The 21st century services-and-knowledge-based economy has altered the landscape, and it requires different skills and ways of learning. If we hope to help our children actualize their own potential and that of the country then the education system needs to be the first area of intervention.

In this context, putting Information Communication and Technology to use can be a good step towards making schools and eventually education ‘smart’. What does mean for the schools to be smart or technology enabled- does it mean providing laptops to the children? Does it mean a sudden influx of gadgets in the classrooms? Does it mean replacing teachers with self-learning tools if not by robots?

One of the foundation concepts of a smart school should pertain to creating enabling learning environment and strengthening the teacher student relationship. In the smart schools, the teacher is a guide, a facilitator who can help the children connect to the world of knowledge. A smart school is a place where teaching-learning is not a direct process- with an implicit hierarchy- it is more of a kind of continuum- where there is an emphasis on learning by doing and the teacher actually participates in the process of learning along with the students. It enabled and teacher facilitated learning can help translate mountains of data into intelligence. This intelligence can be then be translated into action by the student- in the process of their education as well as in their daily lives.

This process of learning can by IT enabled that makes it faster, more resourceful in the amount of information available and better connected and integrated with the globalized world. The role of the teacher is to help students process and analyze information in a manner that is simulating and enhances the natural quest of the young minds for knowledge rather than burden them.

Smarter schools and in general smarter systems of education, ensure that schools don’t bear the burden of education alone. Rather they create linkages with other agencies and institutions. They enable the inclusion of supporting organizations and communities — integrating other institutions, for example postal departments, hospitals, social service agencies, sports training agencies, environmental agencies and infotainment organizations- — transforming schools into a student-centered educational ecosystem.

While it might sound ambitious and capital intensive to go for such schools, once the economies of scale start operating (just as in the case of mobile phones) balance costs get reduced. Once instituted technology enabled schools can actually cut costs in terms of reducing administrative processes of books and libraries. Again, important to remember, not to replace books, but as means to better utilize web based libraries and e-learning methods.

Finally, smart schools are about imagination- about innovative ways of teaching and learning- where ICT is a tool and not the master- a tool that enables the process of self-learning and connects to a wider world.

What can be done to make our schools smarter?

Sarva Siksha Abhiyan is the government of India’s flagship program aimed at providing useful and relevant elementary education for all children in the 6 to 14 age group by 2010. The program was originally slated to be completed by 2003. It was extended first till 2005 and now till 2010. However, despite its claims, we are far from achieving the most basic target of getting children into schools. The audit report by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) highlights some glaring hgaps in the implementation of the program:

• Rural schools were suffering for want of teachers. 75,884 of primary schools in fifteen states/UT were operating with one teacher only.
• 6,647 schools in seven states were without any teacher. The position was alarming in the states of Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
• SSA envisaged establishment of at least one primary school/Education Guarantee Scheme/Alternative Innovative Education centre within one kilometre of each habitation throughout the country. Audit revealed that such facility did not exist in 31,648 habitations in 14 states/UT.
• Five States/UTs failed to maintain the SSA norm of 1:40 for teacher-student ratio. The ratio in primary schools and upper primary schools ranged between 1:60 and 1:130 in test checked districts of Bihar.
• SSA guidelines provided for one upper primary school/section for every two primary schools. In nineteen states/UTs, out of 204850 primary schools there was a shortfall of 46622 (23 per cent ) upper primary schools in meeting this ratio.

Source: http://www.cag.gov.in/html/reports/civil/2006_15_peraud/highlights.pdf

So, it is not only financial irregularity that is plaguing the program but a whole range of failures at several fronts. Given the scenario one wonders that unless the basic premises of implementation of programs are changed, with clear structures and mechanism of capabilities and accountability set out at the beginning, whether anything can be achieved. There are of course success stories- of children in school less areas getting into schools, of communities participating in the education of the children, of teachers working as agents of change in the society. However, these are good for brochures and pamphlets. The reality is that despite enormous money being spent, the children continue to be either out of school or in poor quality schools with severely limited access to quality education.

What went wrong with SSA?

