Our higher educational system has not gone through substantial reforms and changes vis-à-vis curriculum innovation over the past several years. We continue to offer same post-graduate programmes in Science, Arts, Commerce, Social Science and Education faculties since decades with little innovations, although their internal review and updating is carried out from time to time. Consequently our curriculum is lacking in dynamism and flexibility and we are failing to offer new programmes in tune with changing times and global trends. On the contrary, multidisciplinary campuses of private universities that are coming up across India are offering most innovative and modern courses to students and we are terribly lagging behind in keeping pace with them. Rigidity and paralysis of our course curriculum, improper selection, organization, implementation and evaluation of curriculum content and its little relevance to the needs of our society are some of the problems associated with our higher education system. For any meaningful advancement to be made in our education system a mid and long-term strategic orientation of our curriculum needs to be undertaken and some time-bound goals need to be fixed to achieve the desired results.
A core committee of experts from diverse fields needs to be framed that will assume the responsibility of identification, design, restructuring and renovation of the curriculum offered at college and university level in a manner to make our courses learner-centered, problem-based and research-driven. Curriculum renovation that is realistic and student-centered, that is quick in rejuvenating and revitalizing hope and passion for acquisition of broad-based knowledge that is worthwhile in a learner should be the focus of our higher education structure. Methodology that will aid self discovery and problem-solving ability which allows learners the opportunity for creativity should be entrenched in our curriculum. Quality and relevance are the two main features that curriculum development in our University system needs at present. At the same time changes and innovations of our higher education system must involve the emergence of elastic curricula models and educational policies which emphasize interdisciplinary courses, open-ended systems, inter-generational and inter-professional relationships and sustainability.
Lack of initiative, innovation, skills, independent constructive mindset and creative ideals characterize today’s system of our higher education. We need to shift from a system that encourages memorization in learning processes and theoretical explanation to areas that need practical illustration. Our present system favours cognitive development above other domains of education. Therefore need of the hour is to keep pace with brisk technological advancements in teaching learning process. There is need to modify conventional teaching methodologies and introduce recent advances in technology into the teaching-learning process. We must switch over from chalk and talk to more interactive modes of teaching and learning by making use of audio-visual aids, e-contents, databases, e-learning objects etc. We should not lag behind in adopting the latest technology in every sphere of our education system, be it in teaching, devising syllabi, evaluation methods, certification and automation.
The role of a teacher in our education should change from knowledge disseminator to knowledge creator. At University level as well as college level, innovation and greater diversification of our subjects is the need of the hour. For ages same courses are being offered by our colleges and universities with little scope for newer specializations and upcoming programmes. Therefore we need to offer more specializations in all existing subjects and faculties and introduce new subjects wherever not available at present, so that a broader choice is made available to the students and they emerge as specialists in one specific area rather than ending up being generalists.
There is need to start new courses like industrial production, biomedical technology, nanotechnology, fashion technology, microprocessor technology, embedded systems, nuclear science technology, hotel management, microbiology, polymer chemistry, textile chemistry, hydro-chemistry, petrochemistry, electro-chemistry, chemistry of natural products, astrophysics, geophysics, nuclear physics, optical physics, particle physics, economic botany, phytochemistry, phytomedicine, phytopathology, entomology, paleontology, rural and urban management, hospital management, investment management, education management, enterprise management, entrepreneurship development, business law, e-commerce, corporate tax planning, consumer protection, rural finance and credit, advertising, international business, agricultural marketing, genetics, microbiology, cell biology, molecular biology, biophysics and structural biology, immunology, biostatistics, radiation biology, virology, privatization and deregulation, environmental economics, political economy, public policy and regulation, resource economics, visual communications, travel and tourism, interior design etc to name a few.
National Knowledge Commission in its report for the period 2006-2009 has also stated that innovation is a key driver of growth based on knowledge inputs and to ensure quality, it has called for reform of existing universities to ensure frequent curricular revisions, introduction of course credit systems, enhancing reliance on internal assessment, encouraging research, and reforming governance of institutions. The need for a paradigm shift from theoretical certification to a practical application of knowledge necessary for skill development and self employment should be the cardinal objectives of our education. Emphasis should be on the changing needs of the society through reliance on the understanding and application of new pedagogies and emerging technologies.
- Dr Geer Mohammad Ishaq
- Dr Geer Mohammad Ishaq
