HIGHER EDUCATION: PROBLEMS & PROGNOSIS
D.R. Goel
Chhaya Goel
Philosophies
Governing Higher Education
Indian
higher education is being governed by neo-liberalism, neo-capitalism, and
neo-colonialism and vice-versa. Those who have power to purchase higher
education of any kind, from anywhere, at any time can purchase it. These
producers and consumers have liberal, borderless, global markets. But, do we
get what we want from higher education? We are used to food of our choice, our
taste, our suitability, anywhere, anytime, any condition. Now, why are we
trying to bring in fast food, fast information, cafes, expecting the consumers
to change their tastes as per the tastes of the producers? Fast food, though, provides
us more of choice and a variety of strange taste, but, it bewitches neither the
body, nor the mind, forget about the spirit.
Higher Education, which perceptually is the regime of these neo-isms, is
the regime of none of these. We need to
revive our values and ethos. It is only inculcation of values and sensitivity
to the basic culture, which can help us.
Increasing
Demand and Dilution
The
increase in the demand for higher education, be it
liberal or technical, has been unmanageably large, rapid and pressing.
Particularly, Law, Commerce, Engineering and Education Faculties are over
loaded. Higher Education is at the cost of the innocent public, which is
investing with high hopes, but, little returns. There are problems of
transition from +2 stages to higher education institutions. We have blind
floods in higher education, neither knowing their origin nor destination. There
are gaps between the academic attitude and academic aptitude of sizeable
students enrolled in higher education. There are gaps between the teaching
attitude and teaching aptitude of sizeable teachers employed for higher
education. There are imbalances in student & teacher strength in various
streams and programs. We have market oriented higher education be it admission,
instruction or placement. There is competition, fair or foul.
HIGHER
EDUCATION IDENTITY
At
present there are 342 universities and university-level institutions in India
including 18 Central Universities, 211 State Universities, 95 Deemed
Universities, 5 institutions established under State Act and
13 institutes of national importance apart from around 17,000 colleges
including 1800 women colleges in India. Of these, 40
universities/Institutions provide higher education in agriculture (including
forestry, dairy, fisheries and veterinary science), 25 in medicine (including Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Pharmacy, Dental, etc.), 49 in
engineering and technology, 07 in Information and Communication Technology and
08 in law. The number of Open Universities is 11 and that of Women Universities
is 06. The total enrolment of students in universities and colleges is 99.54 lakh while the number of teachers is 4.5 lakh. Only seven percent of the population in the 18-24 age
groups has access to higher education.
Higher
Education: Maintenance & Expansion
There
is a problem of maintenance and expansion of higher education. A large number
of institutes of higher education have constituted a variety of committees,
such as, Admission Committee, Work Load Committee, Fee Committee, Selection
Committee, and Salary Committee. In spite of all efforts by the institutes of
higher education, there are problems, such as, follows:
*A
large number of State Universities are under staffed.
*The
teaching staff positions are sanctioned by the Central Government, but very
often there is no State concurrence.
*There
is abrupt cut on the teaching and non-teaching
staff positions by the States.
*Staff
salary on paper is different and in actuality is different; more so, in case of
sizeable institutions run by a large number of private trusts.
*There
is degeneration of a sizeable number of higher education institutions in terms
of various parameters- input, process, throughput, and output.
*There
are demand and supply in-equations.
There
are problems of all levels of maintenance - preventive, corrective, adaptive
and perfective. We have significantly lesser number of higher education
institutions than what we need - Establish six more IITs. Open more IIMs.
Establish 1000 more universities. These are excellent recommendations by the
Committees and Commissions. But, how to? Professors
cannot be produced over overnight. Merely pumping money, bestowing grants and
laying foundation stones do not ensure suitable infrastructure. Expansion of
higher Education is beyond the limited data bases and faculties of Committees
and Commissions; it demands a countrywide debate and discussion.
Higher
Education: Public & Private
The
public and private dichotomy is a continuous phenomenon in higher education. A
large number of existing institutions have inadequate infrastructure and
educational competence to bear Higher Education. Neither we have been in a
position to sustain liberal arts nor develop science and technology. The
product which gets the license from the institutes of Higher Education is
rarely their product. This is largely the product of off-campus sector which
operates in many varied ways. Higher Education day by day is being governed by
the private sector, which has more of commercial motive than educational.
Higher Education has been made commodity and commerce. How to realize
excellence, equity and equality at the same time?
