as amultifaceted personality with academic excellence andcommitment to an egalitarian society. India lives in hervillages and to bridge the gap between rural Bharatand urban India, this programme is basically conductedfor the benefit of students coming from the rural areas,who are economically backward, intelligent andmeritorious but cannot afford high charges ofpersonality development programmes available in themarket. The three week power-packed personalitydevelopment programme empowers the students bygrooming their personalities, thus enabling them to facethe challenges of the world as well as to leave a long-lasting positive impact on whomsoever they meet.Primary focus is on helping the students overcome theirfears and inhibitions through confidence building andattitude training. Lessons on virtually every aspect oflife and work starting from observance of etiquettes andmanners to inculcating self esteem and positive attitude,

Student assessment andfeedback form an

important segment of thisprogramme which is highly

interactive and seeksstudent participation in the

form of discussions,interactions and activity

sessions.


table manners, personal grooming, wardrobe planningand physical fitness form a major chunk of the coursecontent. Every effort is made to train the students inskills requisite for the job market that include interviewskills, group discussions, public speaking, telephonicconversation skills, effective body language, goalsetting, time management, problem solving etc.Training is imparted through practical activity-basedsessions in which students learn by doing. Thisprogramme is being conducted on the campus since2009 and has enabled hundreds of students inrecognizing their confident selves and emerging aswinners in their desired fields.

KMV PROGRAMME ON DEVELOPMENT OFCOMMUNICATION SKILLSCommunication skills is another area that haswitnessed increasing gap among rural and urbanstudents. Students from underprivileged sectionsespecially lack effective communication skills. KMVSchool of Communications and Foreign Languages isthe third model on the college campus that providesthe students the rare and unique opportunity to upgradetheir communication skills in English, especially thespoken skills and learn foreign languages of theirchoice. In the highly competitive globalised world thatwe inhabit today, effective communication skills, fluencyof spoken English and knowledge of a foreign languagecan surely provide a cutting edge over others andbrighten one's career prospects.

EDUCATION OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANDPREPARING FOR HIGHER STUDIES ABROADThe School offers short-term proficiency certificatecourses in foreign languages like French, Chinese,German, Spanish, Spoken English and CommunicationSkills as well as IELTS Training. The unique feature offoreign language classes is that these languages aretaught by native speakers who are invited from abroadfor the purpose. Since their inception in 2009, theseclasses have attracted an overwhelming response fromthe students.

CENTRE FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENTThe latest addition to these innovative and well-meaningefforts is the Centre for Leadership Development & Life-long Learning established for the holistic growth of KMVstudents. Focused on the challenges of professionalworld today and into the future, the classes andprograms offered at the Centre help the studentsdevelop personally and professionally. It aims atbringing together learning across the spectrum andpreparing the students to continue and evolve their lives& careers in a constantly changing workplace. Themission of the Centre, the first of its kind in this region,

is to enable the students to be distinctive individualsand to emerge victorious in whatever endeavour of lifethey may take up.

The Center engages the students in creating andsustaining a cohesive culture of lifelong leadershipdevelopment, training and education. It empowersstudents to become leaders by facilitating opportunitiesfor purposeful learning, self-reflection and skilldevelopment. We believe in developing authentic,visionary, goal-driven, action-oriented and resilientstudent leaders who exhibit an awareness of self andothers. The endeavour is to empower a community ofstudent leaders to inspire them for positive changethrough multi-disciplinary dialogue and action.Programmes offered at the Centre include PersonalityDevelopment, Yoga & Wellness, Self Defense Training,Health & Physical Fitness and Motivational Talks bysome of the most renowned and expert speakers andtrainers of the region.

All these programmes are being offered at minimalor no cost so that students from rural as well asunderprivileged sections of the society can gain fromthem. Ample flexibility in timings is permitted so thatthe students can take advantage of their free classesand earn maximum advantage.

TO CONCLUDEStudents, whether hailing from urban or ruralbackgrounds or belonging to the privileged ordisadvantaged segments of the society, are theresposibility of all the educators alike. No doubt muchneeds to be done at the level of primary and high schooleducation which is a huge challenge and a timeconsuming process in itself. Meanwhile, the significantrole of higher education institutions towards equitycannot be denied. We can neither give up on suchstudents nor can we blame the schools alone.Concerted efforts through specially designedprogrammes need to be made in this direction if weare to gainfully utilise the strength of our energetic youthtowards nation building. The huge rural-urban dividecan be overcome by adopting a multi-pronged approachthat comprises lifting up the standards of primaryeducation, improving educational facilities andinfrastructure in the villages as well as recognizing thevital role that higher education institutions have to playin the whole process. The collective and vigorous effortsof educationists and academicians across all levels ofeducation in this direction are bound to bring aboutmuch needed substantial positive change in theeducational scenario, giving us hope for the future.

