NEP aims to transform the intent and content of education sector, said our PM. There is nothing to fault on the intent. However, content needs implementation, a real challenge. All challenges have intrinsic opportunities. Learning how corporations have unlocked value through stressed times may be useful.
Most of them matched their structures to their strategies in the modern business history. Whereas 19th Century was mass production by centralizing key functions like operations, sales, and finance, these firms diversified offerings and moved into new regions a few decades later. Corporations such as General Motors and DuPont created business units structured around products and geographic markets. The smaller business units sacrificed turnovers for flexibility and adaptability. Similar models emerged in education as well. How does NEP help?
Centralized by function versus relatively decentralized by courses and region will prove durable for a long time, largely because the evolution of education is incremental. Indeed, a conventional straight jacketed education structure remained the dominant model for almost 70 years. It did push the GER in the upwards of 25 but fell short of growing aspirations of a country on the move. As competition intensified, problems with both models became apparent, in education as in companies, as both searched for new ways to organize themselves to unlock value. Innovative thinking and execution are needed if a GER of 50 is to be reached.
A strong business process reengineering model, is needed if the objectives of NEP have to become real. The new model must organize around its various processes, using technology, instead of its traditional functional, faculty centric courses, and geographic boundaries. Multiple process-focused disciplines will have problems coordinating and aligning activities, whereas a silo is a silo whether it is an education process, a function, or a specialisation.
More recently, we’ve been hearing about “virtual” and “networked” institutions operating across traditional boundaries. We will need “Velcro Institutions” in spirit, where they must be capable of being pulled apart and reassembled in new ways to respond to changing opportunities. Setting up Online/Blended and Virtual Universities would add meat to NEP and the 50GER wish. Massification of National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) and institutionalising it within the education system will add competency-based skills to the young hands and respect to their minds. Virtual Laboratories and simulations add value but cannot replace the real.
The opportunities and challenges that globalization affords must make us revisit many assumptions about the control and management of both the student learning paradigms and the structures in which they happen. Today’s computer company, for example, can manufacture components in China, assemble them in Mexico, ship them to Europe, and service the purchasers from call centres in India. This dispersal creates demands for new learning models to align internal and outsourced credits within our institutions and those around the world. A Credit Bank concept provides hitherto unthinkable opportunities for not only reaching education to the unreached but even allow them build corporatized degrees.
Imagine a complete personalised learning pursuit. A Physics course from Punjab University, Mathematics from TIFR, Chemistry from IISc, an Astronomy course from Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences and a course in AI from IIT Hyderabad leading to a career in Astro Physics all enabled by a Virtual University. Even modern-day skills could be built as value addition to rising in the corporate ladder, besides meaningful certifications.
Imagine improving Business skills with a course in Agile Management from Martin Kropp University, a leadership primer from Texas Tech University, or our very own IIM Kozhikode, or improving technical skills with courses in Data Structures and Algorithms from University of California or learning Data Skills with courses in Python, Machine Learning and Big data from the IIT’s. The implementation strategy is to provide a Virtual University environment where all Universities in India become collaborators, creating their own or sourcing content from Coursera or EdX or Udemy like providers. Like the PM said, NEP can ensure that students become global citizens while remaining connected to their roots. The focus is integrating local with Global. This will even make the youth future ready while focussing on National goals.
The new (3+2) +3+4 school curriculum with 12 years of schooling replacing the existing 10+2+3 to graduation can shift the burden of school bag to the boon of learning. However, this necessitates a change in curriculum outcomes shifting the focus from “what to think” to “how to think”. Traditional learning must transform from memory skills to thinking skills. Experiential learning and Flipped class room models must be seamlessly built into the curriculum. Speaking about schools, it is imperative to convert all primary schools to secondary level and improve their infrastructure. Examination systems must transform from end semester or end year to continuous evaluation.
NEP envisages empowerment of Higher education institutions through autonomy. Today the Institutions have to work under a multitude of Regulations and Regulators and have no autonomy. That both will give way to a single agency may be welcome, though the individual needs of Technical Education and others must not be sacrificed at the altar. However, autonomy to decide the admission procedure, fee structure and curriculum must not promote commercialisation.
Is complete autonomy a myth? If the Vice Chancellor is a towering personality and a leader par excellence, he creates his own space and leads from the front and then Autonomy thrives. Even the faculty will need to be trained differently and calls for new-age skills training. But, is it really feasible to provide autonomy to say five hundred institutions in each of the States and ensure a standard set of do’s and don’ts? Their performance must strictly be subject to Quality Assurance. The current provision of a university alone conferring a Degree or a Diploma, must be modified to include all Autonomous Colleges to do the honours.
Our universities must be modelled on Max Planck for Basic research and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Institutes for applied research with a focus on Productisation. The focus must shift from merely publishing papers. That alone can make “Start-up” and “Make in India” initiatives come alive with new markets and employment opportunities.
The future universities must be places, which coexist with the industry and become large multi-product, multi-process and multifunctional businesses. Industry too must be allowed to setup Institutions under section 25. Apart from a share in GDP they would share a perspective. They must collaborate on projects that solve real-world problems. NEP can make us Atmanirbhar, provided we let it.