Couple of  months back there was a report in almost all Indian major nerwspapers about a British media report that criticized the Department of International Development (DFID), government of UK supported education program, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan that had criticized the program for alleged misuse of funds.

The report drew almost instant attention and sharp reaction with the Human Resource Development ministry of the government of India not wasting any time to express its displeasure. The statement issued by the ministry said “The Department of School Education and Literacy is dismayed and shocked at the unsubstantiated allegations in the press on the misuse of UK grants for SSA,” (http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/no-misuse-of-sarva-shiksha-abhiyaan-funds-hrd-ministry_100381228.html).

However, this shock and awe seems a little misplaced given that similar concerns had been raised at least four years back by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report 2006 that had not minced its words in pointing out huge deficits between committements and outcomes of the program. Highlights from the report are presented here:

• The objective of SSA was to enroll all out of school children in school, education guarantee centres, alternate schools and back to school camps by 2003. The date was revised to 2005 only in March 2005. However, out of 3.40 crore children (as on 1 April 2001), 1.36 crore (40 per cent) children in the age group of 6-14 years remained out of school as on March 2005 four years after the implementation of the scheme and after having incurred an expenditure of Rs. 11,133.57 crore.

• In two districts of Jharkhand, school grant of Rs. 47.88 lakh was released to 2369 schools, which were non-existent.

• Funds were irregularly diverted to activities/schemes, which were beyond the scope of SSA. In the districts test checked by audit in 11 states (Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal), Rs. 99.88 crore was spent on items not permitted under SSA. Besides, in 14 states/union territories, financial irregularities of Rs. 472.51 crore were also noticed.

(Source: CAG Report highlights, 2006, http://www.cag.gov.in/html/reports/civil/2006_15_peraud/highlights.pdf)

The reaction of India seem more to do with its image management. Rather than introspecting and trying to eliminate corruption, there reaction seems more towards proving that the allegations are baseless. What about the CAG report then? It is time that we get to the root of corruption and make people accountable for their work (or lack thereof). Without rewards and punishment or in more sophisticated words, with proper incentives and dis-incentive structures, nothing will work and dis-incentive for engaging in corrupt practices need to be really harsh.

What do you think of the recent allegations about SSA funds being misused? .

• Household expenditure on education in India is sizeable, Rs.62.7 thousand crore in 2007-08; it increased from Rs. 59 crore in 1950-51

• The household expenditure on education formed 1.4 per cent of GDP in 2007-08

• Household expenditure constitutes nearly 30 per cent of the total (household plus government) expenditure on education in the country in 2007-08.

• A household in urban areas has to spend nearly four times the expenditure that a rural household spends on the primary education of its child.

• On average 14 per cent of children in rural areas and 18 per cent in urban areas in all levels of education together, take private coaching.

Source: Household Expenditure on Education and Implications for Redefining the Poverty Line in India, Suresh Tendulkar Report on Poverty, Planning Commission, 2009

‘Free Education’ is quite expensive in India. While some view this as a ‘willingness to pay for education,’ others emphasize that it reflects the ‘compulsion’ the households feel to spend on education, as the government expenditure on education is considered inadequate.

Education, particularly school education is universally recognized an essential component of human living and a fundamental right. It has an important role in reducing income poverty, in the fulfillment of other basic needs. Research has established that education significantly influences the health and nutritional status of the population, contributes to reduction in fertility rates and facilitates socialization of the children and in their effective functioning in the modern societies. In short, education not only improves efficiency in terms of labour productivity and personal and social development, it is also found to be an effective instrument of reduction of poverty, upward socio- economic mobility, redistribution of resources and thereby of improvement of equity in the system.

It is therefore crucial to look beyond income or expenditure centric definitions of poverty and consider educational indicators to better define poverty and development. That household expenditures on education restricts the access of the poor to education and despite growth in private schooling, private markets in education often strengthen inequalities compels to consider education as an integral part of development planning, including specifically, in any analysis of poverty.

Will including educational indicators in poverty definitions more it more meaningful?

• Unemployment rate is seen to increase, with an increase in educational attainment and is particularly high after the secondary level of education. Unemployment rate among educated females, in both urban and rural areas, is the highest.

