B K Tripathi,
Joint Director, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)
Many constraints continue to stymie our efforts for delivering education to the right people at the right time
Education is the primary key to economic development and human welfare. It brings competitive advantage to any nation in a globalised world where economic competition is intense.
Kothari Education Commission rightly believes that national reconstruction can only happen through the efforts of those who have benefitted from quality education in our schools and colleges. Also, the quality of education and its contribution to national development will be influenced most significantly by the competence and character of teachers. However, the Commission has discovered that the teacher education system in the country is too weak to produce such influential and competent teachers.
With India progressing every second our education system lies in ruins. It hardly matters if we understand a given topic, but there should not be any gaffe in penning it down. The education system that we follow does not entertain creativity and innovation. From the source of the education providers to the receivers, none have their hearts poured in their work. Today, education is not a matter of choice, but a subject of compromise. Higher education is becoming a major driver of economic competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy. The imperative for countries to improve employment skills calls for quality teaching within educational institutions.
Quality teaching must be thought of dynamically, in light of contextual shifts in education environment. Studies are becoming internationalised, and higher education sector is being asked to contribute to new areas (such as innovation, civic and regional development) in order to produce an appropriately skilled workforce to meet the challenges of 21st century.
The institutions need to develop innovative approaches for measuring the impact of their support on quality teaching.
