Transforming higher education

Context:

• Prevailing condition of higher education and possible ways to remedy it.

Existing Conditions:

• Closing of the educational institute due to the pandemic.
• Focus is on Home based learning.
• Focus should be on accessible and affordable home based education along with complete reform of education.

Objective of Education:

• Providing knowledge in the relevant discipline to the students.
• The education imparted to the students will need to be supplemented with the skills needed for their jobs/enterprises.
• Mould characters of students.
• Make them able to play a constructive role in shaping the society and the world at large using the values and ideals of a modern, progressive society.

Concern with Higher Education:

• Small number of self-motivated students.
• Poor learning among the large number of students.
• Huge gulf between the curriculums taught in the colleges and actual job requirements.
• Lack of skills or knowledge to add to employability of students in order to reap the demographic dividend.
• Focus on completion of the syllabus without concern of outcomes.
• Undue emphasis on examinations to evaluate students’ knowledge.

Way Forward:

• Re-evaluate the syllabus every now and then to ensure that the syllabus is in line with the industrial requirements.
• Emphasis on substantive industrial internships as part of the course work in colleges.
• The evaluation of the learning outcomes of the students can be a mix of regular assignments, performance in the internship as rated both by the industry and the college, and a light, home-based proctored exam.

Reference: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/transforming-higher-education/article32164033.ece