NATIONAL CONFERENCE

1
NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON REVISIT INDIAN
EDUCATION VISION-2020 Sushma Berlia
President, EPSI
2
Excellence in Education

• Education signifies life-making, man-making
  and character- building assimilation of ideas
  (Vivekananda)

• Education, which fosters capabilities such as
  spirit of enquiry, creativity, entrepreneurial
  and moral leadership central to nation-building
  in a democracy (Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam)

• Education to provide the skills for learning
  to know, learning to live together, learning to
  do and learning to be (UNESCO)

3
For a Knowledge Based Society

• Education, is perceived to aspire to the
  following parameters .
• Quantity Education for the masses
• Quality To meet the aspirations perceptions
  in terms of content, delivery, outcome and
  relevance
• Flexibility To meet the challenges of
  obsolescence and change

4
Issues

• Access Equity
• No Talented and deserving person be denied access
  to Education.
• An elaborate and well designed support scheme for
  the needy to make education accessible to all
  would go a long way in meeting
•          The principal of equity
•        In providing skilled manpower needs of our
  country in an optimum manner
• Which would give thrust towards the
  socio-economic development of our country in the
  shortest possible frame

5
Quality Assurance

• For Quality assurance creation of multiple
  Independent Accreditation Agencies
• Autonomy with self regulation is important
  for quality assurance

Relevance

• The type of education imparted should make the
  student employable
• Flexibility in programmes courses
• Multiple entry and exit system, provision for
  lateral entry
• Industry participation in disigning of
  curriculum, teaching-learning process and
  research development

6
Education in India

• Indian education system largest in Common wealth
  countries and 2nd largest in the world next to
  USA.
• Tremendous Growth since Independence
• But still
• The gross enrolment ratio
• Classes (I-V) (6-11 years) 98.31
• Classes (VI-VIII) (11-14 years) 62.49
• Classes (I-VIII) (6-14 years) 84.91
• Classes (IX-XII) (14-18 years) 38.88
• The drop out rate
• Classes (I-V) (6-11 years)
  31.36
• Classes (I-VIII) (1-14 years)
  52.22
• Classes (I-X) (1-16 years)
  62.68
• These high drop out rates from both primary
  and secondary school, combined with low enrolment
  rates at the higher levels deprive tens of
  millions of children of their full rights as
  citizens.
• Source Abstract of Selected
  Educational statistics 2003-04, MHRD, Govt. of
  India

7

• Out of approximately 211 million children in the
  age group 6-14 years on nearly 84.91 are
  enrolled in schools.
• Net primary school enrolment/attendance only 77
  (UNICEF-India-Statistics (2004)
• Less than 7 per cent of the children ever pass
  the 10th standard public examination. (Report of
  the Committee on India Vision 2020, Planning
  Commission, 2002)
• Only 53 per cent of all habitations have a
  primary school
• On an average, an upper primary school is 3 km
  away in 22 percent of habitations
• More than 50 percent of the girls in the country
  do not enroll in schools
• Contd.

8

• When working outside the family, children put in
  an average of 21 hours of labour per week, at the
  cost of education
• 60 million children are thought to be child
  labourers
• More than 35 million children in the 6-14 age
  group are out of school
• Only 45.8 percent girls complete education in
  rural areas as compared to 66.3 percent boys. In
  urban areas, 66.3 percent girls complete
  education as opposed to 80.3 percent boys
• Of the seven lakh rural schools, only one in six
  have toilets
• 35 of our population are still illiterate

(The statistical data has been compiled from
figures provided by CRY, NGO Global March Against
Child Labour, and UNICEF)
9

Access to Higher Education

• Only 6-7 of eligible population aged 18-23
  years enters the higher education stream in
  India, whereas in
• USA 89
• Australia 80
• France 50
• UK 43
• China 10.5
• Hong Kong 18
• Singapore 21
• In developing countries like
• Indonasia 11
• Thiland 19
• Brazil 12

Very large number of our youth in the relevant
age group do not have let alone access to quality
higher education. Contd
10

