HRD charts course for education sector
NEWDELHI:Last Monday, when top officials of the human resource development (HRD) ministry returned to Shastri Bhavan for a key meeting, two issues were on the top of their mind.
The first was rescuing the academic calendar from the Covid scourge, which had hit not just one but two academic years.
At stake was the future of 10 million students who had written their school-leaving examinations and another few million who were in their final year of college and preparing for jobs.
But with lockdown extended to May 17, finishing exams and evaluating answer sheets appears daunting. “Completing the exam process is foremost on our minds. But at this moment, it is just wait and watch,” said a top official, hinting using criteria like past performance or internal assessment was a real possibility now.
The second issue was even more tangled: Fees. With schools and colleges shut and the lockdown battering incomes, the demand for a fee waiver has united political parties and civil society alike. A second senior HRD official admitted that the issue was examined but added that the ministry had to take into account the concerns of educational institutions, who had people on their payrolls.
NOT BUSINESS-AS-USUAL
March and April are always busy months in the education calendar with millions transitioning out of school into college, and millions more getting out of the education system into jobs.
Moreover, for months, top officials were putting finishing touches to two flagship programmes of the BJP-led governhave ment, the New Education Policy (NEP) that mooted sweeping changes in the board examination format and the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) campaign to promote national unity.
But as the coronavirus ripped its way through India in the first week of March, minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and top officials realised that scheduled meetings needed to be pushed on the back burner. “This should have been a time when we ought to have rolled out the New Education Policy. Instead we are looking at reworking the upcoming academic calendar. Now, everything will have to be relooked at,” said a third top ministry official.
UNCERTAIN FUTURE
The pandemic has seeded anxiety and uncertainty in millions of students, their parents and teachers. The uncertainty has left schools in a fix.
There is a view within the ministry that the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) should reduce the curriculum load on students in the next session. “However, we are in the midst of the crisis and still don’t know how much time would be lost,” said a senior CBSE official.
A second challenge is reshaping the college calendar.
A panel of vice-chancellors has given broad recommendations – online tests, assignmentbased or open book exams and a six-day working week – but policy makers fear a single or even a few solutions may not meet the needs of a diverse set of Indian varsities.
“There are varsities near hot spots and in green zones. There are big ones and small ones. One set of instructions may not be enough,” said a top UGC official.
ONLINE LEARNING
A section of the ministry is of the opinion that campuses are not opening anytime soon. Yet, they have to remain prepared. “Online is the apparent solution. However, not everyone is online ready. There is lack of online content in regional languages,” said a sixth ministry official.
Many have raised questions about the digital divide. Internet connectivity is not same across India and many fear that students from weaker sections may not the resources to spend extra money for purchasing data or internet services. “Three fourth of students come from socially and economically weaker sections, who are facing serious challenges in terms of accessibility of network and availability of hardware,” said Delhi University executive council member Rajesh Jha.
The ministry admits that no clear course has been charted yet. “These aspects have been discussed. There are no easy solutions though,” admitted a seventh ministry official.
The idea of conducting examinations online has found few takers owing to problems of students in vernacular medium and concern over unfair practices.
CHANGED SCENES
Within the ministry, the mood is sombre. Every few days, news that someone in an important establishment -- even the AICTE -- has tested positive for Covid-19 sends everyone into shock.
The day-to-day functioning has also changed considerably. The endless stream of tea and water is gone, and so is the long line of people outside the chambers of top secretaries and the minister.
“The meetings are fewer, attended by lesser number of people, and even officials of NCERT and CBSE, regulars in normal circumstances, come in fewer numbers,” the second official added.
As education falls in the concurrent list of the Constitution, the HRD ministry is planning to hold a series of consultation with states to brainstorm on issues. But officials admit that the focus is on firefighting and managing the current crisis . “This is a time when all planning has come to a standstill,”the official added.