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K'uan Tzu, a great thinker (551 - 479 BC.) once said:-
“If you plan for a year, plant a seed.
If for ten years, plant a tree.
If for a hundred years, teach the people.
When you sow one seed,
You will reap a single harvest.
When you teach the people,
You will reap a hundred harvests” |
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 The philosophy of K'uan Tzu is the 'soul' of
education. It is the combination of Virtue, Value and Validity
of human life. It has multidimensional implications. It means
there is a need to understand the criteria that can help in the
development of human beings.A proper Teaching-Learning process
is a passport to a comfortable and secure life. This process is
transmitted through commitment and sharing of the Teacher-Pupil
relationship. Education is not merely imparting knowledge in a
particular faculty or subject. Education should be training in
pragmatic and logical thinking and should help subsequent
generations adjust to their environment. Education should make
the student community think and become worldly wise.
A vast number of colleges have arisen in India during the last
six decades. Education during the British period was guided by a
policy which can be summed up in
Macaulay's words, “To create a class who would be interpreters
between us and the millions whom we govern, a class of persons
Indian in blood and colour, but English in tastes, in opinions,
in moral and intellect”; a class who would be loyal to the
British Raj. Since 1947, [after independence] the expansion of
higher education has led to numerous ways of achieving quality
in education. Down the corridors of time, many colleges have
been founded on the commitment to search for and disseminate
knowledge. The role of colleges has always been important but
perhaps never more so in man's history than today. In the modern
world, quality education and research are crucial to the
development of students. In this volatile atmosphere, one thing
is certain: Yesterday's educational system will not meet the
needs of today, and even less so, the needs of tomorrow.
Stressing quality in education alone can provide the foundation
to the nation's Progress, Security and Welfare. |
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 Today there is a strong feeling that the
education imparted at the college level does not match the needs
and expectations of the employment sector. Therefore there is a
need for comprehensive improvement of the college environment.
The college improvement programme is based solely on the efforts
of Management, Principal, Teaching, Non-teaching staff and
Students. But the present scenario indicates that the rigidity
in the process of planning and its implementation has reflected
very badly on the Indian Education System. The efforts of
college authorities and staff are directionless and, therefore,
ineffective. As a result, development of college education has
been receiving low priority in the Indian government. If our
education system does not encompass the necessity for students
to become optimistic and an integrated part of society, the
credibility of our colleges will be doubted. Sceptics,
pragmatics and even scientists would voice their apprehension
about the present teaching learning practices. Some basic
questions may well be asked of the colleges: How far have the
colleges succeeded in helping the students? How far has the
college culture changed the life of the students? What are the
main educational programmes, offerings, and services? Why have
the colleges failed to bring in the expected standard? These are
critical questions that need to be asked continuously and often
even though their answers are difficult.
A major task before the colleges now is to create new
Strategies, Policies and Programmes of a revolutionary nature
which can bring about quality in education. A
disheartening fact of the colleges in India is that there is no
fundamental or social understanding in the college campuses.
There is no education which can enrich human life. Who is to
ensure that quality is maintained? Is it only the Principal or
the Teachers too? Yes, as per the statutory provisions, the
entire college faculty is responsible for maintaining the
standard of education. But our higher education system is such
that it does not attempt or even inspire to match the
international standards. If the objective is to build a world
class system then “Degrees” or “Certificates” would not be
enough for faculty recruitment. |
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In view of the ever increasing number of
colleges, and the ever-increasing student populace, the problem
of providing students with quality education has assumed a
serious dimension. Until and unless there are sufficient
infrastructures and the best teaching learning facilities in
every corner of the country, the aim and objectives of higher
education are sure to suffer a setback. So the need of the hour
is to build quality institutions in India. The aim and purpose
of imparting education must change in response to economic and
social changes. The traditional rigid approach to planning and
implementing will no longer work. To achieve these objectives,
experts within and without the system are to be mobilized for
developing higher education programmes.Our colleges are unable
to parlay our huge human resources into an asset. Unfortunately
the colleges have not yet evolved from conventional courses of
study. It is equally true that our education fails to teach team
work and communication skills.
There is no fine tuning of teachers and students. The indiscipline,
protest and disruptive activities on the part of students are at
times instigated by the teachers themselves as well as political
parties. The teachers', students' and non-teaching staff's
unions instead of taking up educational causes, frequently
take-up populist causes and easily succeed in disrupting the
daily functioning of a college. Politics and groupism in
colleges have damaged the standard of higher education. Our
graduates therefore have no demand in job markets. The colleges
in India seem to be far behind their counterparts in U.S.A.,
U.K. and Australia in terms of quality education and research.
