HRD Minister Kapil Sibal’s agenda on reforms in educational system has several bright spots but seeks to tread on the toes of the linguistic states, observes MAQBOOL AHMED SIRAJ
Union Human Resources Minister Kapil Sibal seems to be a man in hurry. His eagerness to overhaul education system is understandable. Reforms are long overdue. Reckless liberalisation of the economy is urging steps to rid the system of the dehumanising influence of crass commercialisation and the cut-throat competition that has got into the educational institutions. A clear dichotomy is visible in the objectives pursued by the Government and the private sector which has firmed up its stranglehold over higher educational institutions. The issues that need to be addressed are too vast and complex to be addressed by a 100-day crash programme to launch reform initiatives, a task set for himself and his Ministry by Mr. Sibal. Moreover, desperate remedies are less likely to mend the system, let alone bringing about any miraculous or revolutionary changes. Education or human resource development need long-term and well-thought out measures as its outcome has far reaching consequences.
To begin with, Education is on the concurrent list thereby lending limited mandate for the Central Government to affect changes. The fathers of the Indian Constitution must have been thoughtful of the multicultural fabric of the nation and were equally propelled by the desire to weld the diversity with unifying strands. No wonder then why the bodies like the UGC, INSA, CBSE, ICSE, central universities, IITs, IIMs, NITs were set up to coexist with state exam boards and universities generally controlled by the State government. Any Central fiat that seeks to homogenise the curriculum on a national level is bound to be resisted by the States that principally owe their origin to the language spoken by the domiciled populace. And it is useful to be reminded that language defines and determines the culture in more senses than one. It runs central to literature, script, films, music, journalism, history, governance and administration and demography. Even the say of religion in lives of people pales into insignificance when compared to the role languages play. Presumably, no state of the Union would like to de-emphasise the regional flavour of the curriculum and risk dilution of the raisen d’eter for the linguistic State.
It is in this context that the move to create a central board for school examination sounds illogical. Science and mathematics curriculum could, of course, be homogenised nationally. But social studies and languages are not amenable to any such homogenisation. Regional histories, geographies, economics and tradition, culture and ethos provide the dominant stuff for the textbooks in each of these subjects in State curriculum. Moreover, the national existing boards such as CBSE and ICSE merely include two languages while States insist on 3-language formula. Even climatic variety of States is likely to jeopardise common exam schedule of any such board. The summer dawns in the Deccan Plateau almost two months ahead of the Indo-Gangetic plains. While schools close for summer vacation around May 22 in Delhi, the schools in Chennai and Bangalore begin their new session around the last Monday of May. Similarly, the evaluation standards in various States too pose ticklish problems and lack parity on a national scale. An overall effort to align the reform along the cultural and linguistic diversity of the nation would be a welcome step in this direction.
The proposed scrapping of 10th standard exam in favour of a 12-year final school exam similarly may be fraught with risks. Essentially, the 10th std. public exams apply an early filter to judge the capacity of students and provide the option to branch out into broader categories of disciplines such as science, commerce, humanities or vocational skills. PUC, Intermediate or Plus Two, as it is variously called, provides effective stepping stones for the students. It lends them necessary apprenticeship for professional courses. In fact, some States even conduct public exams for the 7th std class. Making the 10th std. public exams optional is all likely to cause further degradation of Government schools which cater to poor and the lower middle class sections. Indeed most of these students have an uninterrupted run till 10th board exams. It is one reason why students from rural areas, slums, or from disadvantaged communities either do not proceed beyond 10th std. Any more laissez faire in matters of school exam will deter real progress of excellence.
True, the examination system in Indian context is more an exercise in memorising text and unleashing it in exam halls. Majority of students choose this option. But it is equally true that no better mechanism has so far been found to replace the current examination system. It would be worthwhile if the 100-day Agenda by Mr. Sibal puts in place a system to relate the curriculum with life skills. For instance, a village student remains unaware of the practical difference between a savings bank account and current account of a bank even till he has completed his B.Com. He even finds it difficult to differentiate between a cheque and a draft.
However, the move to introduce gradation in place of marks should find support. It is becoming necessary to distress the students caught in an unhealthy competition to score top marks. Similarly, the announcement to expedite the enactment of the Right to Education Bill making it compulsory for all 6-14 kids to be admitted into schools is commendable. It has been in limbo (lying in Rajya Sabha) for far too long a period. Measures against child labour will not succeed unless a compelling legislation to ensure their presence in schools is in place.
Commercialisation of higher education on an unprecedented scale by a greedy lobby of educational entrepreneurs has introduced distortions and immorality in public life on a massive scale. An aspirant of MD seat shelling out rupees four or five million is not a fool to be motivated by the sense of public service in a nursing home. He goes for commissions from street-end pharmacy, kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies for prescription of expensive drugs and cuts from diagnostic labs to recommend unnecessary tests. Desire for an MD or MS son-in-law too has its price in terms of exorbitant dowry demand in the marriage market.
Mr Sibal’s proposal to put in place a super regulatory body for higher education is though welcome, yet it leads to fears that such a body might end up setting up a hierarchy of corruption in India. If so, the remedy would turn out to be worse than disease. All regulatory and affiliating bodies such as Medical Council of India (MCI) or National Council of Technical Education or National Council of Nursing Education are beehive of corruption. No wonder why flunkeys of politicians make a beeline to get a position on all such councils. The MBBS degree from as known an institute as Manipal Institute of Higher Education (MIHE) was derecognised recently just because the management had no funds to grease the palms of Indian Medical Council members and officials authorised to issue certificates. Even a vice chancellor of a medical university in Chennai was caught on camera accepting huge sums of money in lieu of an illegally bargained MD seat.
The measures to boost the institutions catering to SCs, STs and Minorities are indeed laudable. The National Commission for Minorities Educational Institutions’ (NCMEI) recommendations still do not carry any validity in several states. The Commission fiats for recognition of minority institutions are treated with disdain. The move to set up 100 colleges in SC, ST and minority concentration districts is a welcome step in this direction.