WORKS CITEDAdedeji S. O. & Owoeye J. S. (2002). "Teacher Quality

and Resource Situation as Determinants of


Students Academic Achievement in Ogun StateSecondary Schools." Journal of EducationalManagement, 4, 36-45.

Adedeji S. O. & Olaniyan O.(2011). Improving theConditions of Teachers and Teaching in RuralSchools across African Countries. Addis Ababa,Ethiopia: UNESCO-IICBA.

Dorleku A.(2013). Teaching and Learning in BorderTowns: A Study of Four Junior High Schools alongthe Ghana-Togo Border (Master's thesis).Department of General Art Studies, Kwame

Nkrumah University of Science and Technology,Kumasi, Ghana.

Gray D., Griffin C. & Nasta T. (2005). Training to Teachin Further and Adult Education (2nd ed.). Abingdon,UK: Nelson Thornes.

Kashaa N. (2012). "Teachers in Deprived Communities:Is It a Punishment?" Featured article onWednesday 14 Nov. Retrieved fromwww.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Teachers-In-Deprived-Communities-Is-It-A-Punishment?

NEW EDUCATION TO BE ROOTED IN THE CULTURE ANDLIFE OF THE PEOPLE

NATIONAL EDUCATION

MK GANDHI

The Curriculum and pedagogic ideas which form the fabric of modern education were importedfrom Oxford and Cambridge, Edinburgh and London. But they are essentially foreign, and till theyare repudiated, there never can be national education. For the moment, we are not going todiscuss the problem whether it is possible for India to do without European education; (and in thisconnection let us say that we regard the English as a mere special phenomenon of the Europeansystem). If India decides in the light of the need there is of fighting Europe with her own weapons,Industrialism, Capitalism, Militarism, and all the rest, in favour of making counterfeit Europeans ofher children, soldiers, inventors of explosives, prostitutors of Science, forgetters of God, she mustgo forward on her path stern and open-eyed, whatever the disaster. But in that case, she shouldmake up her mind to do without national education, for, national education will not secure thoseends, will not make her sons and daughters fit for the fulfillment of those function. The fact to berealized is that India by the very fact of her long established and elaborated civilization had oncethe advantage of an educational system of her own, the only thing entitled to be called 'national'.But it was fundamentally distinct from the Anglo-Indian type and from the pseudo-national typethat is its descendant. The question then is this: The choice must be clearly and finally madebetween national and meaning and purpose, of end and means. It has so far not been made. Weare almost certain that the necessity for choosing is hardly realized. As long as confusion on thismatter exists, 'national' education cannot flourish. And that for a simple reason. The Governmentis already imparting one type of education in respect of which it is impossible for any purelynonofficial body to compete. Official organization is bigger, it has more money, it has more prizesto offer. We believe that this root paradox will last as long as there is no hard and clear thinkingabout fundamentals. If, as a result of careful decisions, we promise to the people that the educationwe offer will be truly Indian and not a mere inferior prototype of the education offered in theschools and Colleges of Government, people are bound to listen to us. We believe that the folkwho suffer from the effects of the existing arrangements, who deplore social disruption, who arestricken by the waste of youth, will be thankful to find an avenue of escape. Institutions that standfor the inevitable revolution for the restoration of national and social continuum will have in theirhands the secret of the future.

(excerpts from MK Gandhi writings in Young India 20-3-24 reproduced in Towards New Educationby MK Gandhi, Edited by Bhartan Kumarappa, Navjivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, NavjivanTrust, 1953.)

26College Post, January – March, 2017Researches in Education

This column brings out briefs of : Ph.D, M.Phil Researchesin Education, Economics of Education, Social, Political,Psychology aspects of education conducted in University/College departments. It also brings out briefs onresearches done by Research Institutions, Industry andNGOs. This column was introduced from April- June, 2016issue of College Post. Method of reporting the researchescompleted and in progress was given in that issue.Interested researchers, professors and Heads of instituteare requested to send their brief accordingly. Purpose ofthis column is to high light the researches in educationconducted in university and college departments and inany other institution /industry and NGO for the benefit ofpolicy makers, research scholars, thinkers. Readers arewelcome to encourage relevant person and institute to sendbriefs on research done and being done in education.

This issue brings to you briefs on following researchesin Education.

PH.D. THESISTitle - Education and economic development in

Himachal Pradesh, Researcher - Kaur Jasvir, Guide-Sanju Karol, Department-Education Department,Himachal Pradesh University, Ph.D. Completed 2008

The Scope of StudyThe relationship between education and economicdevelopment has been analysed at different disaggregatedunits, like the state and district levels. Education is anessential component of society to be manifested in severalobservable behaviours, developed through training indifferent fields of life for better living in the society. In thissense, education is the means, and an index ofdevelopment, as has been seen in this study.