• Unemployment rates are higher for urban persons as compared to rural persons. Urban females have the highest unemployment rates at 9.22% and rural females have the lowest rates at 7.31%.

• A state wise analysis for unemployment trends reveals that comparatively developed states such as Goa and Kerala have the highest unemployment rates of 11.39% and 9.13% respectively. Whereas lowest unemployment rates of 0.48% and 0.77% are found in less developed states such as Uttaranchal and Chattisgarh.

• Unemployment is highest for the age categories of 10 to 24 corroborating the view that youth unemployment is on the rise in India.

India Labour Market Report, 2008

Since independence, the Indian labour market has seen significant changes with changing paradigm of economic growth and the way it should be managed. From emphasis on public sector and later nationalization to changing trends with opening up of the economy has been accompanied by turbulence. However, across all these periods, the issue of unemployment has persisted- jobless growth, regional widening inequality and a mismatch between the skill set required and available has been a problems that planner sand policy makers have not been able to adequately address. As the India Labour Market Report, prepared by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences observes, ‘The paradoxical feature of a positive Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate along with unfavorable employment trends have been one of the most pressing contemporary concerns’.

Employment data in India has provided paradoxical results. The 61st round of NSS survey (2004-05) showed that while jobs are growing at a faster rate than the population, unemployment is also growing, since previously unemployed persons from the categories of women and elderly, are looking for job opportunities now. The second aspect of the paradox is that while the government is not able to provide jobs for the people, the growing sectors are unable to find suitable manpower- indicating a skill-set mismatch between education and industries. Thus the issue is double edged- 1) there is a lack of employment opportunities and resultant underemployment of educated masses and 2) industry is not finding ‘employable work force’.

The recent talks about changes in the demand side of the labour market alone (such as moving away from capital intensive methods to more labour intensive one) for the purpose of inclusive growth are not only regressive but could be counter-productive as it would generate greater mismatches in the labour market.

Recent research by such agencies as TISS is increasingly pointing towards employability as a planning strategy to address the concern. Generating employability by creating flexible learning institutions/systems with no entry barrier with cooperative initiatives by state and market can be an inclusive strategy in this direction. Given that barring a few islands of excellence the Indian education system has not been able to adequately create employable skill, it is important to focus on approaches and institutions to generate employability. Is our planning process receptive?

How do we enhance the work preparedness of our youth?

After six decades of independence, India acknowledged the right to education as a fundamental right of its children. Several gaps exist in order to translate this right into a reality for the children of the country. However, a recent announcement by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has given a good reason to cheer. The board has reminded its schools that admission cannot be denied on the grounds that students were differently abled. In doing this, it has taken a long due bur at the same a huge step towards offering equal opportunity to all children seeking an education, including those with “special needs”.

A recent Board circular says, “It is being reiterated that any school which fails to provide attention to a child with special needs or makes a pretext of denying admission to any category of differently abled children will be liable to stringent action even to the extent of disaffiliation.” The circular makes it mandatory for schools to have a special educator and to create an “individual evaluation program” for special children based on their abilities and skill sets.

Since special children may not be able to focus on the teacher during classroom interactions, and their pace of learning may be at variance with the rest of the class, schools have been told to allow a parent or aide to sit with the child in class and motivate him to “move along with the rest of the class”.

What is most significant is that the board has not stopped at the rhetoric of ‘inclusive education’ but actually spoken of necessary interventions to translate this vision into a set of concrete actions that the schools have to take. Honestly, these are not very difficult actions. Indeed when schools can have all kinds of programs like teaching foreign languages and such activities as horse riding, that they do not have special educators/teachers only reflect a lack of will. This holds true not just for the elite schools but across all schools- just as schools have a Maths teachers or a language teacher- the schools must have a special teacher.

This also shows that the government is at last moving away from the approach of having specialized schools and talking in terms of integrated schools. Indeed, internationally integrated systems have worked well - in addition to boosting the self esteem of the special children and their caregivers, it also makes other children sensitive to the special needs of others- again not with sympathetic eyes- but with an understanding of diversity of human form.

What is going to be a challenge is to find so many special educators. ‘Special Education’ has not been considered a lucrative career option and hence there are neither many institutes nor many teachers. However, with the recent governmental thrust and the resultant demand it is likely to generate, it might attract more students.

