Making the Indian education system future-ready in 2018

The total central government spending on education in 2017-18 made up 3.7% of India’s gross domestic product (GDP). The current calendar year has been an eventful one for the education sector with positive developments and significant investments focusing on training of teachers, developing curriculum and pedagogy, and adapting newer technologies in order to make the Indian education system future-ready.

The focus of the government this year has been to improve the quality of education. The National Achievement Survey (NAS) was developed by the central government to assess students based on their class/subjects and the recommendations have been included in the Right to Education (RTE) rules. With more than 70% of schools being government-aided, we hope this will go a long way in improving the quality of education.
Greater importance has been given to teacher training this year by the government and it has set a target of training all of them by 2019. The government has also introduced a course for the currently employed untrained teachers to ensure they have the necessary skill-sets.

Technology and innovation played an important role this year. The introduction of ICT in classrooms and creating peer groups online were game-changers. The setting up of Atal Tinkering Labs and Atal Incubation Centres to introduce innovative concepts to young minds and, in the process, encourage curiosity amongst them was another novel idea. However, a lot still needs to be done in order to make the change possible.

Unlike school education, where the focus is on ensuring access to quality education, the challenge in higher education space is both in terms of quality and quantity.

India also needs to focus on the employability quotient of students. To address this issue, providing vocational education is of utmost importance. With schemes like Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) and Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE), the government is increasingly looking at revamping the educational framework and skill development of students, improving the quality of trainers, and standardising the assessment and certification process so that students passing out meet the requirements of the future workforce. The educational sector today is looking at innovative models such as the Swiss dual system of education, which encourages students to take up apprenticeship programmes so that they have first-hand industry experience.