1.

Name of the Essay :

EDUCATIONAL
REFORMS IN INDIA

2. The essay written by :

JADHAV NILESH ASHOK

Vitthal Nagar, Soyagaon;

Tal : Malegaon, Dist: Nasik

[Maharashtra].
Summary : ( The six-point formula of the Educational Reforms in India )

Implementa-
tion of the
hitherto
suggested
reforms

Promotion
of
Emotional Modernization
Intelligence of Education

EDUCATIONA
L REFORMS
IN INDIA

Democratization The
of Education investment in
Education

Decentralizati
on of
Education
Introduction :

Swami Vivekananda says :

“We must have life-building man-making character making assimilation of

ideas”.

In order to fulfil Swamiji’s above-mentioned expectation, we need such new

educational reforms and ideas which are discussed in this essay. The emphasis, here
is on ‘Democratization of Education’ and its subtopic, ‘Decentralization of
Curriculum’, in the light of the present unhealthy academic authoritarianism.

The essay strives to suggests something new which would help to create desirable
modifications in the present educational system of India.
Historical Background of Educational Reforms in India :

After India’s independence on 15th August 1947, one important question that
confronted us, the Indians, was a clear-cut educational policy that would cater to the
needs and aspirations of a new nations which had mind-boggling diversities and
many tasks of development to be taken up. The tasks of development initially
required a literate population which needed to receive what one may call ‘ Social
Education’, that means education to be a good citizen.
Although many new things were carried out, such as the setting up of important
Commissions like the University Education Commission in 1948, the Secondary
Education Commission in 1952, the comprehensive Kothari Commission in 1964 and
many other committees at national and state levels, there was nothing enough in the
nature of ‘revolution’ in the changes that came about until well into the 1980’s.
The first attempt in India for educational reforms was made on Jan-5 1985
when the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi declared that a New Educational Policy
would be formulated that would equip the country both scientifically and
economically to enter the 21st century. This resulted in the National Policy of
Education (1986). Then, with slight modifications, a new Programme of Action
(1992) was planned, and it is now the base of the present day educational system in
India.

What we need today ?

Many educational reforms suggested by the erstwhile commissions are still

relevant today − some are partly relevant, while the rest, entirely. In order to bring
about educational change, we need to give a serious look back to them and try to
implement them as much as possible. It is necessary for the Indian Government, the
educationists, teachers and the concerned people to shake dust off the recently
suggested educational recommendations. Wherever necessary, slight modifications
can be done in order to make them suitable to present needs and problems.

Modernization of Education :

Today, India − which is still undergoing transitional transformation in socio-

economic, cultural, academic and other sectors − now is in need of some new
recommendations that can push reforms in a way that befit as well as key pace with
that above-mentioned ever-changing scenario. In this regard, one can say that
modernization of the Indian education− that involves changes in and overhaul of the
present day traditional and monotonous academic system− is the dire need of the
hour. According to Prof. Malcolm S. Adiseshiah, things like computerized
instruction, open learning system, interdisciplinary approach to teaching- learning,
integration of education and work establishment of a value system for promoting
international understating, peace and harmony will become some of the components
of education at the beginning of the 21st century.
Though the era of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has
been ruling certain advanced regions of India, the backward regions know nearly
nothing about it, except mobile phones. The main problem that confronts India is to
spread computer education and internet or digital connectivity in the backward
regions. The Indian people need to be made conscious of the absolute fact that the
modern digital technology would soon become essential for everyone in all sectors,
including education which is being affected by this technology in revolutionary ways
and the momentum towards these changes is irreversible. Many countries around the
world are investing in digital technology to improve and update the education they
provide their young generations. India is still lagging behind the other developing
countries like Philippines in digitalization of education (including computer literacy).

In the light of slow pace in modernization and digitalization of education of backward

areas, the following things can be seriously taken into account:
1. The Government of India should promote Special Economic Zones
and/or industrialization in backward regions of the country. This
would require skilled man-power which, in turn, would give rise to
vocational education that will include computer technology − all this
could happen in such neglected regions. No doubt, such a promotion
would be at the cost of concessions approved by the government.

2. Production, Marketing, and sale of computers, their components as

well as internet technology services and certain products related to
such services (like modems, optical fiber cables etc.) should be taxed
infinitesimally or very less (not more than 2%). Tax holiday would
be even better.
3. The Government of India should subsidize computer, internet charges
(up to certain extend), printers and other peripherals in order to make
them affordable to every lower middle class individual.

4. The Government of India should encourage large scale production of

digital products (especially computers) in order to bring down their
prices.

5. The private companies, particularly those involved in producing

digital products, should add their concessions to the subsidy given by
the government on digital products, particularly the computers: this
will further reduce their prices, thus, cheapening them. Their such
concessions would benefit not only students but also these companies
in the long term. Collaborations between the government and such
companies in providing cheap digital products thus would bring the
Golden Era of Digital Revolution in backward regions in India which
we call ‘Bharat’. The long term collaborations between the Indian
Government and
Microsoft would accelerate the arrival of this era.

It should be the duty of every Indian citizen to welcome such modernization.

Investment in Education :

Lack of sufficient funds has always been a continuous cry from different
schools and colleges and it has become a grave, threatening problem about
which many people seem indifferent. Funds provide ‘Wheels’ to the cart of
education. But the cart of the Indian education is simply running on ball-
bearings without lubricants and the pull for the drag is insufficient.

