Jalianwala An appraisal at its 80 year Restructuring technical education A Study by FOSET. Pahariya Life at the Rajmahal Hills

N. R. Banerjee, Vice President, FOSET &Member, Executive Council, ISTE

1.0 INTRODUCTION :

Although India is the third largest country in terms of number of scientists and engineers, compared to most of the developed and developing countries, we suffer disadvantage in human capability, measured in educational development and health care. The number of scientists and technicians per thousand people is mere 3.5 in India compared to developed (85) and developing countries (9). The ratio of educated and trained persons to the total labour force is one of the lowest in India. The level of human capital formation is so low that we are ranked 135th by UNDP in a group of 174 countries, which reflects low level of income, knowledge, technology and health condition. The reasons for low level educational attainment lies in the fact that India has been investing much less than many Asian countries in terms of educational expenditure as a share of GNP (3.7%) and total public expenditure (11.2%). The share of public expenditure is much higher in Korea (22.4%), Thailand (20$), Malayasia (19%) and China (12.5%).

A distortion in the education system is gradually taking place whereby students from richer sections of the community who study in private and self-financing institutions are overtaking those from public institutions where facilities are limited and there is ever increasing unbalance in the supply demand scenario. As a result socioeconomic disparities are increasing and both productivity and quality of products and services are being adversely affected. Unless the thresh hold level of education and training of those entering the job market in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors is raised by developing better infrastructure facilities for technical education, enhancement of productivity and quality will remain a distant dream.

In India policies governing educational and economic activities have been developed and implemented in isolation, neglecting the linkage and mutual supportive role of education and economic system, which is more true for three-tier technical education in the country. In this paper we shall restrict ourselves to technician education. i.e. technical education at polytechnic level.

2.0 TECHNICIAN EDUCATION : THRUST AREAS

The technician education system has to be re-structured focusing on technical competencies, multi-skilling, human relations and value orientation. In this endeavour, industries have a key role to play as partners of the technician education system. Technician education and training will have to be demand-driven with more involvement of business and industries right from development of curriculum to evaluation of students on a continuous basis.

In the planning of courses and facilities in polytechnics, educational planners should involve local industries assigning meaningful roles to them. Technician education and training will have to be revamped to ensure sustained growth of economy as well as industry. Today’s technicians will have to operate in a dynamic environment, dealing with complex technologies and scarcity in raw materials. In this scenario effectiveness of technicians will depend on how best they are able to develop and channelise all their energies towards productivity, quality, reliability and service on the shop floor.

In this context the following thrust areas may be considered to bring about a change in the technician education system :

1. Closing of supply-demand gap
2. Diversification of courses
3. Decentralisation of authority in the management of technician education
4. Industry participation
5. Curriculum upgradation
6. Theory - practice symbiosis
7. Resource optimisation
8. Industrial funding
9. Continuing education
10. Training and development consultancy
11. Accountability to people and users of the end product
12. Assertion of self reliance
13. Productivity and quality in technician education
14. Apportionment of educational cost between Government and Industry
15. Commitment to change
16. Institutionalisation of change
17. Social responsibilities and obligations

Once the thrust areas are identified and prioritised, a new approach is necessary for their implementation.

3.0 AUTONONY TO POLYTECHNICS

The Damodaran Committee (1971 - 72) recommended functional autonomy to Polytechnics. The National Policy on Education 1985 and Programme of Actions (1992) stressed that selected polytechnics be given academic, administrative, and financial autonomy of varying degrees with in-built accountability. The World Bank Project for strengthening technician education in India also laid emphasis on granting autonomy to some of the selected polytechnics in the country. autonomy and accountability go together. The benefits of autonomy have to reach all the stake holders of technician education system, namely, teachers, students, industries and society at huge.

Before considering granting of autonomy to selected polytechnics, it is necessary that all the polytechnics are brought to some acceptable level of excellence. After a level has thus been established, some of the best-run polytechnics may be considered for granting of such autonomy within the statutory boundaries. Governing Councils of autonomous polytechnics should have representation of business and industries, Technician Education Directorate, lectures, professional experts, students and Zilla Parishad / Municipal Corporation representatives. The Chairman of the Governing Council should be an eminent educationist. The Academic Council may comprise of lectures from different disciplines with the Principal as the Chairman. Experts from industries may also be associated with the Council. Similarly, for the purpose of evaluation or examination of students an Evaluation / Examination Council may be constituted similar to the Academic Council.