What is disconcerting and worrisome is that the non-academic
environment of the colleges has the worst impact on educational
and moral values of the society. Although India has more than
365 Universities and 18000 colleges with more than 5.5 Lakh
teachers catering to 10.5 million students, it caters to only 9%
of the relevant age group. But in the larger context it is found
that there is no alternative device to ensure International
Standards in higher education. The major problem lies in
sticking to a teacher-centric environment, which largely focuses
on the convenience of the teachers and ignores expectations of
the students. The mechanical way of useless teaching, lack of
understanding about the aim of higher education often results in
deviating from the philosophy of higher education. The
Universities are awarding degree certificates to students
without ensuring anything related to quality. This has surely
and steadily affected the present education system in an adverse
manner. It is a fact that people pursue a degree for the status
it carries. |
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The teachers deliver lectures without
employment of a proper teaching methodology. Too often the
teacher does not have the time or the inclination to ensure
whether the students could follow the lecture. Sometimes we come
across teachers who merely dictate notes. There are instances of
teachers just reading aloud from the text-book or the guide. It
is also observed that learning at college level does not include
acquisition of habits or skills. Current evaluation and testing
only stress upon rote memory. The curriculum design is a mere
'Collection' of topics and subjects. There is no genuine
comprehension or critical evaluation. The accumulation and
presentation of data alone cannot become the criteria for
quality education. Promoting students from one class to another
for maintaining the work-load of the teachers is a common
phenomenon. It means the colleges are simply enrolment centres
and examination bodies. They are not bothered about the quality
of teaching. Neither is there any procedure to check the kind of
teaching that is imparted at the college.
In light of the above vitiated scenario, there is a need for
fresh thinking on the issue of college education. Francis Marion
Crawford rightly said “It makes little difference what the
trade, business, or branch of learning is, in mechanical labour,
or intellectual effort, the educated man is always superior to
the common labourer. One who is in the habit of applying his
powers in the right way will carry a system into any occupation,
and it will help him as much to handle a rope as to write a
poem”. It means the philosophy of positive education resulting
in provision of suitable culture where students can develop
their creative, intellectual and mental personality is of utmost
significance. The present day needs of colleges are: |
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1)
to realise that education is a
dynamic and a continuously changing process and
2) to realise that a college is not merely a building but
a part of the global village.
To meet the above cited needs, colleges require a very
innovative and informative approach. It is a fact that growth of
colleges has taken place without commitment and proper
infrastructural facilities, as a result of which a large number
of unproductive students are produced. If this is so, what
should the colleges do? It would help tremendously if efforts
are made to:-
1) Establish the links between colleges and industry with
the social and economic goals of society in mind.
2) Improve the governance of colleges.
3) Mobilize resources.
4) Introduce a Multi-disciplinary approach to education.
5) Create a working environment in colleges.
6) Make provisions of well-equipped laboratories,
employment of modern technology and good libraries.
7) Improve quality, relevance and standards of higher
education through renewal of curriculum. |
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The colleges neither care for the community
nor respect the welfare of others. No importance is given to
human relations which is a highly pertinent matter required for
effective education. There is no encouragement or appreciation
of responsibility, self-discipline and other such virtues. There
is no projection of the college as the servant of the society.
The words of William James, a great Psychologist are much
relevant in this regard:-
Sow an action and
You reap a habit
Sow a habit and
You reap a Character
Sow a character and
You reap a destiny.
It means colleges should provide hope and open new avenues for
the student community. Colleges should enable students to become
contributory members of society by providing knowledge, skills
and character development opportunities. Every student should be
enabled to acquire the tools and qualifications necessary for
earning his living. The purpose of higher education is to
prepare students for good citizenship in a democratic society
where tolerance, goodwill, responsibility and accountability are
deeply integrated in life. |
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At present, the college administrative system
is following a redundant and ineffective procedure. Imparting
quality education not only means providing the necessary
facilities, but also creating an intellectually stimulating
environment. In this context, the novel and creative skills of
students should be encouraged. For exposure and training in
modern technology, there is a need for teachers who are
innovative and enterprising besides being learned and qualified.
But at the college level, the teachers' apathy towards student
development is deplorable. Students are not motivated to improve
their self-study skills. Therefore it is high time that colleges
make an integrated effort to make the various challenges of the
modern day by broadening their vision and progressing in the
right direction.
While deliberating upon the problems in the field of higher
education one has to perceive the situation in totality.
Colleges are unable to lead the students toward the
fulfilment of social needs or a complete adoption of advanced
technological skills. Colleges should become knowledge-based
learning centres. There has to be an explicit change in the
attitude of students, teachers, principal as well as the
management. Without adopting a humanistic approach, colleges
would fail to achieve the goal of quality in education. It is
time therefore to rethink and revise the environment of the
college campus and devise a strategy that would work towards a
Quality Culture. When there is no compromise in the quality of
education, change is certain and progress is inevitable. |
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Editor's Note: Principal M. S. Kurhade,
besides being an established and dedicated educationist, is a
staunch proponent of the ideology that a complete education
transcends textbooks and lecture halls. In his own bold way this
modest man is creating opportunities for under-represented
sections of society by not only effectively administrating his
college for full-time students, but also helping students to
pursue higher education through distance-learning, by developing
information and enrolment facilities as well as a help centre.
With his sharp mind focussed on education for “self-reliance” he
does not mince words in explicitly describing what ails our
education system. He also puts forward his simple suggestions
for a solution. We wish for more learned persons such as M. S.
Kurhade to take the helm of education institutes and instil in
future generations the concept of a complete education; for the
mind, body, and soul. |
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