Rene. F. Erodes, mentions in the UNESCO Source Book on Teaching by Correspondence, (1967) that “It can be traced back to Plato whose Epistles, are the first concrete instance of teaching through the written word.” In the 19thcentury, the idea of using the genial agency of the post office for teaching European Languages was put into active practice by Charles Toussaint and Gustav Langenscheidt, a German and a French man. They started a school in Germany for this purpose. In the U.S.A., the earliest pioneer of the Home Study Programme was Dr. William Rainy Harper in the Harvard University who authored the idea of starting a new project in 1892 for using the printed word as the medium of teaching. The project offered 39 courses by Correspondence or Distance method. Today, Teaching by Distance Method has become an accepted fact and it has established and strengthened its position of power and prestige in the educational realm. The system was probably introduced to benefit the poor and needy and this policy was beneficial to the candidates belonging to the weaker sections of the society. In the initial stages of the scripts and other materials would be dispatched to the admitted students and there would be less interaction between the teachers and students but now this system of learning has been modernized and facilitated more in the world and in the country to absorb and lessen the rush of students and they are now part time learners with teachers interacting with them in the evening and morning classes. In India the Universities which deal in this kind mode of learning nowadays have established study centres after the approval of the Distance Education Council and at times from UGC for recognition of the degrees which the students obtain from these kinds of Centres. But it has been noticed that these Distance / Study centre’s/ Franchise mushroomed and one is unable to differentiate between the legal/ recognized and unrecognized ones.
        In J&K, particularly in the Kashmir valley this learning has been misused for materialistic ends, and poor as well as rich have been exploited in the name of this education. This kind of education has become a conflicting issue after the two Premier Government Recruiting Agencies, the Public Service Commission and JK Services Selection Board found the certificates issued by some these centers fake. Nowadays the greatest challenge before these two agencies particularly JK SSB is how to ascertain the validity of the degrees obtained through Distance mode while making selections and recommendations to intending Departments for various cadres of posts. It is deplorable that these centres have even issuing Degree certificates in science streams which as a matter of fact is possible to be qualified only as a regular candidate and involves practical experimentation and laboratory work. And also these centres award an unexpected percentage of marks to the candidates who pursue education through Distance Mode and one gets suspended into disbelief  to find that a candidate who has through and through been able to obtain less than 50% of marks, touches between 70% to 85% of marks in Post-Graduation and other higher courses. This high percentage of marks puts one to wonder when such a lot of candidates is not able to justify their percentage by way of displaying their depth of knowledge, ability, and experience in their field at some selection process. It should have been the priority of the higher seats of learning, educationists, intellectuals and administrative set up to remove the doubts and deal in a tough way with such  centres awarding Degrees in an illegal way after receiving hefty amounts. It has been noticed that these phony and fraud centres of awarding degrees have bourgeoned and young pursuers of education need to be cautious while taking up a distance course. They require knowing that such centres/ off campus are not thriving only in the State of J and K but also in other States.  It is the moral responsibility of all, particularly administration to devise a strategy as how to bring the these centres to book but till date all concerned seem to be mute spectators watching the funeral procession of the educational process in the State particularly in the Valley. 

Suggestions
 In the past the State Government had initiated an action to overhaul/ revamp the educational system under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah who as Chief Minister in 1975 had tried to throw out the rotten, useless and indolent lot of teachers from the education Department and adjust them in other departments like PWD and Forest Departments but the selfish persons at that time had defied his designs. Following the noble designs of then Chief Minister, the present Government can act and regulate the system of education into a better one by implementing the relevant provisions of J and K Private colleges regulation Act, (2002) and rules issued there, under SRO 339 Dated 20 Dec, 2005. The Government of Jammu and Kashmir can issue a Gazette notification to elucidate the degrees and courses offered by various institutes and Universities to be accepted for eligibility for employment purposes in the State or alternatively, the Government may constitute J and K academic council and Technical council to register all such degrees/ courses of the candidates under proper registration number allotted to the candidates for academic and technical courses respectively on the analogy of J and K State Veterinary Council and J and K Medical Council. The J and K   State Medical Faculty can also be assigned the job of registration of Paramedical courses/ Diplomas. It is craved that measures in this regard may be initiated to save the future generation of our nation from delusion about pursuing the right courses in the right institutions.

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Lastupdate on : Tue, 11 Sep 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 11 Sep 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 12 Sep 2012 00:00:00 IST