On the occasion of International Literacy Day (September 8), PRIA’s Continuing Education Unit organised a Seminar on ‘Lifelong Learning & The Challenge of Human Development in India Today’. Prof Rajashekharan Pillai, Vice-Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University, delivered the special address at PRIA (see www.priaeducation.org for details).
On this occasion, the Government of India announced a new programme of making India literate–’Sakshar Bharat’, and focused on raising women’ literacy rate from less than 60% at present to above 80% in 3 years. Yes, you heard it right–mere 3 years.
The ‘resurrection’ of literacy programmes in India (as elsewhere) now is taking place after a decade of official and donor neglect. After the momentum of International Literacy Year 1990, literacy gradually lost out to primary education in competition for resources from national and international public authorities. National Literacy Mission in India had almost breathed its last by the turn of the 21st century.
With recently held UNESCO conference on Higher Education, and the somewhat late recognition of the significance of Higher Education in developing countries, Indian government has also started making ambitious announcements to increase the supply of higher education.
Indian parliament passed a new legislation on ‘Right To Education’last month. So, more attention is being focused on primary education again
The problem inherent in such wavering of attention of policy-makers and donors is an absence of a coherent framework of ‘lifelong learning’. We need national policies on Lifelong Education which organically integrate pre-school, school, secondary, post-secondary, skills & vocational, tertiary, post-tertiary and third-age learning opportunities in a coherent manner. Only then a comprehensive attention to the needs of the entire population (instead of segmented approach now) would be possible.
India needs urgently ‘Right to Lifelong Learning’ and a National Commission on Lifelong Education (to replace the outdated CABE–Central Advisory Board on Education).
What do you say?
Rajesh Tandon
Sir, I competely agree with you. Infact, the education in India and the subjects we study, are not at all applicable in our daily lives. Infact the teaching methodology is such. I am not talking about the eminent schools and college but those for the general masses. Students don’t find relevance of education, when their needs are basic and unfulfilled.
The whole education system needs to be revived and innovative methodolgy adopted and knowledge of social issues that are hollowing our society need to be addressed. That might ensure life long learning in our contemporary Indian society.
Regards,
Nishu Kaul
Interning at PRIA (Female foeticide project)
Master’s in Social Work,
Jamia Millia Islamia University.
Comment by Nishu — September 10, 2009 @ 1:45 pm
Dear Mr Tandon,
Thank you for an intersting blog. I agree that lifelong learning is really an issue that neither receives enough attention academicaly and through research, nor in support from policy through state and national government.
I look forward to seeing progress in these areas in the future and being a part of the discussion on life long learning for a better future.
Yours sincerely,
Will Muir
will.muir@solarcinema.org
Pune, Maharashtra
Solar Education and Cinema Pvt Ltd.
Comment by Will Muir — October 9, 2009 @ 10:45 am