Students may be admitted in autonomous institutions in two shifts for greater utilisation of the facilities. Contact hours should not be less than 8 hours a day. Classes should be held for 6 days of the week comprising of 48 contact hours. The ratio between theoretical and practical inputs may be suitably fixed depending on the discipline. The tentative ratio may be 60 : 40 (theoretical : practical). Laboratory and computer facilities should be available to the students during the working hours of the polytechnics.

4.0 SPECIALISATION :

While restructuring technician education, multi-skilling will have to be stressed and the conventional disciplines are to be gradually dispensed with, bifurcating each one of them to meet present and future requirements of business and industry. To identify specialisations needed in course of next 10 to 15 years, the assistance of industries and chambers of commerce may be sought and restructuring done accordingly. Since by the turn of the century service sector will play a dominant role in the industrial scenario of the country, technician education will have to be geared to meet the challenges thrown by this sector. In this context the fact that graduate engineers are gradually and slowly drifting away to non manufacturing / production areas, creating a vacuum on the shop floor has to be seriously viewed. The vacuum will have to be filled by technicians, otherwise wheels of industries will cry a halt. While considering such specialisation career development of polytechnic graduates will have to be considered. Opportunities are to be created in selected polytechnics where diploma holders may undergo courses on modular basis or in the distance learning mode to earn degree in engineering. Some of the Polytechnics in our country have the necessary infrastructural facilities to start such courses. Similar models are available in U.K. which have been very successful in the transformation of technicians to full fledged engineers. Such an approach will ensure career progressions and development of technicians in the days to come.

5.0 CURRICULUM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT :

Curriculum design and development has to be done jointly with representatives of industries, technical experts and faculty members of polytechnics every 5 years to meet the challenging requirements of business and industries. While designing the curriculum due consideration will have to be given to requirements of laboratory and workshop, a continuous system of evaluation. Partnership approach is needed for the restructuring and revamping of technician education. Partnership between government, industries and technician institutions is the sine qua non for this. Industries are to be encouraged for setting up and providing assistance, may be financial, for launching educational reform (projects including) quality improvement programmes. Industries may also share with the formal educational system its own experiences in effective management, operational effectiveness, resources optimisation, fund raising etc. Industries can promote educational reforms through exchange of persons on a temporary basis with polytechnics and offering access to its own training and development institutions to polytechnic teachers. Tailor-made training courses may be conducted in polytechnics as part of their continuing education programme.

6.0 STRATEGY FOR INDUSTRY - INSTITUTE PARTNERSHIP :

A strategy for promoting this partnership approach may be formulated with the support of concerned government and industries. The National Policy of Education, 1986 laid stress on training and retraining of teachers, networking between technical institutions, R & D organisations and industry. Action plan may be drawn up keeping this in mind. Industrial Advisory Committees may be set up at cash polytechnic to advise it on the assistance industries can render to it in curriculum development, lecture sessions by professionals from industry, industrial training of students and teachers. Industries may also seek from the polytechnics assistance in solving their shop floor, developmental and management problems. Industrial visit and industrial training of teachers and the taught have to be made more meaningful through proper planning and structuring of these visits and training. Polytechnics may offer on a continuous basis, R & D, consultancy information and continuing education services to industry on proper compensation. A mechanism for sharing of experience and expertise between polytechnics and industry has to be developed to aid each other. for this purpose, polytechnics are to be equipped with updated learning resources, library, laboratory and computer facilities.

7.0 ADMINISTRATION OF TECHNICIAN EDUCATION :

Administration of Technician education may be vested entirely in the State Council of Technical Education which should function as an autonomous body with technical and other support to be provided by the government. The Council should be adequately staffed with proper support service like library, information technology etc. and preferably housed in a separate building to protect confidentiality in its work specially the task of evaluation. Most of the State Councils in the country suffer from space and equipment constraints. They have also not been delinked from governmental control.