Some Key FindingsThe share of elementary education in NSDP remainedrelatively higher than secondary and higher levels ofeducation over the period. The per capita expenditure oneducation and the expenditure on education per studentenrolled has gone up, in real terms. The analysis revealsthat public expenditure on education as a percentage ofNSDP in the state of Himachal Pradesh has achieved thegoal of 6 percent as recommended by by the EducationCommission (1966).

There is evidence of considerable growth ofeducational institutions since 1971-72. Among the numberof institutions, schools form a large number. Analysis ofschools by type of management shows that while majorityof schools are under government sector, there has beensome growth of the private sector too. Regardingenrolment also, growth seems to have taken place since1971-72. As regards higher education the number ofuniversities has gone up from 1 in 1971-1972 to 4 in 2004-2005. The number of colleges has also gone up. Regardingthe type of management of the colleges a large share isstill with the government sector. In professional education,

the number of students is far less than general education.The structure at higher education seems to be tilted infavour of general education in arts, science and commercethan the professional courses of study.

The analysis based on nine variables indicative ofquantitative development of education and seven ofqualitative development has covered the period 1971-72to 2004-05. It has thrown up sufficient evidence to provethat the period has not been one of continuous educationaldevelopment of the state, if we consider the qualitativeaspect or take an overall view. On the other hand, withregard to the quantitative aspect, the picture is slightlydifferent. There is evidence of more or less continuousimprovements in percentage of institutions in total numberof institutions, enrolment ratio, etc. If we consider over-alldevelopment in terms of both the quantitative andqualitative aspects taken together, there are indications ofdecline, with continuous year-to-year declines.

There is no big change in the relative positions of thedistricts in terms of overall educational development at fourpoints of time. It essentially states that the districts of tribalbelt have lagged in their educational standards despitethe government's efforts at the development of educationin the backward areas of the state.

A comparison between educational development interms of composite index of educationaldevelopment and economic development as shown by percapita NSDP suggests that there does not exist a positiveand significant relationship between education andeconomic development in the districts of HimachalPradesh.

However, State as a whole, Himachal Pradesh,economy grew rapidly, educational development camebefore and simultaneous with rapid economic growth,generating a virtuous cycle of growth and socialdevelopment.

Finally, it can be summed up from the results ofGranger Causality Tests that Overall QuantitativeEducational Index is not just strongly correlated witheconomic development, but it has a strong causal impacton growth as well. It is apparent from the causal impact ongrowth from both the quantitative index and qualitativeindex of educational development.Source: Sodhganga, Inflinet, an IUC of UGC, Ahmedabad

Title- Self Financed higher education -an economicanalysis, Researcher- Sivasankaran P. Gudie-Kuttikrshnan Nambiar AC , Department - Economics,University- University of Calicut date submission 10thFebruary, 2015

The BackgroundBharathiar University offers variety of courses ranging fromArts and Science to Airforce Administration. 68 per cent ofthe institutions are unaided and all are registered ascharitable institutions. It is found from the survey that amongthe self financed institutions Arts and Science colleges


dominate the scene both in the rural and urban areas. Till1990 there were 12 institutions in the unaided sector. Since1990, 49 institutions were added to the unaided sector.Almost all colleges in the aided and government sectorwere started before 1990. Thus the development since1990 is characterised by phenomenal growth of unaidedinstitutions in the higher educational sector.

Some Key FindingsIrrespective of the area and discipline, total donationmobilised by 9 self financed institutions per annum isRs.26.68 crores. The donation per institution in the ruralarea work out to be Rs.2.76 crores whereas in the urbanarea donation per institution is Rs.3.22 crores. In the Artsand Science category, donation per institution is Rs. 1.77crores whereas in the Engineering category Rs.5.36 croresis donation per institution.

Financial viability of Self-financed EducationalInstitutions Irrespective of the area and discipline, total costof self financed institutions per annum comes around Rs.10.427 crores with an average of Rs. 1.156 crores perinstitution. Cost per institution in the urban area is Rs. 1.25crores whereas cost per institution in the rural area is Rs.1.09 crores. Cost per Arts and Science and Engineeringcategory are Rs.989 crores and Rs. 1.498 croresrespectively. Among the components of cost per institution,salary of the teaching staff, hostel expenses and electricitybill are the major items. Irrespective of the area anddiscipline, salary of the teaching staff, electricity bill andhostel expenses constitute 75.87 percent of cost perinstitution.

The combined average of surplus of Arts and Scienceand Engineering Category is Rs.2.301 crores. The surplusper Arts and Science category is Rs.1.831 crores. Asagainst this surplus per Engineering category is Rs.3.2 12crores. Urban and Rural institutions have an averagesurplus of Rs.3.04 crores and Rs.1.683 crores respectively.Surplus per seat in the Engineering institutions isRs.28,571/- whereas surplus per seat in the Arts andScience category is Rs.23,076/-. It is seen that self financedinstitutions are making on an average 1 1.25 percent returnon their investment. Rate of surplus of urban institutionsoffering Engineering course (7.02 percent) is lesser thantheir counterpart in the rural area (20.99 percent). Thismay be attributed to higher level of investment in the urbanarea of Engineering category. Rate of surplus of Arts andScience category in the Urban area (10.69 percent) ismarginally higher than that of Arts and Science college inthe rural area (9.09 percent).