Higher
Education: General
& Honours
Honours at
Bachelor’s level is an anti-thesis to inter-disciplinarity.
Graduates without sound knowledge base at a tender age try to be
micro-specialists having little understanding of the whole. As a result, they
are neither fit for self nor field. It is high time that the nation does away
with honours at under-graduate level. Specialization
should emerge from the field even at Post-Graduate level. The Generalist &
Micro-Specialist dichotomy is very difficult to resolve.
Choice
Based Credit System
In
syllabus, on paper, we offer a large number of optional areas, whereas, in
practice, a few. It is a countrywide phenomenon. In fact, there is little
choice or no choice. Where is the option? What is wrong with our educational
system? It is attributed to limited faculty, diverse courses, and scarcity of
resources. But, more than the question of resources it is a question of
resourcefulness. If the institutes of higher education do not modernize
themselves, then there is every possibility of their going defunct. Choice
Based Credit System at the face of it increases the work load of the teaching
faculty significantly, particularly, classical F2F faculty. Wider the choice
more are the demands on the education system. CBCS demands multiple modes of
instruction through expert sources and systems, namely, modular mode, e-mode,
synchronous, as well as, asynchronous modes, educational sourcing in addition
to traditional formal instruction. Similarly, the evaluation is through
electronic evaluation rubrics, continuous, internal, on line, on demand, in
addition to paper-pen, activity based and practicum based.
Staff
& Student Attendance an Alarming Issue
Observation
of process norms ensures quantum and quality yield. Surprisingly, though, the teaching
faculty and students are present on campus, but, some of them do not class. What to label this phenomenon?
Present Absent. On the contrary, in some of the faculties, there is very little
presence. There are off campus classes by the private sector. The question is,
when 80-85 % attendance is compulsory, then, without completion of attendance
how these students are permitted to appear at end examination? How about their
continuous, comprehensive internal evaluation? Still serious issue is professional
ethics. More serious are the problems with distance education & open
education programs.
Apex
Agencies Lost in
the Dual Roles
A
large number of apex agencies, namely, UGC, AICTE, NCTE, NAAC, BCI, MCI, and
ICAR have come up during the past. Of all these agencies, the NCTE has been
questioned most, to the extent that at one point of time the nation thought of
dissolving it. But, that too, perhaps was not found to be the resolve. UGC,
being, both, the Grants Commission & Higher Education Monitoring Agency has
been trying its level best. NAAC has taken up the task of observing quality and
relevance of higher education. It is functioning relatively better. But, the
higher education institutions try to show off what they are not. In between
recognition and accreditation, the process of higher education is lost
somewhere. In this context the efforts of the NAAC are appreciable in working
out the Key Areas, Quality Aspects, & Quality Indicators, particularly, for
Assessment and Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs. Engineering, Law,
Medicine, almost, all the disciplines need to be regulated. What should these
agencies do, so that, the respective institutions and their products have
professional feel and appeal? How to excel and exhilarate higher educators and
institutions?
In
breeding in Higher Education
There
is lot of inbreeding, that is, regionalism and provincialism in higher
education. Some of the States insist on State domicile for admissions into the
programs. In addition to this the services rendered by the teaching staff in
the other States do not count towards the service benefits. As a result the
higher education is administered by a mono- culture, largely, by mediocre.
Reservation
not Remediation
We
have sizeable reservation (>50%) in higher education. In this age of equity,
equality and democracy, it is highly desirable. But, along with this, what is
absent is, thorough remediation.
Inadequate
Autonomy, Flexibility & Transparency
Higher
Education institutions have only a little autonomy, flexibility and
transparency, which is too meek to nurture higher education. Higher Education
is being governed by bureaucratic, conservative, hierarchical, traditional
model rather than by human relations model.
Higher
Education: Input, Process & Output
We
have little control on the Inputs and Processes of higher education. So, the
relevance and quality of the product of higher education cannot be forecasted
and achieved deterministically. Process norms are grossly neglected. There is
more focus on exposition and instruction, rather than creation and
construction. Higher Education has become more theoretical than practical.
There are wide gaps between vision and mission. There are wide gaps amongst
educational objectives, curricula, modes of transaction, and evaluation. There
is progressive dilution from objectives to evaluation.
