J & K in Need of Education Commission

Wisdom says it not in harmony to elaborate what comes up day in and day out about our education system both in print and digital media, along with the funny stories which I used to catch during my occasional visits to ancestral village from school friends. Hon’ble Lt. Governor Shri Manoj Sinha Ji, besides quoting Nelson Mandela, multiple times said, education can breed prosperity, peace and harmony in the society if we use this tool efficiently and effectively.

Along with this priceless statement about education and keeping in view its wide-range spectrum and without splitting the beans further, the power of sight and foresightedness says that Jammu and Kashmir needs a full-fledged, “Education Commission”,–an Umbrella structure for joint monitoring, strategic planning, accountability and comprehensive implementation of policies which are in tune with 21^st century for school and higher education.

Education Commission not council (though it has very credible and knowledgeable members) to set the existing system right and identifying challenges is earnestly and urgently needed. The commission should be empowered, entrusted and authorized to

• Prepare the Roadmap for Education Sector covering elementary, secondary, higher secondary, higher education, professional and liberal education with a crystal clear future. Besides well-defined path, it has to demolish the decades old tall boundaries which have been built between the systems particularly in School Education and Higher Education and carry space audits, rationalize the infrastructure and manpower, wherever required. (Sharing of resources is needed)
• Critically review the Courses and Programs, their curricula and to suggest changes keeping in view the latest trends across globe, with rapidly changing technologies. Accountability and assessment of effectiveness of subjects and the values of each course with removal of overlapping to ensure that they meet the demands and expectations of our students, besides assessing an outcome that class room learning and curriculum should be in tune with each other. The COs should match with POs (A Robust Model already proposed). This will also overhaul the contents of existing books.
• Immediate steps to forge the relations/linkage between academia and industry (which are very less in Kashmir), making education more attuned to the needs of economy, which ultimately will contribute to the prosperity of society. Promotions of tangible skills (skills that are useful in real world), problem solving skills and cultivating an entrepreneurial culture for creating an industry – ready workforce. This is not seen in our pedagogy.
• Repair and re-visit the existing administrative practices/ procedures to make the structure more dynamic and result oriented, with inter institutional cooperation. The commission shall have to analyze and critically review existing acts, ordnances, regulations and procedures in education and suggest changes periodically, with a framework for institutional accountability and setting up new institutions through a proper regulatory mechanism. This will re-shape, re-structure, re-locate and merger of many centers of learning/institutions.
• Strengthening and expansion of on-line set ups to harness full potential of e-learning have to be taken up on seriously, as rightly said by Hon’ble Chief Justice of India. This infrastructure is needed in normal as well as in difficult times and can be used to make delivery efficiently, as it is impacting every facet of life. Keeping in view the increase in population, these frameworks have to be expanded and strengthened.
• Attracting private investors in the education system to turn the state into educational hub of the country, including suggesting measures of Public-Private partnership particularly in lower education. Public feedback on performance and achievements has to be periodically reviewed.
• There is an offering in New Education Policy that each District will have one Multidisciplinary Education and Research University (MERUs) of global standard, with an open option that well-established universities of the world can setup their branches. The commission shall facilitate coordination between UT's education systems and institutions of repute within the country and across the globe.

The commission should have subject experts and stack holders for deliberations in its summits/meetings, including authorized to deal incidental/ ancillary matters, along with a team of legal experts.

The commission shall require one huge campus (to accommodate all under one roof), where even state heads have their representatives, followed by multiple offices, with at least one office for each district, which should remain in touch with District/Tehsil office round the clock for updates and quick resolutions.

This campus should have huge Guest Houses, all Training Centers, Science City /Park, Science Gardens, Laboratories, Observatories, Central/State Library, Central Purchase Section, Vigilance Squad, Monitoring Wing, State Board and one big auditorium with adjacent conference halls.

The mandate shall be to promote educational excellence, expand educational opportunities, provide quality facilities of pedagogy/mentorship which will cater to the requirements of future generations. Turmoil has tarnished the system.

Education system should give us upright officers and future leaders. It becomes difficult at times to pick up right persons possessing vision and wisdom to guide the destiny of generations. Many institutions, we all are witness have been ruined by unprofessional heads.

The indiscriminate appointments as Rehbars across the state of Jammu and Kashmir has shattered the future of thousands of postgraduates and doctorates, blocking all positions for decades. It is beyond the scope of this column to spell the beans about our bright scholars, struggling and moving from door to door for their adjustment.

The commission shall have first-hand information about the human resources and skilled graduates. The Commission, which shall be the intricate web of initiatives and insights will play a pivotal role in shaping the derailed system. The vigilant ministry will hopefully take cognizance of this and set up a model Commission for Education in Jammu & Kashmir, as is in other states of the country.

The author Former Head, PG Department of Physics teaches Nanotechnology at NIT Srinagar.