Teachers in the self financed institutions are not paidaccording to the norms of All India Council for TechnicalEducation. They are paid three times lesser compared tothe teachers in the aided or government college. There isno uniformity in the pay and scale of pay of the teachersbetween colleges and course. Neither government or theuniversity fix running scale of pay for the staff in the selffinanced colleges. Because of this some teachers leave

the college after one or two years of service. So the turnover ratio is very high.

There is variation in the distribution of benefitsaccording to region and course. It is found that ruralinstitutions provide greater benefits cost ratio to studentsthan their counterpart in urban area. This may beattributable to lower cost of education in rural institutions.Variability in the discounted benefit cost ratio is significailtlyhigher in Arts and Science category. This may beattributable to lower cost of education in Arts and Sciencecategory.Source: Sodhganga. Inflinet, IUC -UGC

Title; A Study on the Policies and Programmes forProfessional Development of School Teachers inthe United States of America. Researcher:Dr. Meera Subramanian Guide: Prof. K.Pushpanadham, University: Maharaja SayajiraoUniversity of Baroda, Baroda.

The ScopeThe in-service education and continuous professionaldevelopment of teachers has been given prime importancein the USA over the last two decades.

The specific factors responsible for this developmentare:• certification laws,• professional organizations,• community needs,• size of schools, nature of job opportunities and skills

Key FindingsTeachers in the USA are expected to have high grades inthe examination conducted by the state to obtain theteaching licence. Teachers need certain number of creditsto renew their license from the professional developmentprograms or college courses as well, once in three to fiveyears depending on the states.

A performance-based system for licensure is beingfollowed in some school districts. There is a comprehensivemechanism to update the knowledge and skills and systemfor monitoring teacher continuous development.

The professional development programs are basicallyneed based and are planned on the basis of the continuousreviews and researches conducted by the school districtsand the colleges of teacher education affiliated to the schooldistricts.

The implementation and the impact of the programsfor teaching-learning are evaluated through acomprehensive system of evaluation.

Key points that emerged are that the professionaldevelopment programs were successful due to: (a) theLeadership and Management of ProfessionalDevelopment; (b) Multiple Accountability System; (c)Monitoring and Supervision and also Adopting AlternativeProfessional Learning Community Models.

28College Post, January – March, 2017Education News Analysis

RANKING VS GRADINGWorld University Ranking results indicating a very fewIndian Universities figuring in the list , made Ministry ofHRD to initiate national institutional ranking in Indiaunder its National Institutional Ranking Framework. Theranking of world Universities by four World UniversityRanking Systems, namely, Times Higher EducationRanking, Shanghai Hongkong, QS, World UniversityRanking by world University Ranking Centre eventhough suffering from several infirmities of methodologyand assessment tools have made big market flash andhave given political people to brow beat the nationaluniversity system. Answer to this appears to have beento initiate their own on ranking system to rank IndianUniversities and colleges. To begin with one has to askthe question- what is the purpose and what is the likelyoutcome and future impact on the system of highereducation?

Before we attempt answer to this question let usexamine what has been our system of external qualityassessment and public reporting and how long has itbeen in practices. First time quality assessment insystem of higher education was started with the settingup of National Assessment and Accreditation Council.by University Grants Commission as inter-universityCentre of UGC in 1994. Since then NAAC has beenassessing and accrediting Universities and Collegesin India, of course on voluntary basis. So far a goodnumber of Universities and Colleges have beenassessed by NAAC. Some are in first cycle of 5yearssome other are in second cycle of five years. This systemof assessment based on parameters and separateweight for affiliated and autonomous colleges andUniversities have been used to assess and accreditbased on detailed data/documents contained in selfstudy of the universities and colleges and then peergroup reviewed though spot verification and assessmentand grade is given to institutions based on thisassessment with a proviso to appeal for review, if notsatisfied with grade or withdraw from assessment, if feltso by the institute. This was one of the methods to letthe institution know about their position and let publicknow the same. Purpose was to make universities andcolleges know their strength and weakness in the lightof their mission and objective and improve upon it, ifneed be. Public reporting helped the institution toposition itself in information metrics of students andparents. NAAC grading has its own rigour as also itslimitations. Yet it is a system which has more depth inassessment of quality of institutions. Recently 2017NAAC has also published top 10 ranked Universitiesand Top ten ranked colleges.

