In the national system of education, higher education comprises college and university education and begins after the end of twelve years of school education. Higher education is always an area of priority for different stakeholders – government, administration or philanthropists. Since the dawn of independence different commissions and committees have been proposed to streamline the network of higher education and to derive maximum output from it.
In the historical perspective university education commission (1948-1949) was the first document proposed by the then government to streamline the dimensions of higher education and to make it a quality asset for the learners of varied background. It is an admitted fact that higher education has progressed in leaps and bounds but the lacunas pervading in the system cannot be sidelined.
Quoting National Knowledge Commission (2009) Quantitativegrowth in higher education is not sufficient unless quality is assured withinthe circuit.
According to the latest report on the All India survey onhigher education there are 799 universities, 39,701 colleges and 11,923 standalone institutions in india. Out of 799 universities 277 are privateuniversities of differentiated character. The figures look quite impressivebut, quality is entirely a different construct that needs a different, butdedicated approach.
As a college teacher I felt the need to explore the vitalityof quality to improve the standard of higher education in varied perspectives.Colorful and huge buildings are not the only requisite of higher education.Aspirants pursuing higher education must aspire for better things to shapetheir career on a track of progress and development.
At present our collegestell a different tale, they are istechnology deficient and traditional in nature. Poor availability ofinformation and communication technology within and outside the classroomcreates an environment of depression. Most of the colleges do not have browsingcenters and smart classrooms that pushes the teachers into the trap oftraditional thinking and forces them to adopt traditional approaches ofteaching and instruction. Arts students of different streams are largelyignorant of computer benefits as separate browsing centers for these learnersare unfulfilled dream in itself.
Rastriya Uchatar shiksha Abiyan (RUSA) is a flagshipprogramme that was proposed by the central government in 2013 to play apromising role in improving different dimensions of higher education. Underthis programme higher education has achieved a manifold growth in quantitativeterms but the quality is still in a waiting list.
In Kashmir valley, certain new colleges are being established which is in fact a good move by the government to expand the possibilities of achieving higher education .Quality must be ensured in these higher educational centers so that the dream.
Our educational centers at higher level must be fullyequipped with technology to ensure quality functioning and to enable learnersto aspire for better things. Colleges should be well equipped with browsingcenters to create an excellent habit of learning among the learners. Thesebrowsing centers must provide access to all students irrespective of theeducational streams they belong .our colleges should be real learning hubsinstead of traditional centers of selling information to learners. Sucheducational centers will keep the potential to steer the teaching learningprocess in the right perspective and to derive maximum output.
The destiny of a people is shaped in classrooms, a clearindicator of how important a quality class room environment is.
Suhail Salam Bhat is Assistant Professor GDC (Boys),Pulwama.