Hon’ble Lt. Governor Shri Manoj Sinha on New Education Policy (NEP 2020) besides quoting Nelson Mandela once said, education can breed prosperity, peace and harmony in the society if we use this tool efficiently. These are indeed blissful statements if we act seriously and keenly.
I feel this is the time we need to make initiatives to strengthen such tools and reap fruits. I have been observing that the people in Lower and Higher Education are poles apart, which is a well known property of magnets.
When we dangle a magnet, it automatically turns itself, one pole is pointing directly north and other directly to south. The same behavior is seen even in intellectuals serving in both subdivisions. That is a tragedy and at times a comedy.
New Education Policy (NEP 2020)and the norms of the policy will reduce regulatory hassles, promote autonomy and benefit students and education providers, if we shun selfdom.
There is nothing wrong to correct mistakes and/or in setting the things right at any time of life either in government or in private machinery and for that even in individual life. Decades old cases are being corrected and set right in judiciary by our Hon’ble Courts. So, it is legally and politically correct to set the things right at any time of life.
People at the helm in both higher and lower education need to sit down first sincerely and then coolly, nonetheless,rationally to bridge the gap.The bridge needs healing so that the shareholders and partners particularly our pupil would move over the bridge without any fear, horror and anxiety.
Share all resources for the benefit of our students, use examination centers, computer laboratories and libraries for onlineand offlinepurposes irrespective of which section you belong.
Give space to NPTEL Learning, NTA examinations and experiential learning summits, all are credible organizations. Why should a school need permission to enter a university or to enter in a higher institute of learning for use of facilities and why should one need permission to use their infrastructure.
It should be hassle free with simple mail and carbon copy to concerned for information.
Good number of middle and secondary schools have infrastructure much better than newly established degree colleges and few colleges and universities have exceptionally enough infrastructure where in some streams less than a dozen students are enrolled.
So is the situation in schools, particularly in cities/towns. Secondary schools having two dozen students from underprivileged sections of the society have three dozen well qualified teachers and at places it is altogether reverse.
Rationalize the infrastructure of all institutions of learning district-wise after many rounds of sittings and seeking suggestions from local administration/stake holders. The team to rationalize the infrastructure needs to be from different sections including engineering, public works and from both wings- lower & higher education. The infrastructure built so far could be used optimally, ideally and rationally.
This shall be in tune with New Education Policy 2020 and policy proposes School Complexes/ Clusters to improve the standard of education and administration in a robust manner.
I propose the staff deployed in such complexes and councils should undergo refresher courses in any institute of higher learning or should be sent to any school of management. One quarter of the 21st century is about to finish and change in modern times is taking place at a dazzling speed.
The population is increasingly exponentially, and it is wise to use resources optimally. More so, the policy also acknowledges the need for flexibility, mobility, alternate pathways to learning and self-actualization, which has also been considered number of times and which need to be implemented on war foot basis.
Swami Vivekananda, said, If you are not pure and you know all the sciences of the world. That will not help you at all, you may be buried in all the books you read but that will not be of much use. It is the heart that reaches the goal. Follow the heart. A pure heart sees beyond the intellect, it gets inspired. We are organizing a Science Summit, “Nanotechnology for Better Living”, NBL 23 from 25-29 May 2023 under G 20 and require accommodation for delegates. Many people lied including our own.
I have been an advocate of a Unified Education Commission (UEC) – Umbrella Structure for joint monitoring, vigilant planning and collaborative implementation of New Education Policy 2020 across country.Optimal use of resources, expenditure on priority items and good coordination shall be its hall mark. It is commission on all of us particularly on academicians to suggest the government regarding reforms in education sector for the greater good of society. Let’s us continue to build bridges of solidarity and rededicate ourselves to the service of nation.
The author is Professor and Head Department of Physics, NIT Srinagar and founder of NBL series.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.