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Unit 8: Quality of Education: Concept, Parameters, Status and Prospects with Focus on Objectives....

Notes

The reason why the commission titled its report learning: The treasure within is
taken from a line in one of the parables of La Fontaine, titled The Ploughman
and his Children, which calls learning a treasure.

Self Assessment
1. Fill in the Blanks:
(i) The report of .................... emphasizes on education in the 21st century in the global
context.
(ii) The Delor’s commission recommended an allocation of ....................... by every nation
for education .
(iii) The commission has laid great emphasis on ............................. and commended that
education should be four pillars-learning to know, learning to do, learning to be, and
learning to live.
(iv) .................... in education is fundamental to the quality of the human resource of the
nation.
(v) ....................... may be collected on a regular and systematic basis by governments.
(vi) A .......................... is a point of reference against which something may be measured.

8.2 Concept of Quality in Education

The University Education Commission (1948-49) used the term 'standard' and not 'quality'.
The term 'standard' usually means a basis for measurement or a 'yardstick' to describe a required
characteristic or a parameter and this would vary from country to country, from time to time
and even from institution to institution over a period of time. However, it is also true that once
the standards are set, the institutions and individuals can try to achieve quality so as to attain
excellence.
Wider Concept of Quality in Education: The quality in education need to be defined in the wider
sense of the overall aim of education as the all round development of the individual and his
commitment to social objectives; and viewed in this context, there is no doubt that vigorous
efforts will have to be made to improve these to suit the changing needs of the country. It has
become increasingly evident that the relevance of education, its significance, its validity for
personal aspiration, its link with societal needs and goals, its efficiency and impact are the basic
parameters of every educational system.
Highlighting the importance of the quality in higher education for socio-economic development,
Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, former Director, NAAL (National Assessment and Accreditation
Council) in convocation address of North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon on March 3,2003
pointed out the need for quality control as given below.
8.2.1 Accountability
Why do we need quality in higher education? The question is answered by the word
"accountability". This answer immediately provokes a second question "accountable to whom?"
There are several answers to this question because higher education (from whole universities
to colleges, departments and individual teachers) is accountable to at least three different groups
-society (government), clients (students, employers) and subject (profession, colleagues).
8.2.2 Accountability to Society
There is a popular demand and an economic necessity for more higher education. Society pays
for much of this through taxes. Government acts for society in distributing funds to higher
education either directly to the universities or indirectly through student grants or loans.

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