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Kulwinder Pal, Lovely Professional University Unit 11: Agencies of Teacher Education and their Functions—Academic Staff College

Unit 11: Agencies of Teacher Education and their Notes

Functions—Academic Staff College

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
11.1 Higher Education in India
11.2 The Academic Staff Colleges scheme
11.3 Functional aspects of Academic Staff Colleges
11.4 The Programmes of Academic Staff Colleges
11.5 Participation in Staff Training Programmes
11.6 Evaluation of Academic Staff Colleges and concerned Issues
11.7 Research on Impact of ASC Programmes
11.8 Summary
11.9 Keywords
11.10 Review Questions
11.11 Further Readings

Objectives

After reading this unit, students will be able to:
• to discuss about the higher education in India.
• to explain discuss about the academic staff college scheme.
• to describe about the functional aspects of academic staff colleges.
• to describe about the programmes of academic staff colleges.
• to discuss about the participation in staff training programmes.
• to describe the evaluation of academic staff colleges and concerned issues.
• to explain about the research on impact of ASC programmes.

Introduction

Higher Education is a public good and a strategic necessity for all levels of education. It forms basis
for research, innovation, creativity and a matter of responsibility and economic support of all
governments. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has emphasized that ‘higher education
shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit’. In the past decade it was evident that higher
education and research have contributed significantly to the eradication of poverty, to sustainable
development and to progress towards reaching the internationally agreed upon development goals,
which include the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA). It was
shaped by increasingly integrated world economy, new information and communications
technology (ICT), emergence of an international knowledge network, the role of the English
language and other forces beyond the control of academic institutions.
Growth of Higher Education System in India has been phenomenal since Independence. The number
of universities increased from 20 to 431; colleges from 500 to 20,677; number of teachers from 24,000
to about 500,000. Gross enrolment ratio in higher education has grown from mere 0.7% in 1950 to
13% by the end of Xth Plan period, i.e., 2003. The National Education Policy, 1986 had recommended

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