Sunday 19 June 2011

Education woes

The surge in the number of students from outside Delhi seeking admission to the capital's prestigio US colleges only shows the crisis of our higher education system. The lack of quality education in home states compels students to turn to Delhi, while the elite opt for foreign universities. 

Indian students rank second after their Chinese peers, accounting for 15% of all foreign students in US higher education. Drastic reform is called for, given the extent of rot in the system - poorquality school graduates, inadequate facilities, lack of accountability and poor quality outcome. We need to expand the higher education sector and improve quality at all levels. 

The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) holds that the higher education system needs around 1,500 universities nationwide to enable India to attain a gross enrolment of at least 15% by 2015. Such an expansion would need major changes in the funding and regulation of education. Expanding the base of education is also a key component of reform. The government should step up support for higher education. 

It should make education loans cheap and also explore lending directly to educational institutions as is done in the US. The cost of education will increase when private institutions fill the gap between demand for education and state-funded supply. Student loans should, therefore, be made available easily. 

Private companies should also expand their endowments and scholarships to build a rich talent pool. An improvement in the quality of education is a must in all segments, starting with primary schooling, given that only 15% of our graduates are fit to be employed. Making schools accountable to the local community, rather than to a distant state capital, would be a key reform. 

We also need a radical overhaul in our examination system and teaching. Standardised tests like the Scholastic Aptitude Test and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to assess the study potential of students enrolling in universities in the US, are worth emulating. It should possible for students to take the tests throughout the year, and also multiple times. Reform brooks no delay.

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