Letter to BS: The challenges of higher education system in India

It is necessary to reflect on the nature of education that over a period of time has been diluted in general

With reference to the article “The challenges of higher education” (July 30), I would like to state that to improve the quality of higher education across universities and colleges, as the author, Harsh V Pant, correctly points out, emphasis should be on teaching and research. It is also necessary to reflect on the nature of education that over a period of time has been diluted in general. The need of the hour is to make it as tough as possible. 

Time spent by the students in classrooms should not be less than six hours a day. Teaching in the classrooms should be made rigorous with full emphasis on taking students to the root of everything that they are learning. In the initial phase, emphasis should be on conceptual clarity and later, the focus should be shifted to developing analytical ability. The syllabus should be designed accordingly. In the traditional education system introduced by the British, there was no place for thinking. It was structured in a way that students were made to assimilate knowledge, mostly without questioning, and reproduce the same in examinations to score good marks. This needs to change.

Exams should be made completely uncertain. The pattern of question paper should not be fixed. A part of the questions should be such that it tests creativity and imagination of the learners. This part should not have ready answers or solution set. Question paper should test understanding and not memory. This will reduce the burden of education and make it more interesting. Students will be kept away from rote-learning.

Teaching of subjects in humanities should be made compulsory across all disciplines. One paper on contemporary issues in the fields of politics, economics, business, finance etc. should be made compulsory at least in the final year of graduation or post-graduation.

Ketan K Shah,  Ahmedabad

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