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Development of Education System

Notes 2. At the same time, planning for school education must take into account the ecology of
education the need to adjust school systems to agro-climatic and other local variation
3. School management must be decentralised as far as possible
4. There is a multiplicity of management structures and government departments in the
administration of school education. This creates confusion, unnecessary replication and
possibly inconsistent strategies across different schools. There must be greater co-ordination
between different departments of government on school education policy, even while
ensuring more autonomy to the local community in matters of day-to-day management of
schools

There is need for a national body to monitor the quality of both government and
private schools, to ensure that minimum standards are met in terms of learning
outcomes

9.9 Higher Education

Higher education has made a significant contribution to economic development, social progress
and political democracy in independent India. But there is serious cause for concern at this
juncture. The proportion of our population, in the relevant age group, that enters the world of
higher education is about 7 per cent. The opportunities for higher education in terms of the
number of places in universities are simply not adequate in relation to our needs. Large
segments of our population just do not have access to higher education. What is more, the
quality of higher education in most of our universities leaves much to be desired.
Foundations are critical. NKC believes that an emphasis on expansion and reform of our school
system is necessary to ensure that every child has an equal opportunity to enter the world of
higher education. It is engaged in consultations on school education and will submit
recommendations in this crucial area in due course. In this recommendation, it focuses on
higher education. NKC has engaged in formal and informal consultations on the issue with a
wide range of people in the world of higher education. In addition, it consulted concerned
people in parliament, government, civil society and industry. Concerns about the higher
education system are widely shared. There is a clear, almost unanimous, view that higher
education needs a systematic overhaul, so that India can educate much larger numbers without
diluting academic standards.

NKC recognises that meaningful reform of the system, with a long-term
perspective, is both complex and difficult. Yet, it is imperative.
9.10 Summary

• Knowledge has been recognised as the key driving force in the 21st century and India
ability to emerge as a globally competitive player will substantially depend on its
knowledge resources.
• The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) was constituted in June 2005 by the Prime
Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, under the Chairmanship of Mr. Sam Pitroda, to prepare a
blueprint for reform of our knowledge related institutions and infrastructure which would
enable India to meet the challenges of the future.
• Providing access to knowledge is the most fundamental way of increasing the opportunities
of individuals and groups.

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