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We hope to improve the overall standard of education in the neglected sections of society

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

A distinguished educationist, who has made exemplary contribution in the field of education, Dr Sanjay B Choradia, CMD, Suryadutta Group of Institutions, has plans to use education as a tool for empowering the disadvantaged sections of the society. In this interview, Choradia shares his passion to create a knowledge society

Tell us about the courses offered by your institute?

We are primarily looking at the skills and vocational courses. When we started our group in 1999, our philosophy was to offer education to all, irrespective of their caste, financial status and economic background. Today there is a big gap between those who are educated and those who are un-educated. The Indian government does not have a policy to cater
to the educational needs of those who could not take regular education at the right age and due to various constraints. So we have decided to bring the marginalised people into mainstream education space. Many of these people are into minor
jobs where they barely eke out a living. They work on daily wages. In order to improve their status in the society, we have designed courses that specifically cater to the needs of these low-income groups and senior citizens. This will help them to upgrade themselves by acquiring new skills. New job opportunities will open for them. They will also have the chance to become entrepreneurs.

What made you decide to stress on the vocational courses?

Our vocation and life skills courses are designed to encourage students to upgrade their skill sets and become a more productive member of the society. The vision behind these courses is to bring more strength into the life and work of those who exist at the lower strata of society. Today, in many cities we will see that the children are highly educated; however, the parents never got the opportunity to learn. Our aim is to include them as lifelong learners and enable them to get acquainted with latest technology such as computers. We have conducted many workshops for the auto rickshaw drivers and daily wage workers on computers and English to help them upgrade their skills and knowledge in their workplace. We hope to improve the overall standards of education in the neglected sections of society.

What are your expectations from the government?

The government should introduce many channels of formal education for those who belong to the low-income groups in society. This will help in creating a good balance in the society. Knowledge can be provided in the form of skills, it does not necessarily have to be just degree or certificate printed on paper. We have a boutique of courses for students and working professionals. The evening classes are held for the working professionals and they can avail of all the infrastructure and educational resources available at the institute. This is a great opportunity for educational institutes to make the most of their infrastructure and accommodate more learners . The government has many scheme designed for school and higher education for regular education, we as corporate players in the education field can contribute to the society by creating new ways of gaining knowledge.

Teachers are the Backbone of Education System

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

By Veena Raizada, Director Academics, Next Education India Pvt Ltd

Because of the fact that the teachers hold the key to brighter future, the teaching profession is poised for a big leap

The paradigm shift in education over last few decades, calls for a change from the traditional methods of schooling to one that will enrich the learning process and empower the learners for the most critical exam called life.

School education in the techno-savvy world of today has become a complex subject. School architectural designs need to focus on provision of learning spaces, platforms for experimental, exploring and experiential learning, and classroom technologies that create innovative and interactive learning environments. Curriculum designs are increasingly becoming customised to enhance individual learning. The success of this continuum will continue to be a huge challenge unless we are supported by the core force of ‘Quality Teachers.’

Almost a decade back, in the international PISA assessments in 2000, Finland emerged on the top with a high level of academic achievement. Educationists and policy makers in education all across the globe were surprised to witness the “Finnish Miracle,” as it came to be called. And it led to many researchers devoting themselves to .

“In examining the sources of Finland’s dramatic rise to the top, researchers discovered that one key element that has impacted Finland’s success above all others is the availability of excellent teachers. Teachers are the main reason Finland now leads the international pack in literacy, science, and math.”(Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education ~ Research Brief-Sep2010)

Teachers are the backbone of an education system. The way the teachers do their teaching has a seminal influence on what the students learn. The role of the teachers and their competency in transactional processes of educational curriculum remain crucial to an effective outcome of learning.

Emphasising the need for quality teachers, UNESCO report-2009 (on projecting the demand for teachers to meet the goals of Universal Primary Education by 2015) clearly states that “Without adequate numbers of professionally qualified teachers, including female teachers, who are deployed in the right places, well-remunerated and motivated, adequately supported and proficient in local languages, we cannot offer the world’s children quality education.”

Since time immemorial, teachers’ role in effective learning has been recognised. Several decades ago, the Education  Commission of India (1964-66) accepted the influence of teachers, with this set of powerful words: “No system can rise above the status of its teachers…” Preparing the students of today for tomorrow is a huge responsibility of the educators.  With technology growing exponentially and changing the world around us, the future remains unpredictable.

