Building the Human Resource

If India truly wants to be the creator of world-class services and products and emerge as the leader of the next decade, one key aspect will be to transform the human resource of the nation. A definitive standard for judging nations in how well they are building their human resources, rather that just relying on literacy rate is the Programme for International Student Assessment. PISA measures 15-year-olds’ ability to use their reading, mathematics and science knowledge and skills to meet real-life challenges. Unlike conventional tests and exams, the PISA test does not assess students on their memory, but attempts to evaluate whether students can apply the knowledge they have gained through primary and secondary education [1]. The only time India participated in the assessment (with its best performing states in terms of education at that time) was in 2009 and it was ranked second last at the 72nd rank. The assessment in 2009 had also analysed as to what makes a school successful in which it dissected the policies adopted by the better performing nations in the assessment. One of the most important areas, the report says, is to grant greater autonomy to individual schools to design curricula and establish assessment policies [2]. In my opinion India is lacking on this front to a large extent. It also states that higher teachers’ salaries, but not smaller class sizes, are associated with better student performance which shows that quality is a more effective route to improved student outcomes than creating smaller classes [3].

The assessment shows that India has been lacking in the most important aspect of nation building that is building human resources. There are five simple aspects which are important to the success of any human resource [4]:

1. Quality of School Education

2. Developing Knowledge Resources

3. Employability of the Youth

4. Quality of Research

5. State of Health

Solving the problem at hand requires a multi pronged approach which begins with reforms at the level of teachers, who are the most important resource in an educational system. A system that India can adopt, which is followed in many countries including the United States, is a system of school vouchers which allows a poor student to choose from a broader pool of schools. What it means is that economically and socially backward communities are not assigned a school in their neighbourhood, but rather given a school voucher which they can use in any government or even private school of their choice. The basis idea behind this system is that parents will always choose the optimal school for their children. Further enrolment in a particular school will reflect the assessment of parents of that school. Government and other private schools can then assess the schools that have high enrolment rate and implement the policies of that particular school in their curriculum. The broad idea is that having more market-like structures in education leads to competition between schools, greater choice for students and parents, and incentives for teachers to show up and perform [5].

Another reform in the education sector can be setting up of a National Open Source Education Cloud which can cater to the needs of three segments. First, students who are in school or are preparing for some competitive exams, second for teachers of these students and third for higher level learning and college professors. It can also act a platform to impart skill development courses and adult education. A worthy example in this regard is the Share My Lesson initiative which was started in 2012 to enable teachers from across the world to share their innovative methods of teaching innovative subjects. It was started by American Federation of Teachers and TES Global Britain to build the largest community for US teachers to collaborate and share teaching resources and innovative ideas. As of 2019, Share My Lesson has 1.5 million members and more than 420,000 Toddler–Grade 12 resources which have been downloaded more than 13 million times [6].

We need more spending on research and move in the direction China has for the last 30-40 years. We also need to ensure that we are not stuck on some legalistic approach to better out education system which China (not stick to legalistic approach) has done to a lage extent. Instead, it has nurtured academic talent and promoted research with iron political will. In the early years of the 21st century, India and China were comparable in terms of the number of top-ranked universities and gross enrolment ratio. Since then, China has left India trailing behind far in the distance. It has spent more on research, hired better teachers and improved access to education for most of its young people.

There is a strong need to adopt a performance-based appraisal system for promoting teachers. There must be incentives for them to teach well and promote creativity. A good example for India is Ghana, another former British colony that is in West Africa. Notably, Ghana won its independence a decade after India. Its national teachers’ standards lays down well-defined principles and metrics for evaluating teachers’ progress. These metrics incorporate evidence such as lesson plans, evaluations, testimonials, research and participation in professional development programs. Unsurprisingly, Ghana’s educational standards have risen over the last few years.

India can also learn from Finland’s phenomenon-based learning brought in by the National Curriculum Framework, 2016 which emphasises on the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to education. Phenomenon-based learning is letting go of the segregated subject-based approach and understanding a phenomenon, such as global warming, through different approaches, such as scientific, mathematical, historical, etc. The concept of phenomenon-based learning was introduced to keep students engaged and involved in their studies by establishing a collaborative approach, where they are made to work in small groups. This way, they are able to solve problems in a constructive manner and improve their communication skills.

All this cannot be implemented unless we have a robust system of coordination between the centre and states. The education system in India needs a more uniform approach and a greater emphasis on innovation rather than rote learning.

Featured Image Credit: www.edexlive.com

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1. What is PISA test and why is it significant? available at https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-what-is-pisa-test-and-why-is-it-significant-6147829/

2. OECD (2010), PISA 2009 Results: Executive Summary

3. Id.

4. APJ Abdul Kalam and Srijan Pal Singh, Advantage India 53 (Harper Collins, Noida 2015)

5. The Conclusive Case for School Choice, available at https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/LI8HU3WD2LsgNO8lPVyhgK/The-conclusive-case-for-school-choice.html

6. About Share My Lesson, available at https://sharemylesson.com/about-us

7. Without Fundamental Reforms to the Education System, Indians Will Not Innovate, available at https://www.fairobserver.com/region/central_south_asia/indian-education-system-iit-india-south-asian-world-news-today-38966/