July 31, 2024, 11:27 PM IST
With NEP 2020 calling for raising the GER to 50 by 2035, the ongoing massification of higher education ought to be looked at from the challenges faced in the quality of teaching and the purpose of higher education. Capacity enhancement of higher education for realizing targeted GER is acquiesced to slight unshackling of the regulatory framework and providing enablers for educational institutions in the private sector to expand themselves through setting up of new private universities, increase in intake in existing institutions and Universities, autonomous colleges, etc. Obviously, in the absence of righteousness and integrity, liberalizing regulations may help in capacity addition but at the same time, this may endanger the quality of deliveries sooner or later. Concurrently the number of youths with formal higher education qualifications devoid of sufficient worthiness will fortify the repercussions of the higher educational qualifications not being worthwhile which could be devastating in due course of time at the national and international levels.
Let us look at the way higher education is looked at by UNESCO, “Higher education is a rich cultural and scientific asset which enables personal development and promotes economic, technological and social change. It promotes the exchange of knowledge, research and innovation and equips students with the skills needed to meet ever-changing labour markets. For students in vulnerable circumstances, it is a passport to economic security and a stable future.”
This essentially underlines that getting higher education is the game changer for surviving and thriving. However, the way it is perceived to empower any individual in the typical socio-economic spectrum of our society calls for introspection in the present context when the skill gap is termed as a key defect emanating from the prevailing higher education system in the country. Without any prejudice to the higher education system, it appears inevitable to introspect as to what is the primary mandate for higher education whether it is to impart knowledge and/or skills to education seekers. The broader understanding of knowledge states that it relates to understanding theories, concepts, principles, facts, and information acquired through the process of education. Similarly, the skills refer to the practical application of knowledge for problem-solving and demonstrating the efficacy of performing any task and activities by the individual. Thus, higher education institutions must disseminate knowledge to make their students knowledgeable enough firstly and simultaneously imbibe them with the abilities to exhibit the application of knowledge practically, in the form of some desirable skills.
Going by the curriculum of any academic programme, it is evident that these have ample provisions for giving knowledge to students along with ample opportunities to utilize theoretical knowledge through laboratories, term papers, quizzes, assignments, minor/major projects, experiential learning, problem-solving exercises, etc. There will hardly be any curriculum of higher education programs that does not expose students to the application of theoretical learning. Thence, it needs to be assessed as to why the associated skills are not getting inculcated among students and given the poor employability, how much focus should be laid upon imparting certain skills along with imparting education.
Employability challenges cannot be merely resolved by imparting certain skill sets without adequacy of knowledge and understanding. There are always prerequisites which can only be taken care of by the formal education processes in the classrooms, laboratories, and associated learning opportunities. Consequentially, the education system has to execute its teaching-learning practices in the best interest of students and ingrain adequate knowledge in them. During the formal teaching-learning process, the relevant skill development can be taken care of automatically, provided the stipulated program requirements are carried out as prescribed.
A lot of emphasis is being currently laid upon the upskilling of the students rolling out from the higher education system and the different options are also available for skill upgradation with certain costs at the back for becoming job-ready. Critical analysis shows that in certain situations, there are no requirements of any post-secondary qualifications for acquiring such skills, making the necessity of formal degree/diploma qualification redundant.
Consequentially, the moot point is that if merely skilling can lead to employment and survival of individuals in a lot of situations, then why should everyone look forward to seeking higher education qualifications? It appears quite pertinent as well at the moment when the country has a demographic dividend. And, the large number of youths should be appropriately engaged as per their potential, competencies and likings instead of an infectious rush for piling up degree certificates.
The interlinkages of knowledge and skills demonstrate that every skill requires a certain knowledge level and the same can be ascertained by the respective level of education which is not the higher education in all cases. So, the strategies for engagement of youth in suitable employment or entrepreneurship should be contemplated and the barrier-free progression from one class to another could be restricted based on the abilities of individuals. Besides, comprehensive human resource planning is essential to fix up its requirements for various purposes which will eventually yield productive human resources for contributing to the sustainability of civilization and its advancement at an earlier stage. A meticulous filtration for identifying human resources for various requirements and exiting them out of formal education after different levels will unburden the existing education system and facilitate their better productivity.
It is critical for the higher education system to realize its core objectives holistically and attempt qualitative improvements in higher education which yield the skill development of the enrolled students surreptitiously. The requirement of well-equipped humans for taking Industry 4.0 forward calls for creating suitable ones from every level of education in the development chain of cyber-physical systems. This means that the education system will evolve trained people from every class level i.e. primary and secondary and lessen the burden of expectations from the tertiary education system.
Thus, the higher education expansion must be driven by the number of eligible aspirants and not mere statistical numbers. Those joining higher education must possess a passion towards adding some value based on additional knowledge acquired from this level through their suitable employment. All those who are interested in just some employment for survival and are unable to appreciate the higher qualification must be exited from the formal education system at levels for being able to add value to the economy at an early age.