Problems
of Sharing of Resources, Inter-disciplines & Trans-Disciplines
There
is a little networking amongst the agencies and institutions of higher
education. Exchange and sharing of resources is very rare. A few consortiums
here and there are more for demonstrations, than fully functional. There are
rare repositories of learning resources. There are boundaries and seasoned gate
keepers amongst disciplines. People from various disciplines rarely sit around
the table. There is a need to share credits intra-university and
inter-university. Also, there should be provision for Credit Transfer, Student
Mobility and Mutual Recognition. Most of the Higher Education Institutions are
working more or less in isolation. There is a need of sharing resources and
courses within institutions, between conventional and conventional
universities, Open and open universities, and conventional and open
universities.
Centralized
Higher Education
Most
of the Universities in
In-innovative
Higher Education
In
spite of the repeated focus on semester based credit system, still annual and
marking system is prevalent in most of the institutions of higher education.
Choice Based Credit System is offered by the rare institutions. Continuous
internal evaluation is the feature of rare institutions. Still there is a
primitive culture of flying Squads in Higher Education Examination. Even in
this age of Technology in Education, Electronic Distribution of Examination
Papers is done by only a few institutions. Very often the Innovative Programs
proposed by the efforts of some Institutions are declared to be not under the
purview of the apex agencies in the respective areas, because, the so called
expert committees fail to appreciate these programs. The apex agencies need to
be additionally careful while constituting the Expert Committees for the
Innovative Programs.
Research
at Higher Education
Research
at higher education level has been carrying out more of analytical, descriptive
and evaluative functions than advisory and inventive. We are more in the realm
of description rather than prediction and control. Massive Action Research,
Applied Research, Operational Research seem to be mere slogans. Even the Basic
Research is not through sound theoretical framework. Research Studies have
largely lost their research rigor. A large number of doctoral degrees in
various disciplines are conferred every year. The credibility of research of a
large number of Institutions of Higher Education is lost. Who is
accountable? A large number of projects
are approved and financed by the apex bodies without adequate monitoring. As a
result there are meager returns. Even with fair intentions how is it that we have
not been in a position to realize the enunciated objectives. To begin with, it
is because our objectives though highly sounding are questionable. We need to
have a thorough vision of the reality and enunciate the objectives objectively.
Otherwise we are likely to keep failing our predicaments. Whether it is logical
positivism or naturalistic enquiry, we have not done much. There is very often
only a little correspondence amongst the research problems identified,
objectives enunciated, methodologies adopted and the emerging theses. Neither
we have been in a position to solve immediate problems nor have we been in a
position to generalize. Even if we claim to have formulated cognitive and meta-
cognition theories, what use are these theories without application or
expression?
Invalid
Evaluation in Higher Education
Evaluation
in higher education is largely invalid right from input through process to
output to placement. Our admission criteria in most of the faculties are
faulty, because we do not have the research base with respect to the predictors
of performance in various programs. Still, the classical Norm Reference Testing
continues in most of the institutes of higher education, promoting competition.
Rarely, we go by Criterion Referenced Testing and Item Response Theory. In the
interview boards, rather than trying to know what the candidates know, we try
to make them feel stupid by making them conscious of what they do not know. A
large number of interview boards fail to discriminate finely between candidates.
The problem becomes, still severe, when we need to discriminate between 98th and 99th percentiles. Internal
evaluation, revaluation, double valuation, centralized evaluation, all have
question marks. A person with B+ passes the life situations, whereas, A+ fails.
What do the degrees of a degree represent, if not the helplessness of the
Higher Education System? Rather than grading our product on an n point scale could we have
pass and not-pass in higher education realizing mastery learning?
Low
Return on Investment in Higher Education
Only
5-6% of the persons who are conferred degrees are graduates in the real sense.
Ritual convocations without real invocation are meaningless. How to observe the
Higher Education wear the scarf with distinction, decency, decorum &
discipline and glittering medals with resonating pride? For realizing that, we
need to revive the culture of higher education. Rather than formally
constituted knowledge commissions, each and every entity of higher education
should realize and demonstrate its identity as a Knowledge & Action
Commission.
Self
Killing Complacency of Micro-Specialists
Self-killing
complacency of micro-specialists of Higher Education is a matter of great
concern. How much each one of we Professors professes even our own discipline?
Higher Education has made us more fragmented than holistic.
Placement,
Promotion and Administration in Higher Education
Where
are the alumni of higher education? Most of the institutions of Higher
Education do not have record of alumnus. What would be more shameful than the
institutions of higher education refusing to recognize their own products?
Academic administration of the institution must, by thinking, speech and
action, portray their commitment to high ethical standards. A sizeable number
of educational institutions do not observe healthy constellation and ethical
climate. Many academic administrators are not in a position to observe the laid
down acts, rules, resolutions and ordinances. The true test of administration
is when the rules and acts are silent. At times the conditions demand
administrators to be over and above the system at the same time not against the
system.
