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BlueprintfortheNewYear
Goodqualityeducationisthefoundationofinnovationandentrepreneurshipthatcantriggergrowthandprosperityofindividualsas
wellasthatofanation.Itshouldbeimplementedacrossthefulllearningcurve,andmoresoatschoolandhighereducationlevels,
tobuildaframeworkforlifelonglearning.

Therearethreefundamentalworkareasimportantforacountryseducationsystemimprovingaccesstogoodqualityeducation
promotingequitytoofferequivalentlearningopportunitiestopopulacefromallsectionsofthesocietyandinfusingexcellencein
educationtodeliverdesiredlearningoutcomes.Overthelastdecade,thegovernmentprioritiseditsenergiestomakesignificant
progressinthefirsttwoareasand,withthis,theneedtofocusonexcellenceorbetterlearningoutcomesishigherthanever
before.

Alignedtothis,2015startedonanoptimisticnote,withanumberofinitiativesfromthestateandtheprivatesector,whichreflected
ashifttowardsamoreprogressiveenvironmentfortheeducationsector.Theseincluded,attheschoollevel,improvingthequality
ofteachersinscienceandtechnicalcommunitiescredittransfersystemforstudentsmorepracticalandindustryfocusedlearning
andShalaDarpan,thesmartappthatprovidesetutorialsandoffersparentsofgovernmentandgovernmentaidedschoolstudents
togetupdatesoftheirchildrensschoolattendance,assignmentsandachievementsontheirmobilephones.

Atthehighereducationlevel,digitisationandadvancementschangedthefaceofthesectortoaccommodatenewerformatsand
trendswhicharereflectiveofanallinclusive,advancedandgloballyrelevanteducation.CredittransfersreacheduptothePhD
level,sothatthosewhoentertheworkplacecangetbacktoeducationatanytime.GlobaluniversitiescametoIndiainmore
numbers.Fromintroductionofdigitaltoolstoinclusionofinternationalcurriculumtoevenexploringopportunitiesofintroducingjoint
courses,therewasasignificantmovementinthehighereducationsystem.

Fertilegroundforanewlandscape

ItwasinthegivenbackdropthatthegovernmentinitiatedaconsultativeprocesstoformulateaNewEducationPolicytosupportthe
countrysgrowingeconomicaspirations.TheNationalPolicyonEducationinIndiawasinitiatedin1986andmodifiedin1992.Since
then,theeducationenvironmenthasevolvedsomuchthatthepolicyrevisionisnowrequired,especiallykeepinginmindtheglobal
landscape.Indianeducationsectorrequiresbothalongtermvisionandshorttermanswers.

Forthepast30years,thestatehasspentabout3%ofGDPoneducationafigurethatshouldseeariseinthefuture.Witha
sizeablegapbetweendemandforeducationandthestatesabilitytoprovideitandwithasmanyas35%ofchildrenatthejunior
levelgoingtoprivateschoolsinsteadofgovernmentschoolstheroleoftheprivatesectorshouldbeenhanced.

TheministryofhumanresourcedevelopmentsNewEducationPolicyproposestoovercomethedeeprootedchallengesofthe
Indianeducationsystem.Oftheongoingconsultationsaround33predefinedthemes,fivefocusareasaremostimportantforthe
countryandcouldformthepillarsforeducationsectorgrowthin2016.

*Outcomebasedlearningmodelinelementaryeducation:Withincreasedaccessandequity,havingaqualitative,outcome
focusedlearningframeworktakescentrestage.AsperPearsonVoiceofTeacherSurvey2014,teachersfeelthathalfofthe
students(50%)enteringaclassorgradelacktheskills(academic,cognitiveandvocational)requiredforthatlevel,signifyinglow
orientationofthesystemonskilldevelopment.Infact,parentsareincreasinglyshiftingtheirchildrentoinstitutesofferingbetter
learningoutcomes.Therefore,thereisaneedtofosterashiftfromaninputcentricpedagogicalapproachtoalearnercentric
approachtoimpartholisticlearninginearlyyears.
*Engagementwithindustrytolinkeducationwithemployability:Alotofrecentstudiesindicatethatthestudentspassingoutfrom
thecurrenthighereducationsystemarenotadequatelypreparedforemployment.Thereisahugegapbetweenthesupplyof
skilledmanpoweranditsdemandinthelabourmarket.ThereisaneedforIndianhighereducationinstitutionstocollaboratewith
theindustrytounderstandandimpartrelevantskillsamonglearnerstomakethemjobready.

