Education cannot be transformed easily: Azim Premji

Says govts need to invest more in school education, in teacher education and other school related issues, including higher education

Industry captain and philanthropist Azim Premji has called upon the government and other stakeholders to invest more resources to improve the state of education in the country.

“These 12 years (of Azim Premji Foundation) have taught us that transforming education is very complex. “And given the diversity of our country, compounded by issues of socio-economic deprivation and on-the-ground realities, it is inevitably going to be a slow and arduous process,” Premji said while addressing the Azim Premji University’s first convocation last evening.

Established in 2010, the Azim Premji University is founded and sponsored by the Azim Premji Foundation. Stating that governments across the country need to do a lot more, Premji said: “They need to invest more in school education, in teacher education and other school related issues, including higher education. They also need to reform governance of all related systems.”

Premji, who is the chairman of IT major Wipro, said: “Equally, I have no doubt that other stakeholders need to do more. This means that more people, more civil society organisations, must engage in improving the government schooling system.”

“The task is indeed huge, and it is extremely urgent.”

Pointing out that there is an acute shortage of quality higher education institutions that can prepare people to work in the field of education, he said: “There is a greater need for relevant research in real issues on the ground. There are just too few institutions in the country engaged in these critical tasks.”

The Azim Premji University presently offers two programmes: a Masters in Education and a Masters in Development, with multiple specialisations in the programmes offered.