There have been numerous efforts for improving teacher education, yet a lot needs to be done. The emerging complexity of global economic, social and environmental challenges is creating demands for an education framework that would will the children of today to be innovative, creative and skilled citizens of tomorrow.Hence, the paramount need of the present times is indeed “quality teachers.”

Revolutionising Education through Skills Development in Schools

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Dr Haresh Tank
Director,
Station-e Language Lab

Across the world, concerns of education resonate with same intensity. While the competition has grown manifold, the quality of education has come under question. Students memorise books full of data, but basic skills/subjects that village schools used to impart well such as Mathematics and Language Skills are worrying the educationists today. The education debate over the quality has led to the advent of a whole new jargon, but how much of that has made things clear to us is yet to be discovered. We may think that we have arrived at a logical destination, but in the second decade of the 21st century, we can longer take anything for granted, especially in the aspect of education. In fact, in the century known as Knowledge Century, we must most rigorously apply ourselves to seeking clarity regarding the foundational notions of skills development, education and the experience they create in combination.

When one considers the education scenario in India, the situation becomes even more complicated because there are as many layers to the quality of education, as one can imagine- government schools, private schools, rural schools, urban schools, etc. What the sample list reflects is the wide spectrum of educational experience. Amidst all of this, teaching/training of language skills, particularly English is yet another complex piece of the puzzle. While the urban schools encourage and almost convert students to English, majority of students in India study in government schools and they find it extremely challenging to graduate to English. What this means is that this lot of students then go to higher education institutions in their quest of employment and better life. However, they lag behind and find themselves inadequate to compete at the highest level due to lack of proficiency in English. It happens because they are too late in realising that the best time to learn and master language skills up to the level of proficiency was sometime in school.

Governments come and go, planning commission continues to churn policy papers, but the core of the issue of  employability lies unaddressed that it is in schools that we have to initiate our best practices of training students as far as soft skills are concerned. Thanks to the efforts of some of the organisations and experts in the domain of education, there is a growing recognition of the fact that schools are the best possible place to train students for communication skills and other soft skills. Modern educationists have now come to believe that by merely working at the level of higher education is not sufficient because a learner’s learning habits are formed much earlier in school, particularly at the primary level. These insights are quite unsettling when one looks at the education policy and scenario in India as the thrust seems to be prominently on higher education, and primary and secondary education still await the kind of attention it needs.

To illustrate the point a little more clearly, it is unscientific to teach soft skills, such as communication skills at the undergraduate and post graduate levels because the language habits of a learner are best formed at the school level. Keeping this view, when one considers that we establish language labs and worry for their market-oriented skills only when the learner is at the UG/PG level, it seems that we are way too late in establishing our language labs and initiating our soft skills programmes.

“To address the issues of training of language skills and other soft skills, digital classroom at the school level is the most effective tool at our disposal”

To address the issues of training of language skills and other soft skills, digital classrooms at the school level are the most futuristic and effective tools at our disposal. First and foremost, it creates the 21st century space for the language learning for digital natives who have to grow up and claim their rightful place in the world. Secondly, as far as language teaching is concerned, a welcome change will be brought about as the outmoded methods of lecture and blackboard-chalk-duster are rested for a while, as language learning in digital classroom is entirely activity-based and learner-centric. Learners get to learn language skills and other soft skills through the method. Language learning, if it has to, acquire material shape, has to mould itself to this form. To put it simply, digital classroom would usher in the era of  ICT empowered mode of language learning.

Thirdly, digital classroom would provide a competent platform for training of communication skills and other soft skills through activity-based learning practices-something that is still an elusive ideal in the teacher-centric, lecture heavy classrooms of the country. On the whole, a digital classroom, as elucidated above, will lay the foundation of some of the most fruitful learning and pedagogical practices for higher education in terms of skills training such as communication proficiency. For instance, if digital classroom is implemented at school level, higher education will never have to worry about training graduates for communication proficiency or any other employment-enhancing skills. It would equip learners at school level with such fine language skills that they would be confident beings, independent enough to  explore the uncharted terrains of knowledge through soft skills.

They would also be confident and skilled enough to go anywhere in the country for higher education, appear in entrance exams and face interviews. Digital Classroom is one-stop solution to all that plagues higher education in terms of  employability concerns in terms of soft skills training and raising the bar of education in general in the country.