• Educated Unemployed
• Unemployed in Rural Areas 57
• Unemployed in Urban Areas 65
• Source ( Employment Unemployment situatin in
  India, Jan-June 2004, NSS, Govt. of India, 2005)
• - 300 millions unemployed of the total
  employable age
• - Only 45 millions have actually registered with
  employment exchange
• - Of all new employment generated
• Govt. 1
• Orgnised Sector 2
• Unorganised Sector 97
• Source www.wakeupcall.org
  (i Watch)
• - The unemployment rate of India's graduates
  are still 17.2 than the overall unemployment
  rate of 10.1. (2.5 million graduate every
  year) (Times of India, 22nd June 2005)

11
UNDP Indicators for Development

• A survey of about 200 countries (UNDP) in 2005
  showed that development of any country depends
• 20 percent on its Natural resources,
• 16 percent on its Infrastructure, and
• 64 percent on its human resources and
  social factors

12

• Social development of any country presupposes
  that education should provide trained, qualified
  manpower in all the sector.
• Education thus is the basic ingredient for having
  healthy and skilled manpower for industrial
  development
• Hence our vision of India-2020 has to be on the
  belief that human resources are the most
  important determinant of overall development.
• Are we equipped for meeting these requirements
  and challenges?

13
Availability of Resources

• The State Government has already been spending
  20-30 percent of its revenue budget on
  education.
• Central government will have to assist the
  state government in achieving the goal of
  Primary and Secondary education.
• Current spending on education in India is
  even less then 4 of GDP. Even with 6 of
  spending which the Centre concedes there will not
  be a modest improvement in the status of Higher
  Education
• Further such resources would be largely used
  for ensuring equity i.e. - Its priority in
  elementary and secondary education, and
• - For providing Access and Equity to
  poorer section of the society
• Therefore there is a need to evolve policy
  through which Private/non- governmental
  resources is mobilized. Hence Encourage Private
  Participation in all sectors of education
  especially Higher Technical education.

14
Rural Integration through Education

• Effective utilization of technology in education
• Issues of educational quality, equity, and access
  among small, rural schools and communities in
  achieving the strategic goals of
• improving learner outcomes and improving the
  education profession,
• Involving of local teachers,
• improving the adequacy and continuity of public
  resources,
• mobilizing community support for children and
  schools, and
• emphasizing the transition from school to
  livelihood, i.e. Vocational education and
  training

15
Society-Industry-Academia Relationship Creating
Future Human Capital

• Need for higher level of involvement of the
  industry since ( formulation of relevance and
  employable curricula)
• Industry Associations to encourage and promote
  industry to mark their projects, after testing
  quality aspects, to the academia which can
  deliver quality at low cost.
• Develop a data-base of facilities available in
  the university/ Institutions of higher learning,
  industry and RD institutions.
• Involvement of industry in the curriculum
  development and also implementation of the
  curriculum.
• Faculty exchange and participation in industry
  and vice-versa in university and specialised
  institutions.

16

• Participation of executives who have Ph.D.,
  involve them in research and development both in
  industry as well as universities.
• The industry should utilize the human resource
  and infrastructure available in the universities
  for problem solving, testing, certification etc.
• Conducting advanced programmes in technical,
  management and other need-based areas, tackling
  contemporary issues of mutually beneficial
  nature.
• Setting up a business development cell on
  partnership.
• Promote entrepreneurship in education system.

17
Establishment of Autonomous Educational
Hubs (Center of Excellence) in Various States

• Domestic and Foreign universities/institutions
  to set up its own educational setup, both
  independently and /or in collaboration
• With due care to their respective academic
  strengths, all State universities and other
  autonomous professional institutions shall take
  the lead in setting up their campuses
• Competitive environment and overall improvement
  to take place in the quality of Higher Education
  
• An innovative step without any fund from Govt.
  hence left to the Pvt. Sector to ensure that no
  possible resource gaps hinders its future growth

18
A suitable institutional set-up that offers
checks and allows guided institutional
extensions and growth? Total Operational,
Academic and Financial Autonomy Common
students support service, will reduce investment
of individual institution in creating extra
infrastructure (i.e common Hostel, playground,
central Library, Computer lab, common
facilities) Institutions not bound by
condition of getting affiliated to a state univ.
(not bound by territorial jurisdiction norm, free
to seek affiliation anywhere in the country)
19
Suggestions and Recommendations