The latest in new is National Institution Ranking2017 published by Ministry of MHRD , with photos of

PM and HRD minister on the top of web page, is lendinghigh weight to seriousness of ranking. It may bementioned that all the four world university rankingsystems are not of the government of that country, butby academic bodies or news agency. Some newsagencies have also been ranking colleges anduniversities in India, but not with many consequences.MHRD ranking would certainly have consequences,which may be beyond the control of MHRD. First andforemost is that many recently set up private selffinancing universities figures in top hundred rankinguniversities in MHRD 2017 ranking list. Of the total of100 top universities, there are as many as 30 universitieswhich are self financing and set up in various states notearlier than 1995 or so. This belie an often stated dictumthat it requires great deal of resources and may be 100years to acquire top ranking position. When we areentering fourth industrial revolution time span aspectmay receive a great discount. But building a good facultybase, research base and culture of academic dialogueand debate has its own gestation period. Some of publicuniversities which figure in this list are with 40-150 yearstime span to make the mark, yet not all public institutionswith this time span has made the mark. Never the lessbuilding a good research and teaching -learningenvironment requires a good time span. The selffinancing institutions have also beaten this norm. Manyprivate self financing universities have started marketingthemselves citing NIRF ranking.

The other aspect is that ranking of universities hasmix list of general, medical, veterinary, and agricultureand so on. This makes it difficult to compare and positioninstitutions with comparable features. It would beappropriate to classify universities with similar streamof studies and rank. Of the five parameters Teaching -Learning Resources ,Research and ProfessionalPractice and Graduate outcome account for 30,30 and20 percent. The rest 10 each are for outreach andinclusivity and perception with their sub parts. Thesesound well, but will have to have different weights fordifferent streams /features of universities. Ranking themunder same scale may confuse position and informationmetrics of students and parents. Having said so, thequestion may arise what is the aim of such kind ofranking which may conflict with grading by NAAC.Because of different objectives of these two publicreporting systems of quality of institutions by thegovernment /government agency might cause confusionif NAAC A+ graded universities or colleges do not figurein the list. Had the ranking done by agencies other thangovernment people might take them in respective lightas they take World University Ranking by differentagencies ranking one universities at different position,because of methodology and approach differences, but


as this agency being the government in both the cases,it would tend to confuse the users and institutions. Inour view this aspect needs to be considered by MHRD.The other point is that whether this is a function ofMHRD to enter into ranking system? Outside Indiapeople may take it with pinch of salt.

AUTONOMY FOR EXCELLENCE VS SECURITY OFJOBS AND FUNDINGThe debate on autonomy of colleges is turning out asautonomy vs security of job and funding by government.Delhi University Teachers' Association has been wagingwar against an attempt to seek autonomy of St.Stephens College, New Delhi. In fact DUTA and for thatmatter many of Teachers associations in variousuniversities and colleges have been up against thisconcept since this was introduced in 1986-87 withannouncement of New Education Policy, 86 andprogramme of Action 1987. Many states enthusiasticallyadopted this scheme, yet many states opposed it . Therewas debate in Central Advisory Committee on Educationabout granting autonomy to colleges and request wasat least 500 colleges should be given autonomy by nextfive years. But it did not happen for the reasons thatthere is strong fear in the minds of teachers that it willlead to privatization of higher education, threaten theirjobs or reduce new recruitment, weaken affiliated collegeteachers association and finally colleges will be askedto mobilize funds for running the colleges. This fearpersisted in spite of the fact that scheme of autonomouscolleges never envisaged this to happen. It attemptedto provide additional funds to autonomous colleges fornew activities and also position of professor inautonomous colleges with post graduate studiesprogramme. Many affiliated colleges in southern statesparticularly Tamil Nadu benefited from the scheme bothfinancially and academically and some of them haveacquired status of Deemed to be University in courseof time. The concept of autonomy to colleges and evento university department was a right step to help collegesframe their curriculum for both under graduate and postgraduate degree programme, introduce semestersystem, new methods of teaching and learning, newmethod of evaluation of students. These reforms wereessential to make higher education relevant to societyand enable colleges to excel. Since this was a majorstructural change to over throw the colonial yoke onhigher education either teacher did not understand orthey found wanting to take new responsibility. On thepart of University those who were progressive supportedthe change and those believed in traditional system putspoke in subtle manner to discourage this change, as itwas felt that they will loose revenue on account ofexamination fee. On the part of government of Rajasthan

state after experimenting it for five years in somegovernment colleges reversed it by constitutingcommittee and getting recommendation to reverse it.The concept also did not suit directorate of highereducation as it was likely to go out of their hegemony.Private added college feared their grant may be cut.Hence a well articulated and experimented scheme ofautonomous colleges for the larger interest of students,society and system of higher education has been madeto fade out. And any attempt by a college to becomeautonomous gets a hostile reception, as is happeningin the case of St. Stephens College. Surprisingly, neitherUGC nor University or even Delhi State government hascome out with the statement that, whatever a collegereceive grants, security of jobs and future funding ofhigher education is not likely to be affected. On thecontrary funding agencies should enhance funding, jobsecurity and research funds for such institutions as suchinvestment would really help development of the countrythrough quality human resources and Research &Development. Have a courage to over throw this colonialyoke.