Since education is concurrent subject and changes proposed to be brought about entail financial support to a great extent, much support from the Central Government has to be ensured if any meaningful work has to be done in this field. It will be difficult for the polytechnics to generate resources to cater to their requirements. The State Governments may not also be in a position to provide such support. In this context it may be noted, though regrettably, that in most of the States the largest share of the education budget (sometimes to the extent of 90%) has to be spent in paying salaries to the teaching and non-teaching staff. Not much of the fund is available for developmental or other work. This has to reversed. Vacancies in the teaching and non-teaching positions should be filled up without any time lag. Budgetary provisions should be made available to the principals at the beginning of the financial years so that education / training does not suffer for funds. Regular inspection of polytech, is to be carried out and corrective steps taken immediately. Housekeeping and maintenance of machines and equipment should be given utmost importance.

8.0 TRAINING OF TECHNICIANS :

The prevailing system of training of technicians under the Apprentices (Amendment) Act, 1973 may continue with specialised disciplines having been brought under its preview. Sandwich system of technician education has been found to be a failure. also not much of adjunct facilities in industry are available in most of the States. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the Boards of Practical Training to provide technician apprenticeship to the successful diploma holders. Unless growth of economy and industry gains a momentum it will be difficult to provide training to all diploma holders which is very necessary to complete their education in terms of developing necessary skills needed to operate as supervisors in industries.

9.0 CAREER PROGRESSION AND DEVELOPMENT OF LECTURES :

Polytechnic lecturers must have a career plan and should not remain in the same scale of pay for more than 10 years. They should be given automatic entry into next higher scale if otherwise found competent or suitable. In-service training will have to be provided to these teachers on a regular basis and such training should be made a condition for entry into the next higher scale. Publication of papers in reputed technical journals by lecturers should also be encouraged. Lecturers should also be given limited specific grants to purchase technical books and journals, which they should deposit in the library after one or two years. Prevailing system of summer, puja and other long term vacations should be dispensed with and holidays / vacations drastically cut to increase contact hours. They should also be encouraged to participate and lead students in their extra curricular activities. This will be possible through a participate management. Lecturers will have to be made achievement driven and a motivating climate for them will have to be developed by the Heads of the Institutions enabling them to give their best in the process of education.

10.0 QUALITY OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION :

Quality of technical education will have to be assessed from the quality of the product, i.e. students. Technician education system has to satisfy the students, industry and the teachers. Quality of end-product will depend on quality of teaching and removal of non-productive aspects of technician education. While adding values to the animate inputs (students) with inanimate (teaching aids) and animate (teaching) resources, for having better results, relationships amongst concerned personnel will have to be improved and reflections (feedbacks) on all actions / in actions done on a continuous basis. This is possible through improvement in communication and commitment of the teachers and the learners and application of the following principles of Total Quality Management in technician education system :

1. Examine and agree on industry / student requirements;
2. Practice ‘right first time’;
3. Measure performance;
4. Strive for continual improvement;
5. Management driven;
6. Improve and maintain communication;

11.0 ENHANCING SELF - ESTEEM AND PRIDE IN PROFESSION :

Enhancing of self-esteem and pride in profession calls for continual value-addition through academic attainments. Facilities for obtaining higher qualifications in engineering have to be augmented. The teachers are to be encouraged to acquire higher qualifications.

There should not be any discrimination in the degree awarded whether it is at the undergraduate or at the post-graduate level. The curriculum for part-time courses could be more practice-based / industry-institute oriented. It could even be based on project work to be carried out at the end of each module.

To enhance professional pride, the word ‘engineer’ may be protected by law as in vogue for architects under the Architects Act. Both diploma and degree holders may be given registration by a Council (may be christened as ‘Engineering Council of India’). Even the AICTE can undertake this task.

12.0 CONCLUSION :

Technician education being a sub-system of technical education system of the country has to work in unison with the craftsmen education ( first tier ) and degree level engineering education (third tier), drawing on the strengths of such other. These tiers should operate under one umbrella, i.e. one separate ministry whether in the States or at the Centre, to ensure an integrated approach for restructing / reengineering the system and creating a synergistic environment. AICTE has to play a meaningful role by providing material and professional support to State Councils of Technical Education. While the leadership for change has to be given by the State Councils, AICTE and TTTIs have also to act as external change agents. Academic community, industry, policy makers, regulatory bodies - all have to operate in a true organic partnership for change. Such a partnership will enable the country to go ahead with its mission of self-reliance and sustainable development.