• Review of National Education Policy, 1986 which
  is not in tune and has diluted relevance in
  conjunction with the current economic and
  knowledge development scenario in the country
  also in perspective of global developments such
  as WTO agreement
•  Review of Role and responsibilities of statutory
  agencies and their inability to establish
  relevance with the industry and to address the
  quality issues pertaining to higher education
• Need for higher level of two way communication
  between the academia and the government in
  investing in holistic development of relevant
  Education

• Creation of a conducive and favourable
  climate/environment, which facilitates and
  encourages private investment and speedy
  establishment of Institutions and programmes

20

• By establishing private universities, the state
  will be in a position to provide good quality
  education with least or no financial assistance
  from the government

• In the government funded universities, the
  state can promote more self financed courses,
  and encourage industry-based consultancy and
  research so that the government funded
  universities become self sufficient over a
  period of time

• Integration of Higher Education Institutions,
  by integrating institutions imparting different
  discipline i.e Technical, Medical, Arts,
  Humanities etc into one rather than separately

• Student Welfare - Establish Education
  Development Bank to give soft loans instead of
  charging low fee from universities and
  institutions on pre-defined criteria such as,
  on an understanding that once the students
  start paying Income Tax or they leave the
  country, these loans will become payable

21

• Admission and Reservation
• Uniformity in overall reservation policy
  implementation across states within the overall
  percentage decided, the categories and the
  percentage within may be decided by the states
• The institute should have the right to
  directly admit the students in the general
  category as well as separately in the reserved
  category.
• The criteria of admission should be fully
  transparent and strictly based on merit. (some
  degree of merit within the reserved category
  also)
• (10 leverage in the merit for the reserved
  category). There merit may be 10 low then the
  lowest merit of the student admitted from the
  general category. But it should be mandatory for
  those students to qualify the minimum passing
  marks.

22

• The policy of reservation should be one time and
  no further reservation to that category any more
• Allow institutions to increase the intake to
  accommodate more disadvantaged students and also
  to fill vacant seats in the reservation category
• If sufficient students are not available in the
  reserved category within the cut off date for
  admission , the institution should be allowed to
  fill those seats from other category based on
  merit and accordingly intimate the concerned
  authority/regulatory body.

23
Foreign Participation

• A clear policy frame work for the foreign
  universities coming to India for investment to
  open campus, for offering degree or diploma
  programme, for establishing of fee for the
  programme etc
• The programmes offered in India should be
  accredited in their parent country
• Uniform guidelines for domestic and foreign
  educational institutions

24
Promotion of Socially Relevant Education
Programme

• Vocational streams have to be developed and
  expanded to equip larger numbers of high school
  students with occupation-related knowledge and
  skills

• The private sector, which promoted the rapid
  proliferation of computer training institutes
  throughout the country, should be encouraged to
  recognise the commercial potential of vocational
  training in many other fields

• Programme to introduce a career market
  oriented skill enhancing add-on courses that
  have utility for job, self- employment and
  empowerment of the students

• Corporate sector adoption/participate in ITIs

25
EPSIs Initiative

• Developing the India Education Report as policy
  recommendation towards a long overdue integrated
  policy
• Restructuring Regulatory Acts to adopt roles of a
  facilitator in the domestic and global context
• Independent Accreditation Agency with the support
  of the Business Chambers to facilitate Quality
  enhancement of educational programmes besides
  alignment with sectoral requirements.
• Vocational Knowledge Centre to facilitate
  employment oriented educational programmes.
• Education Development Bank of India to
• Co-ordinated financial support to economically
  backward sections.
• Financial loans to Education Providers for
  Infrastructure Development.
• Establishing Incubators with Industry support and
  involvement for Research and Development for
  futuristic products.
• Regulating financial support to NGOs with
  accountability.

26
Active and transparent involvement and
representation of all stake-holders nationwide,
and integrated on a global basis
If your intensity of desire is combined with
the intensity of dedication, the desired goal
will itself search you out
Thank you.