CHANGE IN METHOD OF ASSESSMENTACCREDITATION BY NAACThe news published by MHRD has suggested a changein method of assessment of Universities and Colleges.NAAC collects detailed data about institutions whichoffer for external evaluation. But assessment of theInstitution and grading is based on 100 percent peerteam review. For quite some time many institutionscomplained about objectivity and fairness of suchassessment as it being very subjective of peer team.MHRD stated to have suggested that system ofassessment may be based on 80 percent on record/data/information analysis and 20 percent on peer teamassessment. This is very constructive and transparentsystem of assessment. Institution would know inadvance if bench marks are available to them the gradethey are likely to get bases on quantitative and qualitativedata analysis. What NAAC has to work out is variousindices of quality for various aspects of functioninghigher education say, Lab use, Library use, Teaching -learning time use, teacher -student ratio, studentoutcome and so on. Such indices when tried out withseveral institutions would evolve a standard benchmarks. These standard bench mark indices will makethe system objective and transparent. This is good moveby MHRD.

College Post welcomes viewsand comments of readers.

30College Post, January – March, 2017Across the Globe

UKEXTERNAL FINANCING HIGHER EDUCATION ANDIMMIGRATION POLICY UKAmong the various sources of financing highereducation fees from foreign students has been one ofthe important sources. It is not only for higher education,but international students add to economy of the countrythrough their maintenance consumption as also theirservices during their study stay period. However, recenttrend in checking immigration has made manyuniversities concerned about the possible loss of theirfinances, if immigration of students is restricted. Recentlyproposed bill on amendment of Higher EducationResearch stated to have evoked lot of response fromacademic community. A report published in THE statedthat :

"The poll of more than 4,000 people, conducted byComRes, found that 73 per cent wanted internationalstudent numbers maintained or increased after"discovering the contribution they make to the economyand the jobs they generate." It further states that "Thesurvey also found that 64 per cent think that internationalstudents have a positive impact on the local economiesof the towns and cities in which they study, while 61 percent believe that international students also have avaluable social and cultural impact on university townsand cities," This was stated by universities UK spokesperson. The survey further revealed that ..."75 per centbelieve that international students should be allowed towork in the UK for a fixed period after they havegraduated.

Dame Julia, President of Universities UK and ViceChancellor Kent University, said: "If the UK wants toremain a top destination for international students, weneed a new immigration policy that encourages themto choose the UK. As the UK prepares to exit the EU, itis more important than ever that we project a welcomingmessage to talented people from across the world."Source : THE - John [email protected]

GLOBALHIGHER EDUCATION FACING CHALLENGE OFPOPULISM AND ALTERNATIVE TRUTHSDr. Sir Peter Scoot, Professor of higher educationstudies at University College London and the recentlyappointed Commissioner for Fair Access to HigherEducation in Scotland ,was speaking to an audience ofacademics in Canada at the University of Toronto'sOntario Institute for Studies in Education, as part of the2017 Worldviews Lecture on Media and HigherEducation said "This is an age of alternative truths,"And recalling a phrase used by the Trumpadministration, he warned: "Alternative facts can never

be suppressed. "He believes that one alternative truthbeing pedalled by populists that universities should notignore is the concept that higher education favours themiddle class and is, in effect, "too elite".

He further said that "the majority of college educatedin the US supported Hillary Clinton and in the UK votedto remain in the EU - and in both cases ended up on thelosing side." Scott noted that in the Brexit referendum,only 27% of graduates voted to leave, compared with75% of those with no qualifications who voted to pullaway from the EU. And in the US presidential election,fully two-thirds of white voters without college degreesvoted for Trump. Compounding this is the populistconcept that expertise is being outweighed by emotion,or even lies. Academia is seen by some as ivory towersinhabited by elitists, leading to a distrust of experts.

"Higher education seems to have been bracketedwith those other global elites, political and financial,which have been the target of populist revolt. It hasalmost felt in the past 12 months that we have endedup on the 'wrong side' of history,"

The most visible manifestations of populism are, ofcourse, the election of Donald Trump as US presidentand the UK's Brexit vote. To Scott, both those eventsevinced a trend towards the simplifying of complex ideasto attract a wider audience for relative purposes, andare part of the current age in which, as he puts it, "Trumpgoverns through his Twitter account", and, "Politiciansand political parties have to sort of become brands". SirScott has suggestion to meet this challenge throughfour point plan-as widen, resist, open and reinforce.