Following are the remedies to overcome this problem:

1. Elimination of corruption in bureaucracy and politics.

2. Inviting private funds from the rich, clubs, NGO’s, subscriptions from the
public, etc.
3. The alumni union of a school/college can make voluntary economic
contribution to their institutions happily.
4. New openings of private schools and private investment (domestic and
foreign or both) in education would provide everything the schools need.
5. The Central and State governments should subsidize the education of the
economical backward only.
6. The education of the economical backward can further be cheapened/ made
more inexpensive by means of cross-subsidy i.e. the rich would pay a little
extra fee in the from of additional economic contribution to the education
for which they pay regular fees. Paying such extra amount would not make
the rich poor; it would be tantamount to the educational cess which the
Indian government charges for the growth and development of education.
7. Free of charge, voluntary guidance from experts belongings to various
fields can be a knowledge investment in schools.
8. Funds can also be raised by selling the school’s /college’s intellectual
property like highly innovative team projects to interested
business/industrial establishments.
Decentralization of Curriculum:

The issue of decentralization of curriculum is an integral part of the

democratization of education and because the latter is not possible without the
former, it is necessary to deal with decentralization of curriculum first.
It includes modalities of decentralization of curriculum development and
localization of curriculum in national and local specific contexts, in view of
ensuring greater responsiveness to local needs and realities. It also includes the
opportunities and specific challenges of the broader involvement of
stakeholders (local government, civil society, parents and local community) in
curriculum development and design and implementation of that would engage
the commitment of individuals and social groups at all levels of an education
system. It has been observed that localized curriculum can very well address a
diversity of local (sub national) cultural realities.
In order to assess the Quality of localized curricula, the Central and State
Government should appoint the Commission of Experts (which includes
especially the intelligentsia belonging to the zones for which localized
curricula are made). In short, the curricula they would check out will be zone-
wise, culture-specific and need-oriented but not detached from the mainstream
of the nations spirit. The integration of local issues in such curricula with
national affairs can become one of the challenging tasks that the Commission
of Experts may grapple with, facing some difficulty; but it will not be not be as
difficult as seems to be. The next stage would be accreditation of the final
planned curricula by the experts: many of these experts should belong to the
cultural zone for which the curricula are made. They can help the local
community prepare their own curricula. Along with the above-mentioned
suggestions, the last and most important thing would be that increased
autonomy for communities and school actors which is necessary for effective
implementation of localized curricula and, thus, to improve school and
learning.

Democratization of Education:

Though we need localized curricula (which, as mentioned earlier, is also

related to national issues and spirit), it should be flexible enough to be able to
offer many choices for students: it should contain many options out of which to
select according to a student’s interests. In other words, students should be
able to choose, with their own wisdom, what interests them most. This facility
should be right from std 8th, because the students at the age of 13 or 14 are wise
enough to be conscious of their own interests and capable of decision-making
according to those interests. In this, parents, teachers, or other elders may help
if the student concerned desires to be helped in choice of subjects. The
students should also have choices within main choices he has done so far.
There should also be choices of the projects related to the subjects he has
selected. However, the subjects like the mother tongue, mathematics and
general science should be compulsory though students should have choices of
the projects related to these subjects. Further, it would be worthwhile to add
that because of modernization and digitalization of so many thing of life
including education, students should have the choice of e-lectures which he
would attend while remaining at home. This would benefit particularly the
physically handicapped students. However, for extra-curricular activities like
sports, and cultural programmes, every student should attend the school.
I would go the extend of saying that the state governments should certify and
approve those coaching classes which fulfill educational and other norms and
students should have the option of attending such accredited coaching classes
for lectures only in place of school lectures. However, two things must be
done:

1. The state government should appoint the body of educational inspectors

especially for assessing the quality and overall academic performances of
such coaching classes;

2. Students should remain present in extra-curricular activities meant for them

from time to time. In this regard, schools must be strict.

Sometimes, it appears from the behavior of a number of teachers that corporal

punishment they mete out to students is their fundamental right and that they
would keep it. In reality, not only corporal but also mental/emotional torture
on the part of teachers is moral sin, a kind of meanness which is quite
unpardonable. That is why, controlling such culprits is the need of the hour. It
is very easy to control physical punishment and emotional blackmailing from
certain teachers if an appropriate system of secrete balloting by students on the
overall performance of teacher is devised. The specimen of the ballot paper is
as:

Date: / / 2007 Std. Div.

Tick out the following:

* The performance of Mr./Ms. -------------- in your classroom and

out side as a teacher is − 1. Excellent

2. Good

3. Satisfactory

4. Unsatisfactory

* Does he/she give you corporal punishment? Yes / No

Students’ active participation in school or college administration would further

the democratic process and would smash teachers’ autocratic rule. This would
give necessary and adequate freedom of thought and expression to students. It
will develop their managerial skills, abilities, leadership qualities, teamwork
and sense of duties and responsibilities.

Promotions of emotional intelligence in students:

Emotional intelligence refers to the control and coordination of emotions with

respect to situations in which an individual has to give an appropriate
behavioral signal or response. Here, the control and coordination of emotions
doesn’t mean a manipulation of emotions which is generally done for selfish
purposes or self benefit.
As a teacher, I would like to teach my students to restrain their emotional
spontaneity and, instead, how to use logic and reasoning cool-mindedly, in
order to be able to find appropriate solutions to divergent difficulties.

It is necessary for the teacher to teach his students to direct and use emotions
skillfully to bring about proper, healthy behavior. A teacher’s efforts in
creating emotional intelligence in students would be the first step towards
awakening hidden potentials related to creative thinking and action(s).