Whatever it is, this is certainly a laudable change and CBSE deserves all applauses for the step.

What are the greatest challenges to integrated schools in India?

In a recent news announcement, the HRD ministry has decided to de-recognize as many as 44 “deemed universities”.  The HRD ministry’s review committee found following glaring omissions in case of 44 deemed universities:

* Undesirable management structure where families rather than professional academics controlled the functioning
* Several institutions had violated the principles and guidelines prescribing excellence in teaching and research and were engaged in introduction of thoughtless programmes
* Little evidence of noticeable efforts in case of emerging areas of knowledge
* Little evidence of commitment towards research
* Institutions increased their intake capacity disproportionately
* Undergraduate and post-graduate courses were fragmented with concocted nomenclatures
* Higher fee structure than prescribed

(Source: Review Committee of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, reported by Times of India online)

 The state of Tamil Nadu has the highest numbers of derecognized deemed universities, 15 of them private and one government-sponsored. Karnataka has six derecognized deemed universities; Uttar Pradesh four; Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Maharashtra three each; Gujarat, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, one each. There are also three government-run institutions to be de-recognized.

The HRD ministry said the review committee found only 38 institutes fit to have the deemed university status. Another 44 were found “deficient” in some aspects which need to be rectified over the next three years. The ministry’s decision is an admission of irregularities in conferring the “deemed” tag to these institutions.  It also reflects that the tags were given without proper verification of quality of these institutions vis a vis some of the most critical aspects of higher education such as infra structure, research and learning initiatives etc. 

At the same times it also reflects the corrosion of educational institutions in India that appear to be driven only by commercial considerations. Also, given insatiable lust of the middle class for ‘engineering and medical degrees’, to a large extent, a result of lack of employment that other fields offer, there is little space to consider such aspects as aptitude of the students or quality of the institutions. Unless there is a complete overhaul of the education system, we have to live with the situation where any degree is possible to obtain (from the students perspective) or give (from an institutional perspective) with money.

What steps should be taken to monitor and regulate the quality of institutions of higher learning?

What are the signposts for the knowledge society for the future?

• Children are able to leverage technology in the learning environment. Three is increased willingness to pursue educational offerings delivered through technology through such means as using internet for learning, taking online courses, etc.

• Paths for learning and skills development get highly individualized. Programs and services tailored to their abilities, lifestyle, needs and preferences are valued over conventional ‘one size fits all’ designs.

• Education focuses on helping students acquire skills that prepare them for knowledge-based professions

• Global integration introduces opportunities for educational institutions to extend their linkages to new populations of youth and adult learners

There is a growing understanding of the critical role that educational systems play in the largely service-based economies of today. As such the need for closer alignment between educational systems and their region’s economic development initiatives and goals cannot be overstated. This is limited not only to gear up to meet the challenges of a service-based economies and creating a technically skilled workforce, but also to train young minds for such aspects as critical thinking, analysis- skills that help individuals engage in developmental issues.

The use of ICT in education enables borderless and seamless learning, facilitating to bridge the digital divide. ICT can also be used to enhance teaching and learning, thereby improving the quality of education. Use of ICT also expands networks and improves communication between educators and between learners across the globe, enabling easier sharing of knowledge and ideas.

With various forms of wireless connectivity providing access to regions that previously have had minimal Internet access, it is time to work out ways how such advances can be leveraged for education. Broadband local wireless, radio frequency, and satellite devices are enabling new services and greater access in many regions. It is important to look at international best practices and examples of innovative practice elsewhere and disseminate the ideas and innovations to all, enabling good practices to be replicated with suitable adaptations.

Fortunately, we have the right political climate as we are witnessing changes in the education system and a paradigm shift especially in the evaluating performances. It is the right time to address pedagogical issues as well to make the changes more meaningful- to open up a new world and vistas of learning to the students.

How will Information Communication Technology impact the future of teaching learning processes?

Year end is always the time to look back. In terms of education, 2009 has been quite an eventful year with many changes in the way system worked. According to the government, the educational reforms propose a new roadmap aiming at transforming the country’s demographic dividend into a growth propeller with a host of policy and legislative initiatives with focus on access, equity and quality.