State
of
Art
without perspective, commerce without substance, science without ethics, and
administration without sensibilities and sensitivities are meaningless. This
seems to be the greatest problem of higher education. Who should be the top
academic administrators of higher education? These have to be essentially
inter-disciplinary experts having rich profiles and balanced personalities. An
analysis of the top administration of higher education, nationwide, reveals
that civil servants, industrialists, pure academic professionals, and Statesmen
all are misfits in the administration of higher education. There are rare
personalities with integrated profiles. The Universities and institutes of
higher education have to bear with the best possible available. It is
disgracing higher education to plant in-compatible administrators.
Stereotyped
Higher Education
A
large number of refresher courses which are meant for staff development and
capacity building are not serving the envisaged purpose. Rather than designing
means for staff development we have more of staff rating scales. These tools
are more for describing the field than constructing. Same age old practical are
repeated in the science laboratories. Same age old theories are practiced in
spite of the changing conditions.
Arbitrary criteria are superimposed on the reality promoting
fundamentalism. Neither we have been in a position to sustain liberal sciences,
nor, scientific realism.
Micro-Specialization,
Narrow Breadth and Shallow Depth
Though
the various disciplines are doing a lot of service to the society, yet there
are many emerging issues and problems. How to stop deforestation? Can Botany
contribute to the reduction of pollution? How to mass educate the development
of the seasonal plants? How to save endangered species of plants? Can Zoology contribute
to the regulation of population? How to correct the imbalances in male-female
ratio? How to control diffusible diseases? How to save endangered species, for
example, lion, tiger, black- buck? How to realize mass production of compatible
medicine? How can Chemistry contribute to the control of pollution? How to
produce degradable polymers? How can Physics realize the conservation of energy
using conventional sources?
There
is a lot left to be discovered/ constructed in the areas of laser technology
enhancement, transportation and space research. Rather than abstract and empty,
mathematics needs to be more real and meaningful. Languages should be register
specific and functional. Commerce should be more with service motive.
Technology is sweeping the globe. But, there is more of media crowd than
culture. Educational instructional software is rarely user compatible right
from KG to University and continuing education levels. Still there are gender
discriminating stereotypes in science and technology and more so at the higher
education level.
Though
information in Science and Technology is multiplying at exponential rates but
still there is a wide gap between the expected rate of evolution of scientific
knowledge and what it actually obtains. There are easily perceptible Science
and Technology divides in the society. Philosophy and Psychology which are the
strongest foundations for society are loosing their identities? How top level
administrators very often are found to have low level affect attributes? Our
degrees of a Degree are representative of the extent of course completion than
developed competencies.
Inclusive
Education: A Mere Slogan
The
expression inclusive education is recurring most frequently these days. What is
its origin? What is its structure and function? We talk of multi-lingual models
and go on superimposing mono-lingual model. We talk of multi-style teaching,
but go on throwing mono-style. We talk of inclusive education but fail to
provide differentiated differential inputs. Inclusive education demands highly
resourceful dedicated systems.
Career
Advancement Scheme (CAS) in Higher Education
CAS
in higher education is highly desirable in this age of humanization and
democratization, but, it has significantly lost its purpose. The Career
Advancement rather than a function of merit is the discretion of whims and
fancies of administration and it is loosing credibility due to malpractices
prevailing in the institutes of higher education, for example, referees not
sending the reports in time, faculty having sound profile being not promoted.
Professional
Ethics in Higher Education
We
are largely proud of the Indians for their roles & professional ethics. In
spite of all adverse conditions they perform their duties with all dedication.
For parenting Indian parents are models for the globe, for software industry
Indian Engineers, for patients Indian Doctors, for learners Indian Teachers. We
have harmonious culture and healthy constellation amongst all entities.
However, some deviants, here & there spoil the professional excellence,
peace and harmony. How? Needs no illustrations.