(a )widening of participation in universities,extending the higher education 'franchise' to themasses,(b) to resist the commodification andcommercialisation of learning, because as Scott put itquite simply, "Learning is a shared experience." (c)opening up research and development (d) to engagewith communities, reinforcing the connections thathigher education institutions have with their neighbours.Without a strong connection to the communities thatserve universities, Scott worries academia could fall preyto the same populist forces that have taken over politicaldiscourse.

"Maybe it is partly universities' fault," he says. "Inmany countries, the strong sense of social purpose, andexpanding opportunities to new social groups anddisadvantaged communities, has been diluted by thedrive towards becoming 'world-class'. He finallysays,"Now - perhaps - we are not even trying very hard.Maybe the rise of populism is a welcome call - not justto speak up more loudly for open societies, but also torecover that sense of social purpose we are in dangerof losing."Source: University World News

31College Post, January – March, 2017I Share

From this issue of CP we are introducing a column IShare.... - A column to share the experience of heads ofinstitutions of higher education about their uniqueexperience in managing the challenges / innovations intheir institutes.- We think such sharing will benefit peergroup and readers immensely. Editor CP

The ChallengeThere was a big challenge ahead as the institution wasto prove its excellence achieved on sustainable basis,its credibility in terms of courses and the placementsand in all other sphere leading to holistic developmentof the students, faculty as well as the institution. Thiswas particularly to a Team of NAAC, which was visitingthe institution for second cycle of accreditation of theCollege. The anxiety prevailed upon all four pillars of theinstitution i.e. the students, the faculty, the Principal andthe Management of the institution.

Academic AmbienceWhat gave us confidence was that the college has astrong academic ambiance with four faculties, namely,Faculty of ARTS with wide range of subjects, Faculty ofCommerce, Faculty of Computer Science and Facultyof Sciences. Ours is the only College having Coursescertified by HRD Ministry, namely Certificate Course inRobotic Programming & Maintenance and ComputerAided Product Design Embedded Systems using 8 bitsmicrocontroller. Ours is only College to have a UGCSponsored Multidisciplinary Innovative Course, i.e, M.ABusiness Economics & Information Technology. Thiscourse is a combined effort of Department of Commerce,Department of Economics & Department of ComputerScience. The UGC Sponsored Course is Beauty & BodyFitness under Community Colleges Scheme ofGovernment of India.

Responding Skills NeedThe other area where we had strength was that thecollege is having Skill Oriented Courses under NationalSkill Development Scheme (NSDC), i.e, Customer CareExecutive under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana(PMKVY). We have Twelve Skill Oriented Add onCourses at the three levels i.e, Certificate, Diploma andAdvance Diploma Level to enable the students in gettingjobs. The Youth Welfare Department of College onregular basis organizes various Inter CollegeCompetitions, celebrates all important events andNational Days. The college also provides equal growthopportunities in NCC, NSS & other co-curricular activities.

Exposure to Industrial and Practical SitesThe Institution gives Industrial Exposure to the Studentsand tie ups with Local Industry like Leather Industry andTools, Sports Goods, Hosiery Manufacturers, to name a

few and linkages with Chartered Accountants andIndustry at the National Level like IBM Daksh, Infosys,Genpact, Wipro Technologies , HDFC Standard LifeInsurance etc. are helpful to the students in theirplacements

The organizations of Competitive Coaching Classesare a regular feature of the college, which includes IASCoaching Classes, Services (Defence /Forces)Competition Classes and Classes for the preparation ofBank, Insurance, I.T Department and other GovernmentSector Examination. The Institute arranged boardingfacilities by extending hostel in the institute's periphery.In all these the real challenge was also to extend workinghours of faculty, thus not affecting regular teaching hours

Digital Sources of LearningThe other strength of the College is that. It offers Stateof the Art fully Computerised Library with DELNETconnectivity, INFLIBNET facility and Reprography facility.The College also has CD library with a good collectionof CDs in different subjects. The Institute has ComputerLabs equipped with latest softwares, Gymnasium Hallfor physical training exercises and athletic games.

Welfare MeasuresThe colleges has a variety of welfare activities for thebenefit of the students like remedial classes foreducationally backward students, Scholarship andStipends for the economically weak as well as meritoriousstudents, Bank Loan facility, Safety Insurance Schemes,Transport Facility, Underground Parking Facility, twoCafeteria(s), Medical Room with health care facilities etc..

Finally, the challenge was to bring all the four pillarsnamely, Students, Faculty, Parents and Management ina collective and comprehensive way on a common plateform so as to present our strength to the visiting team.All of us did our best to present the case of the collegebefore the NAAC team. The result was the college wasreaccredited with A+ Grade by National Assessment &Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bangalore in the session2016-17. We are the only Institute to get A+ Grade byNAAC during reaccreditation amongst 132 Institutesassessed by NAAC during the above period.This is not the end, it is a new beginning. The newchallenge is to remain and to stand alone on the path ofexcellence amidst a vast competitive system of highereducation.

