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Concept Paper After the completion of five decades of our existence as a democratic, sovereign republic, it is but appropriate that we look back at the track that we have traversed, take note of our successes and failures in different spheres of our national life, consolidate the gains and correct the mistakes, and march ahead towards a better future. Hence this debate on systemic reforms. Education is not just one of the but the most important dominion of our national life. Needless to reiterate that education holds the key to development and progress in every sphere of our existence. From an integrated and synergic viewpoint, educational system constitutes the foundation of the legal, administrative, civic and developmental domains of unfolding India of tomorrow. Educational reforms is a much debated subject in recent years. But discussion on this theme has been in motion since the pre-independence days. Aware of the fact that the system of education devised by the erstwhile alien rulers was not in consonance with our national goals and aspirations and realising the deleterious effect it had on our young minds, several leaders of the freedom movement initiated efforts to establish nationalist educational institutions. A number of schools and colleges were started to impart education with a nationalist content and approach. The service of these institutions in infusing a spirit of patriotism and national outlook cannot be forgotten. In post –independence India, several committee and commissions were setup to propose recommendations for change in the educational system. The Radha Krishnan Commission (1948-49) on University Education, the Laxmanaswamy Mudaliyar Committee(1952-53) on Secondary Education, and the Kothari Commission (1964-66) on Education can be mentioned as the more prominent ones in this connection. >>>>Failure of Implementation<<<< Notwithstanding the voluminous material that is available in the form of suggestions and recommendations flowing from these committees and commissions, educational reform continues to remain an elusive goal and no significant break through could be achieved in bringing about fundamental changes in the system and making it an effective instrument of national reconstruction. The same incongruous system devised by the erstwhile colonial rulers continued to rule the roost with minor alterations mostly concerning the exterior details. As a result, we find a direction-less drift in the system today. The educational scenario presents an uninspiring and disconcerting picture. The crisis in education is essentially a crisis of implementation. There is no dearth of ideas or suggestions regarding educational change. But enough effort in putting the ideas into action is lacking. The following facts bear out the truth of this statement:
Hence, it is time that we make an earnest attempt to identify the causes of failure in achieving the declared objectives and remove such obstacles.
The document Challenge of Education candidly admitted that the objectives of National Education Policy of 1968 could not be achieved to any considerable extent. The failure was attributed mainly to following factors.
It is imperative that sufficient care is taken to see that the mistakes are not repeated. The failures of the past must become the guidelines for the future if the reforms are to become a reality. Therefore any meaningful effort at educational reform needs to concentrate on the following areas: >>Rebuilding the System on the National Ethos. The basic flaw in the present system is that it fails to reflect the national ethos adequately. The national spirit which marked the educational efforts during pre-Independence Days was conspicuous by its absence in the post-independence era. The term ethos is to be understood in its three interpretating aspects:
>>Philosophy and concept of education We inherit a philosophy of education which has come down to us from the days of the Upanishads. Quest for the highest knowledge or the knowledge of the self may be said to be the essence of this philosophy. This quest for highest knowledge should be made to pilot all our educational activities. The ability to comprehend the basic unity underlying the apparent diversity of the Universe and to grasp the indivisible in the divisible forms of existence is described as the highest form of knowledge ( Bhagwadgita: 18.19). It is this knowledge that enables the individual to rise to a higher spiritual and moral plane. In the present system we find as if information has come to be equated with knowledge, information which serves as a means for immediate material benefits. Divorcing of the pursuit of knowledge from higher spiritual and moral values is a bane of the present system. The great thinkers and philosophers of our country like Swami Dayananda, Swami Vivekananda, Aurobindo and Gandhi have described education as a man-making process. Bringing out the latent sublime qualities within the individual and providing for the all-round development of the personality including the physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual aspects should form the goal of education. How to achieve this goal and what inputs are necessary towards this end are subjects of a careful and intense study. The system of Yoga provides a sound practical method for the holistic development of the individual personality. Yoga means the art of concentration, good health, cheerful attitude, winsome habits and the knowledge of the self, all rolled into one. Similarly Swadhyaya or ‘self learning’ and continuous learning is another important element of the Indian educational ethos. Yoga and Swadhyaya must become the essential ingredients of our educational system. >>National Vision and Perspective Inculcating the national feeling and enabling the student to develop a national vision is another important aspect of education. The knowledge of the history, tradition, values and the world view together shape the national vision of the individual. The pupil must be made to understand the basis of our national unity and uniqueness of our culture. Inputs necessary for the learner to imbibe a sense of national pride must be included in the curriculum. If the objective of what is known as the Macaulay System of education was to inject an inferiority complex in the minds of students and create a class of people ‘Indian in colour but European in culture’, the objective of national education should be to develop an army of proud and independent Indians striving to achieve creativity and excellence in all walks of life and making the youth of the country emerge from the portals of the colleges and universities with a spirit of supreme confidence in himself and in his nation with an awareness that he has something to offer to the world must become the goal of our education. >>Relevance to National Needs i) It goes without saying that education is to be linked with socio-economic needs of the society. The purpose of education is not to create human robot or to supply skilled manpower to the global market. Instead, education must become an effective instrument of economic development and social change. We are a country with the unique distinction of having enormous resources juxtaposed with abject poverty. We have not been able to harness our resources to raise the living conditions of the common masses because of our inability to attune our educational system towards this end. ii) Present system of Indian
education, which largely focuses on the individual material gains,
mostly confines itself to the corporeal aspects. The non-material
individual benefits accorded in the intercourse between the teacher
and the taught should ultimately reach the community in an integrated
fashion. This aspect should be properly addressed at all levels of
education. iii) On the social front,
the country is marked by cleavages and dissensions. Practices, old
and new, that are incompatible with the demands of a just and humane
society, and dominate the social scene. Right kind of education, tuned
to the economic and social needs of the society, is the only answer
to our socio-economic problems. Education must be able to produce
an army of skilled personnel with social sensitivity that will address
itself to the problems of the society with a sense of commitment.