Hence, it is to the credit of our concerted endeavours that we have researched over the years and worked out the school model of soft skills and particularly language proficiency. Our model incorporates establishment of digital classroom for  the school initiating language skills from Std 6th leading up to Std. 12th. This should be a process spread up to Std 12th in  the graded manner. Like the classes of sports, music and drawing, the school timetable must have classes for language proficiency from class 6th to class 12th. This digital classroom is equipped with highly advanced audio-visual aids and training modules on various soft skills with a thrust on language proficiency. With the best of the training modules for digital classroom, highly advanced technology employed to train the students in a digital environment of language learning and activity-based learning practices make the school model of digital classroom the ideal way of transforming education and create a digital connect in the education which has been conceptualised for years and has not materialised so far. Digital classroom would do what all our efforts of revolutionising education have not been able to do- it will liberate language training and soft skills training from the shackles of age-old learning and pedagogical practices and empower the learners for the 21st century experience of language learning and equip them with the 21st century skills.

For the youngest country in the world to soar to glory, we need to make sure the younger generation does not lag behind  in terms of communication proficiency and other soft skills. Integrating language proficiency and other soft skills in the form of a digital classroom at the school level is not a choice that we have the opportunity to make but it is rather a compulsion, while the clock is ticking away.

Children can Create Great Content

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Sumeet Mehta
CEO,
Zee Learn Ltd

Education sector in India is divided between academia and the industry, between public and private and between old and the young. We can’t change the education sector without involving the parents and children in the process.

The role of the private sector in transforming education is important. Private sector has to transform content so that it empowers the country. Currently we have many discrepancies in the education sector in terms of quality of education and demand and supply of institutions.

When it comes to education, lot of new funds would be required to bridge the gap between demand and supply. Private sector can be a good source of funds for the education space. However, the government looks at private sector with doubt. Regulatory hurdles have been created to prevent the private sector from blossoming in the education space.

The private sector should not focus only on their own profits, because then they will not be able to make progress in a field like education, which many regard as being completely altruistic. When the education in a private institution is not good and the employability of the students who graduate is not there, then these institutions are bound to close down.

Every Citizen has the Right to Acquire Education

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Gaurav Singh Chauhan
Manager (Managing Director’s Office),
Mahendra Educational Pvt Ltd

India, with its plurality and paradoxes, never ceases to fascinate. The growth of the Indian economy in the recent past and the compulsion to sustain such a growth, is now forcing the Indian government to accelerate the process of developing all the branches of Indian education system.

The present day education system has deviated from the traditional system that was prevalent in India. Many career alternatives, which were not formerly regarded as popular options, are now being pursued by students. Upcoming options like e-learning and distance education programmes are serving wonderfully by enabling the less advantaged segment of the society to access quality education.

The recent sling is that knowledge even at the elementary level is not acquired with the intention of extracting jobs, but to build a satisfying career. Lot of efforts are being put to make education easier and enjoyable. But one challenge still remains: We have not been able to cover the entire population under ambit of the literacy.

More than the 70 percent of the recruitment companies use aptitude test to evaluate candidates during the recruitment process, so it is advisable that Aptitude Education should be made compulsory at the school level. It is Aptitude Education that prepares students for the actual competition that they have to face right after the completion of their intermediate examination.

The private education sector suffers from drawbacks like quality, fee structure, governance model, affordability and so on. The private sector players in education space have to make many new efforts to rid our education system of the drawbacks.

Enabling Children to Learn

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Seema Parihar
Joint Director,
Developing Countries Research Centre,
University of Delhi

Higher education doesn’t simply mean generating employment; it is much more than that. It is about inspiring people with a new vision; it is about educating people to develop new skills; it is about enabling people to support themselves and take the mission forward.

Partnerships are not only about profit making. It is about building confidence in the education system. It is about enhancement of education. And this is the right time to achieve this target. This is the time when we are talking of advancements in the system. Administrators should have strong responsibility. They should be the ones to showcase data and that can be possible only by speeding up the process by which education is imparted.

People enter the education system as they consider it to be a place where they can think freely. They should be given that freedom to think.

Faculty Must be Empowered for Reaching out to the Students

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Vivek Agarwal
CEO,
Liqvid

In the education sector, many companies have sold ICT solutions to various schools. Technology is seen as a hardware and software but what that software or hardware does to the learner, is completely missing. In e-Learning industry, we have these three balls metric. We call it: Content, Technology and Services. Services go toward making technology and content can work together to make learning effective and that is our ultimate objective.

The How do we make learners learn better? This is a big challenge for the private sector. We have a number of teachers but the quality of teachers is a problem. This problem can be addressed through technology. We need to innovate and figure out what works by broadening the definition of ICT. The missing pieces in the puzzle of ICT indicate that we do not focus enough on the faculty.