Thegovernmenthasworkedwiththebigpictureinmind,developingaholisticandintegratedview.Twovisionaryinitiativesare
DigitalIndiaandSkillIndia,thelatterwithamandatetotrainandskill500millionyouthinthenextsevenyears.Combinethatwith
theflagshipMakeinIndiainitiativeandwehavethemakingofaneconomywheretechnologicallyskilledmanpowerismadeready
foramanufacturingfocusedgrowthagenda.
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Butforadequateimplementationoftheskillagenda,itisimportanttomarryhigherandvocationaleducation.Forthat,itisequally
importanttoraisetheimageofvocationaleducationtobringitatparwithhighereducation.Thiscanbeachievedbyruthlessly
adoptingandprovisioningtheNationalSkillsQualificationFramework(NSQF)astheonlynationalstandard.Thiswillhelpalign
vocationalwithconventionaleducation,andgiveflexibilitytolearnerstomovebetweenthetwostreams.Apprenticeshipsisanother
neglectedarea.Our53yearoldapprenticeshiplaw,ifrevisited,cansupplementinaddressingtheseemployabilitygaps.

*PromotionofICTsystemsinschoolandadulteducation:Informationandcommunicationtechnology(ICT)systemscanpotentially
makeasignificantdifferenceinimprovingthequalityofeducation.IntegratedlearningsolutionslikeMyPediacouldchangetheway
educationisdeliveredinIndianschools.
*Promotingopenanddistancelearning(ODL)andonlinecourses:Conventionaleducationalonecantmeettheneedsand
aspirationsofhighereducation.ODLisacceptedasanimportantmodeofensuringaccess,developingskills,capacitybuilding,
trainingandemployability.GlobalplayersinIndiacouldformmanymorealliancestogetthebestnamesininternationaleducation
spacetooffercustomisedcoursesforIndianlearners.
*Internationalisationofhighereducation:Globalisationhasresultedingreatercrossborderhighereducation.

However,therehastobeabetterpolicythatencouragescollaborationandstudentfacultymobility.Workrelatedqualificationsoffer
lateralentrytoalotofprestigiousuniversities.

Unfinishedagenda,outlook2016

Aschallengescontinue,thereisgreaterpotentialintheintegrationoftechnologyintotheschoolingsystem.Anumberofstudies
showthatchildrenlearnbestattheirownpace,andpersonalisedlearningplatformsinlocalIndianlanguageswouldbegreat.

Thereisaneedforgreaterplanneddevelopment,includingexpandingaccessandimprovingqualityofeducationalinstitutions
throughoutthecountry.Promotionofgenderequityandsocialinclusionofdisadvantagedgroups,includingthosewithspecial
needs,wouldbealaudablenextstage.

Indiamusttransformitseducationsystemsothatitfocusesonoutcomes.ThecomplexityofIndianeducationchallengecallsfor
greaterinvolvementofprivatesectorcapitalandexpertise,especiallygloballeaders,sothatbestpracticesreachourschoolsand
colleges.

JustasIndiasuccessfullyleapfroggedfromfixedtelephonytoamobileinternetphase,ithasthepotentialofconvertingthe
challengeofunskilledworkforcetobecomethenetexporteroftalenttotheworld.However,drasticinterventionsarerequiredat
politicalaswellaspolicyleveltorealisethislongtermgoal.

ByDeepakMehrotra

Theauthorismanagingdirector,PearsonIndia

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