The most important was the passage of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, which was pending for many years. The landmark Act provides for free and compulsory education as a fundamental right of children in the 6-14 age group. The Act also provides for earmarking 25 per cent seats for weaker sections in schools and seeks to do away with the practice of schools taking capitation fees before admission and subjecting the child or parents to any screening procedure. In a recent amendment the right has been broadened to include the children with disabilities.

One of the most debated was of course the school educational reform process that started with a major announcement of the government to abolish compulsory CBSE Board exams for Class X from 2010-11 session and introduction of grading system from current year. The step was taken to reduce the examination stress of students. The CBSE also initiated a “continuous, comprehensive evaluation” which will assess the students’ performance on a continuous basis.

In Higher education, there is a decision to create a National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER) as an overarching body in higher education. The proposed NCHER will replace UGC, AICTE, DCE and NCTE. Besides, it has prepared a separate bill for setting up of educational tribunals. In steps to expand the technical education, the government approved setting up of six new IIMs. It also asked the IITs and IIMs to prepare their future vision plan for expansion and quality of technical education in the country.

These are all very important given that the education system needs a total overhaul across all levels, starting from the primary and ending in higher educational levels. In this context it is also important for the government to work with groups that are already working on the issue. A case in point is the recently released report of the Pratichi Trust in West Bengal that deals with the problems in Primary Education and based on its comprehensive study calls for fundamental changes in the curriculum and abolishing homework as a first step towards addressing equity and quality issues in education.

It is also now the time to focus on implementation. Promises and commitments are good first steps. However, these are meaningful only when they are amenable to implementation. Unfortunately, we are not particularly strong on that front.

What are the most important changes required in order to make the Indian Education system work?

To enhance educational opportunities for children, the government of India has ordered 250,000 XO laptops for 1,500 schools from One Laptop Per Child Association, Inc. (OLPC), a U.S. based non-profit organization set up to oversee the creation of an affordable educational device for use in the developing world. The laptops are relatively low cost at $150, use open source computing, and are energy efficient so that that they can be powered manually by a child. They have a built-in wireless, a unique dual-mode display that is readable under direct sunlight. The idea is to use technology for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning through content and software designed for children to encourage exploration and creativity.

In 2007, Uruguay placed an order for 100,000 laptops, making Uruguay the first country to purchase a full order of laptops. Since then, 200,000 more laptops have been ordered to cover all public school children between 6 and 12 years old. There are, at present around 20 countries, including four in Africa, six in the Americas including US, three in Asia and around seven in Oceania presently participating in the program. Moreover, 18 countries, including India, Brazil and Thailand are undertaking pilot projects based on the idea.

So, can laptops be an answer to India’s woes regarding educating children?

While it is natural to be excited about the idea of children engaging in self- learning using a personalized laptop, the efficacy of the program needs to be judged against the realities of India. There are approximately 200 million school children in India. At the rate of $150 per laptop, the cost of laptops for all school going children works out to be approximately $30 billion. At least 20% more needs to be added as the recurring costs - a standard and accepted industry norm. Can we afford this? Should we spend on this? Is there evidence to prove that laptops can replace the value of human interaction in a classroom environment?

Then, who gets the laptops? All children or a few? What is the criterion? Who owns it, the school? The parents? The children? What if they get lost, damaged? Who bears the cost for replacement and/ repair?

There is a vast amount of literature on the problems of the Indian education system. However, while laptops or for that matter technological interventions can be a good aide/tool, there is an urgent need for a series of non-technology related interventions before technology can impact it. Regular and motivated teachers, joyful teaching methods, good books, basic infra structure- these are the foundations of learning. Huge expenditure on

scheme on which many questions remain unanswered in a situation where public funds continue to be in inadequate supply for well-established needs, seems inappropriate.

One laptop per child, what is it for?

Are we losing an opportunity, being short-sighted in our rejection of the one laptop per child scheme?

There are some children in India who can afford laptops, and many millions who cannot. By rejecting the scheme are we losing and opportunity to bridge the digital divide?