If we do not empower the faculty, then we cannot reach out to the students. We do not have infrastructure to reach the students directly yet. Even in U.S., much of the training and learning happens inside the classroom. Yet all the products and systems are designed for self study. The big challenge for us is to figure out how to make technology which helps the learner learn better.

Enough technology is available, but the application of technology is missing. We are talking about mobile and tablets but we have to see how it can affect the learning process. Technology does not have a limitation. Its limitation is only in the form of insufficient bandwidth or computing power. There are lots of products available in the market for the learner, but we have to figure out how they work for the learner.

So we have to focus on application of technology and figure out how to evaluate the quality. This is a big challenge.

Private Sector Participation in Education Has to be Encouraged

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Amit Gupta
CEO,
S Chand Group

An enormous amount of work has been done by private sector and the government sector in the field of education, but we are missing the common ground from where the achievements of one sector can be used by the other for further improving educational outcomes.

The government is trying to provide the infrastructure, but how to use that infrastructure is a problem. It is possible that we can make a much better use of the educational infrastructure once there is private sector participation. The Kendriya Vidyalaya and Navodaya Vidyalaya are great model schools, but the government cannot replicate these schools beyond a particular number. This is where private sector participation is necessary.

The other area where we face problems is when a university wants to connect all its colleges through e-learning and want  to have a good faculty development program. This cannot be achieved because they have to use content developed by national mission on ICT. The best faculty makes this content, but still the content might not be useful to students in other colleges. The fact is that any programme for creation of good educational content can only give  successful results if it has active participation from private sector.

Companies like Microsoft and Intel have done excellent work for bringing ICT into schools.

Conference Corner

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-
Subodh Kant Sahay
Minister of Tourism,
Government of IndiaThe Indian civilization has made many seminal contributions in education to the world. The Nalanda University, which existed almost 2000 years ago, is still regarded by the historians as one of the world’s first great universities. Modern India must work hard to recapture the greatness that was once there in our education system. We have to create many new world class universities for educating our youth.
Sudhir K Jain
Director,
IIT Gandhi Nagar

In India, we are very shy of recognising excellence. We need to become bolder in identifying talent.

The good work being done in the education sector by people in the country needs to be recognised and awarded. The system of awarding talent has to be fair and transparent.

 Dr RSK Lakhshmana Prabhu
Managing Director,
PSNA College of Engineering Technology

Indian institutions are not there  in the top 200 position of any of the survey, despite the fact that the country is home to large number of universities and millions of students. Research publication and patent filing is not up to the mark. There is an urgent need for us to develop a new model for fostering creativity and research.

The system has to be revolutionised, a drastic change is required. Research activities can enhance the image of the college or university. It is right time to think about having innovations in our universities.

 HE Prasad Kariyawasam
High Commissioner for Sri Lanka to India

It is important that we should start thinking about the reasons due to which our education system has started failing, despite the fact that India had very lofty standards of education during the ancient era.

Great advances in education had been made in the times of Ashoka and Buddha. In this modern day and age, it is important to find out the reasons that why our children receive better education
in the Western countries and not in our own countries.

We need more innovation in the education sector. It is only through innovation that we can improve the state of our education.

Awareness is the Biggest Ailment of Higher Education

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Unless people know how to use technology, it is useless to create new technological solutions for education

Dr Pankaj Mittal
Vice Chancellor,
BPS Mahila Vishwavidyalaya

Higher education system faces the problem of Expansion, Equity and Excellence. But the biggest problem of all is the  problem of awareness. Plethoras of technologies are available, but very few people know how to use it.

When we talk of Expansion, we talk about escalating the GER to 21 percent from the current 12 percent by end of the 12th Five Year Plan. The best way of increasing the ratio is by increasing the number of universities and colleges. We can also try to increase the intake capacity of the existing institutions. Public-Private Partnerships can be engineered. However, our government lacks the financial strength to increase the number of institutions or improve the quality of education being offered in the existing institutions.

Distance education is a viable option. There is a lot of divide in our country: divide between rich and poor; rural and urban; male-female divide and so on. Technology is a great equaliser. It brings together people from different sections of
the society.

Quality of teachers is the first and foremost thing that determines the quality of education. The issue of quality of teachers can be addressed by technology; we can have video lectures from the best teachers.

If we want to convert our demographic dividend to knowledge power, we have to market our education and technology to spread awareness. Unless people know how to use technology, it is useless to create new technological solutions for education.

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