>>The
Primary Educaton At the primary
level, prevention of dropouts must become a matter of top priority. From
this point of view, designing a detailed and in-depth study of the causes
of dropout should become the very first step of a long-term planning in
this direction. Immediate action should include extending necessary facilities
and providing right incentives to the young learners as well as to the
teaching fraternity. >If
there is one singular factor, which is of utmost importance in primary
education, it is the imparting of education in the mother tongue or the
regional language. There must be a firm resolve to implement this without
any delay.< Besides,
other measures in this direction should include: >>
undertaking a
mass awakening programme to drive home the importance of
literacy and education.
>>Secondary
Education The vocational
stream must be strengthened. Following ideas may be seriously considered
for inclusion in this respect:
>>Universities
and Higher Education Universities
as centres of learning and research have an important role in expanding
the horizons of knowledge and providing intellectual leadership to society.
Unfortunately, many of them have become mere examination-conducting bodies
today. Steps should be taken to restore the universities to the original
role expected of them. A few concrete suggestions for serious debate and
consideration are listed below: >>Commercialisation
of Education Private
agencies do have an important role in the field of education. However.
leaving the field open the market forces in the name of privatisation
is a self-defeating proposition. Commercialisation will not only denude
education of all the noble values and ideals associated with it, it will
also lead to widening the gap of social disparity. Therefore, commercialisation
of education needs to be curbed in the larger interest of education.
>>Financing
of Education Expenditure
on education is an investment for the future. Educational targets cannot
be achieved unless sufficient funds are made available. Determined and
time-bound efforts will have to be made to move towards reaching the target
of 6% of the GDP on education. While the non-government efforts can play
a supporting role in this behalf, the major responsibility inevitably
rests with the government. >>Examination
System should be
thoroughly revised to make it a comprehensive system of evaluating the
abilities and achievements of the students. It should cease to be a fault-finding
and mechanical exercise.
>>Teacher-Training
at all levels needs to be seriously considered for reformation. It is
important that the teacher is equipped and motivated for the central role
that he/she is expected to play in a meaningful educational system.
>>Minority
Institutions Special
educational rights to the minorities must be properly defined so as to
prevent such educational institutions from becoming insulated entities
leading to a duality in the system. Interrelationship between autonomy
and government monitoring of such minority-managed educational institutions
should be clearly defined.The duality between private and the state-owned
educational institutions must also be debated within the broad perspective
of national culture and national spirit.
>>The
need for an Independent Agency The need
for an independent and autonomous agency on the lines of Judiciary or
Election Commission which will guide, co-ordinate and monitor the implementation
of educational policies, and has been voiced by several organizations and
educational experts for a long time. This agency shall also be responsible
for assessing and auditing the performance of educational institutions
at all levels in the country. Creation of such an agency will be a major
step in the direction of educational reforms. >>>>Conclusion<<<< The purpose
of this paper is not to provide any detailed plan of educational reform.
There are so many reports and recommendations submitted by very eminent
educationists that it is indeed difficult to add anything new. What is
attempted here is only to indicate some important areas where immediate
action is needed. It is hoped that a wider debate on these issues will
provide the necessary road map for future policy and concrete action.
As it was correctly pointed out in the introduction to the Kothari Commission Report,
‘no report, however good, can be a substitute for action’. It is hoped
that this occasion of introspection will also turn out to be a starting
point for appropriate action. |