Shared by Dr. Kiron Arora, Principal,Prem Chand Markanda SD Collegefor Women, Jalandhar, Panjab.established on 3rd August, 1973 isa recognised College managed byDevi Sahai S.D Education Board.


UNDERSTANDING AND MEASUREMENT OFPOVERTYTHE ECONOMICS OF POVERTY: HISTORYMEASUREMENT AND POLICY by Martin Ravallion,Oxford University Press (2016) Pp 701 Price 995/-

Poverty as is commonly understood - those who havevery little or no money and therefore cannot satisfy theirbasic needs has been in existence since timeimmemorial across the globe. There is large body ofliterature on poverty to measure it (methods ofmeasurement) and efforts made to reduce it. Whypoverty exist has received little attention as theprominent-thinker namely, Jean Luis Vives (16thCentury), has justified its existence for the sake ofbringing about economic advancement in a society, Thepresent book under review has tried to compile theliterature on History of thought on poverty as it hasevolved over time covering largely the period beginninglate 18th Century. This has helped him to divide thetime span in two: what he calls stages of povertyenlightenment out of which poverty has come to beseen as a social bad capable of being greatly reducedand even eliminated through policy actions.

This transition in thinking the author traces out tosignificant political and economic reforms in today's richworld: spread of suffrage as a notable example of thefirst stage of poverty enlightenment. This stage startswhen new respect for a poor people came about. Thisis the time when economy came to be seen as a toolfor producing human welfare including that of the poorfrom that of purely instrumental role as the means ofproduction as was the dominated thinking for roughlyover two thousand years of the pre first stage of povertyenlightenment period. The 1st stage began around theend of the 18 Century. The second enlightenment camewhen poverty came to be widely seen as a severeconstraint on freedom and personal self -fulfillment andon aggregate economic growth: when a consensusemerged that poverty was unacceptable. This stagestarts form 1950's onwards the entire discussion onthis transition of thought and the policy response againstpoverty across the globe attributed to the role ofKnowledge in policy debate. The author's two chaptersof the book "origin of the idea of world free of poverty:and Thinking on poverty after 1950 are devoted todiscern and make us understand this transition inthinking and forms part I of the book. The review ofdebate on transition of thinking is provided in the easilyunderstandable manner and is quite interesting andabsorbing

Part II of the Book titled Measures and method usedin the analysis of poverty and inequality goes deep intothe why and how of measurement of poverty. The fourchapters in this part help the readier in how to organizethe large quantities of statistics on poverty and

Book Reviewinequality to make sensible understanding by using themethods and measures discussed in this part: formonitoring progress, setting goals, targeting andevaluating policies. Chapter 3 looks more closely atwelfare measurement. Here the key concepts areexplained including the various (on going) debates.Chapter 4 and 5 turn to the problem of how to aggregatethe survey based indicators of economic welfare into asummary statistic on poverty and or inequality. Herealso key concepts are explained as are the debatesChapter 6 reviews the issues that arise in assessingthe poverty impact of policies and main methods foundin practice.

Part (III) of the book turns to many policy debatesabout how best to fight poverty and reduce inequality.Chapter 7 gives an over view of poverty and inequalityin the world. This Chapter uses many of the ideas frompart II along with a great many empirical studies in usingdata from across the globe to measure and describepoverty in the world today. This provides an empiricalfoundation for the rest of Part III Chapter 8 reviews thedebate on growth, poverty and inequality. Thediscussion draws both on theory and extensiveevidence from both multi- country comparative studiesand more in depth country case studies. The countriescovered are China Brazil and India. Chapter 9 reviewspast and on going debates on the main categories ofeconomy wide and sectoral Policies including thepriority given to urban V/s rural development, massschooling, Labor, Industry and trade policies,information campaigns and development aid. Chapter10 in this part turns to both economic argument fortargeted policies and the evidence on how successfulthey have been. The discussion covers the main formsof targeted anti poverty policies attempted till date.Chapter 11 of the book is devoted to the conclusionsand is described in summary form under (a) programagainst poverty (b) explaining the transition in Thinking(c) Knowledge challenges and (d) two paths goingforward. The book is written in a form which addresseestwo types of its readers. Those who do not knoweconomics already and are interested in learningeconomics as a tool for understanding and fightingpoverty and those who already know economics, forthem it would act as an introduction to the study ofpoverty and inequality. The author has inserted onehundred and thirty boxes along the way to explaineconomics to non- economists. The purpose for whichbook is written (Undergraduate course on poverty) hehas succeeded in fulfilling that purpose and is a mustread for students, teachers, researchers and policymakers. The author however would have added valueto the discourse on "Why Poverty" to his audience andthe book, had he devoted more time prior to the 16thCentury as there were several thought processes andpractices on this subject.SC Sharma

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College Post, January – March, 2017 · competencies and over view of society , schemes and programmes of national development. (c) Identify areas of community intervention namely,