Over to professors of practice

The enrollment in higher educational institutions in India is at an all time low due to a whole host of reasons ranging from quality concerns to economic factors and employability gaps.   So is the condition of fresh admissions dismal in government degree colleges across J&K for the upcoming academic session, more so in villages than in towns and cities. As a general estimate it is one third of what the enrollment used to be earlier on. What has deterred the prospective students from enrolling? The answers are fragmented and not wholesome. Some are taking admissions abroad and others have some different pursuits in life.

However, it never means that the youngsters have the necessary wisdom to make fair decisions for themselves. There are many German returned and US returned fellows doing as ordinary in their lives as any of us. If I were not writing on a paper but speaking in a conference, I am sure I would have drawn many hands up in the audience to second my claim.

Providing education is not the same thing as providing employment or even making us worth it. Moreover every nation has a nation-first policy that limits scope of opportunities for non natives. In that context, some recent policies of American government led by Trump administration come clear on prioritizing native Americans.

The holding capacity of every nation irrespective of its advancements is finite and limited. One fine day, we will be getting visas only to pay a visit and stay short. Being homesick will turn to be most healthy trait for us to progress at our own places with a plethora of possibilities. Our homelands can be the source and not the sink if we retain the faith in the credibility of our own institutions. In the recent years India has been doing significantly better in many indices of socio-economic development.

In the local context, hopefully the situation is temporary and can be restored by proper awareness of measures and provisions that are already in place through new National Education Policy 2020.  NEP 2020 aims to transform higher education by focusing on skill based education to enable every individual/student/learner to earn a livelihood while in school or college and also after the exit. For this, NEP recommends integrating vocational education with general education and strengthening industry-academia collaboration in Higher Educational Institutions.

For skilling of youth at the optimum level, it is required that the employers are made to think like learners and the learners to think like employers to get to the root of the problem of unemployment. Towards this agenda, the University Grants Commission has introduced a new category of positions called “Professor of Practice” who will help to take real world practices and experiences into the class rooms and also augment the faculty resources in higher education institutions. In this way, the industry will also benefit by getting a chunk of trained graduates equipped with the relevant skills.

The professors of practice could be distinguished persons who have a great deal of expertise and  who have made remarkable contributions in their respective fields such as science, technology, engineering, entrepreneurship, commerce, media, journalism, fine arts, civil services, armed forces, legal profession, municipal planning, community participation, gender budgeting/planning, watershed development, water-harvesting, organic farming, small green energy systems, inclusive development of tribal population and public administration among others.

Those who have proven expertise with at least 15 years of service experience, preferably at a senior level, will be eligible for Professor of Practice. They may not need to have a formal academic qualification if they have exemplary professional practice in lieu. These experts will also be exempted from the requirement of research publications and other eligibility criteria stipulated for the recruitment of faculty members at the level of Professor. However, they should possess the necessary skills and a good length of experience in their profession to impart the desired set of skills to the learners.

The higher education institutions are required to formally associate with persons of eminence, to seek their mentorship roles and to work with industry experts on joint research projects and consultancy services which will be mutually beneficial.

The baseline is that all individuals, whether culminating their education as matriculates or acquiring PhDs should be able to acquire a job suitable to their worth.  To understand this further and better, the NEP 2020 outlines a three tier policy. If the child is a first generation learner in his family then there is a lesser possibility that he may get long time support from his parents to seek higher education. In this case, a necessary skill imparted by means of a vocational course can render the child fit to earn some livelihood and support his family. This is a kind of minimum assurance granted by the institution to the child though it never forbids him/her to seek a further career advancement in life.

If on the other hand, a child has educated and working parents, then he should be counseled to make a great career ahead in life in whichever fields of his interest in public or private sector. And in the third case, a child whose generation of ascendants have been very well educated and comes from a well to do family should preferentially be motivated to be an entrepreneur or an employer. He can think of a start up to generate capital, make an enterprise and be the king maker.

The only thing is that the YouTube generation of youngsters has to be a bit patient and not look for short cuts to success as there are not any. Take up the four year grad course supplemented by skills and find that a whole world belongs to you. Let the parents also cease to provide their children with all sorts of ease and access, as it greatly interferes with the habit of working hard.

In a nutshell, NEP 2020 is a well chalked out plan with a practical consideration for different categories of students. All they need is to get aware of the scheme, embrace the policy, and work hard and whole heartedly. Delve into the book shelves, shun the screens and focus on white boards for a bright future. And remember there is no knowledge if there is no college.

Dr. Qudsia Gani, Assistant Professor Dept. of Physics, Govt. Degree College, Pattan