Every
one needs to rear the baby. We should not leave it to others. The very presence
of doctors relieves the patients of disease and discomfort. All doctors need to
observe punctuality and presence. Software engineers should produce vaccines to
remedy than viruses to replicate. We teachers need to renew ourselves to remain
alive and innovative rather than becoming stale to delete even the already
running programmes and courses. Rather than neo-liberalism, neo-capitalism,
neo-colonialism, let humanism flowing through all professions govern higher
education in
PROGNOSIS
Philosophies
to Govern Higher Education
There
is a need to de-colonize minds. Who will do that? It is Education and Education
only. Globalization with equity and equality and sensitivities to the basic
culture, liberalization with civilization, Privatization with Service motive,
and State with Public Spirit should govern the higher education. The States
should not shun away from the responsibility of higher education. With a
tendency of doing so, we have already done the greatest harm to the nation. The
economy should not try to overarch State and Schools of Higher Education. The
economy should realize that it is the return of education. Traditional,
conservative, bureaucratic, hierarchical model being a big failure and impeding
power, we need to recourse to human relations model. Autonomy, transparency and
de-centralization ought to be the salient features of higher education.
Sustaining
genuine demand of higher education
Approval
for the new Higher Education institutions through NOC should be provided on the
basis of up-to-date data, need and demand in public interest. In no case it
should be a function of vested interests and malpractices. The norms for
recognition of the institutions need to be developed and objectively observed,
irrespective of who constitutes the inspection teams. There should be valid
criteria for admission into the Higher Education Programs.
Correspondence
among Objectives, Curricula, Transaction and Evaluation in Higher Education
We
are relatively creative in enunciating the objectives of any program. First
dilution takes place at designing of curricula, next in transaction of
curricula and highest in evaluation. Every higher education institution should
observe an inventory of correspondence amongst various elements of educational
instruction design. We need to have clear vision and mission. Gaps between
these are lowering the higher education. Particularly, mission functional
procedures need to be worked out more meaningfully.
Consortiums
in and networking of higher education
There
should be networking of higher education institutions. More of disciplinary and
inter-disciplinary consortia need to be created for sharing of resources.
Inter-disciplinary
& Trans-disciplinary Higher Education
More
and more inter-disciplinary programs should be designed and implemented in
higher education. It should be mandatory for every student of higher education
to opt for a course from other faculties to facilitate trans-discipline, and it
should be credited.
Integration
of various skills in Higher Education
Various
skills, namely, techno-savvy skills, net-savvy skills, Life skills should be
integrated in higher education. In addition to cognition there should be
adequate focus on affect attributes and psycho-motor skills. Higher Education
ought to be wholistic rather than fragmented.
Choice
Based Credit system
There
should be choice based credit system in higher education. It is possible only
when we have innumerable approaches to learning resources, such as, e-contents
through open source, learning modules, sharing of credits intra-faculty, and
inter-faculties, intra-university and inter-university. Induction of choice
based credit system is very challenging, but, highly desirable.
Focus
on process norms
If
inputs and processes are well taken care of then the output yield and quality
are almost ascertained. We do not have adequate mastery on the processes. Some
of the institutions have the problem of capacity and burnout, whereas, a
sizeable number of them have the problem of throughput and rust-out. Over years
we have laid relatively more emphasis on examination reform. We need to reform the
processes. There is a need of evolving process norms in almost all areas of
Higher Education.
Evaluation
in Higher Education
There
should be semester based credit system and continuous comprehensive internal
evaluation in higher education. Various modes of evaluation need to be
practiced, such as, activities, assignments, projects, seminars, field work,
and tests having variety of items, such as, essay, objective and notes.
Evaluation should be inclusive of subject specific knowledge, relationship with
other subjects, development of psycho-motor skills, life skills and affect
attributes. Electronic Distribution of Examination Papers needs to be inducted.
Research
in Higher Education
Research
in higher education should be revealing and suggestive. Along with scientific
realism, there should be added focus on phenomenology and construction.
Need
to Observe Intelligentsia & Ethics in Board of Studies, Faculty Boards,
Academic Councils & Executive Bodies
The
Board of Studies of various Departments & Faculty Boards should abstain
from arbitrary decisions. Not only such decisions are harmful for the
particular departments & faculties, but also, these have implications for
the wider field. All these Boards, Councils, and Bodies should observe their
identities and function as per the acts specified in the constitution observing
code of ethics.
CONCLUDING
REMARKS
With
all ifs and buts, the Indian Higher Education has its own strength. The
struggle of the average middle class families for higher education of their young
ones is remarkable. Higher Education is the highest priority for them. In fact,
these are the people who are helping higher education to sustain and develop
its identity. Neither the international institutes of higher education, nor the
virtual foreign universities can nurture the Indian youth, but it is the
indigenous education which can evolve and actualize the self. A thorough
analysis of the product of higher education can reveal a lot. We feel proud
that we, the innocent public of