P.I.E.T appeals govt to transform Indian system by raising it from Edu 2.0 to Edu 4.0 to make it compatible with Industry 4.0
The vision document presented
by Mr. Rakesh Tayal has been prepared from the perspective of understanding the
present education scenario and the transformation that the education process in
the country needs to go through thereby enabling the nation and the society as
a whole stand up to the fast changing industrial environment.
“Currently, Indian education system
is identified at Edu 2.0 which is way behind the Industry 4.0. To match that
level, an advanced revolution in educational domain is required urgently, not
only to meet the industry needs but also to create a system that promotes
sustainable learning and enhance capabilities with optimum resource
utilization.” Said Mr.Rakesh Tayal, Eminent Visionary, Educationist & Vice
Chairman, PIET.
“Enterprises across the world are
gearing up for a revolution much greater than before. We stand at the cusp of a
bigger transformation that will reinvent every aspect of global business,
culture and economics. This is the emergence of Enterprise 4.0 – a phenomenon
that will change the way the world perceives education, employment,
entrepreneurship and competition. Therefore, organisations are actively seeking
future-ready leaders who are not just responsible and result-oriented but are
also innovative, collaborative and have the ability to synergise technological
advancements with human touch. Amidst this revolution, institutions worldwide
are realizing the need for a paradigm shift in higher education.” Mr. Tayal
further added
Elaborating about Edu 4.0 Mr. Tayal
said it is more about strengthening and incorporating student-centric learning
where emotional quotient (EQ) is more important than one’s intelligence (IQ).
Now, machines will be able to do most of the tasks that people can and humans
and machines will work together as a cohesive workforce. If we really want India to progress, we need
to improve the education standards throughout and develop personalized learning
strategies particularly higher education. The basic purpose of education and
training is to empower an individual to lead successful life and contribute
best to himself, family, society, nation and to humanity.”
“Since Education 4.0 denotes
changes, relevant to Industry 4.0 and since it is in response to the global
call for action by World Economic Forum - the Industry can expect
better-prepared workforce, students will have better employability and better
preparation for future with a better return expectation on educational
investment.” Said Mr. Tayal.
World is on the verge of the fourth industrial revolution where concepts
of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, big data and the internet of things
will combine to impact on jobs and industry. These technological advancements
shall change the dynamics of an educational institute right from kinder garden
to universities, based on the ever evolving scenario students need to be
oriented in a manner that they are able to seamlessly blend as per the skill
sets required in a Futuristic Industry.
India is going to reap a demographic
dividend where by 2025 about two-third Indians will be in its workforce. To
create employment for so many people, economy and industry has to develop at a
faster and higher growth. At the same time, those people have to be educated,
trained, skilled and put on a continuous learning curve to meet the requirement
of a growing economy.
In these days and times
of transformation where change is the new normal and given the advent of
Industry 4.0 the Eco-System need to be aligned in a manner that the Education
that one garners is futuristic in approach and one that can assist the learner
seamlessly fit into the Industry requirements.
So what India needs to do to improve its education system? Broadly,
•
Develop a system to
promote imparting knowledge and skills. For this, devise curriculums in
association with industry and corporates to strike a balance between needs,
capabilities, interest and expectations.
•
Reduce focus on marks and grades. It
negatively impacts students’ well being. Rather focus on ‘Students Development
Index’ based on not just IQs but also on Knowledge Quotients (KQs) and
Emotional Quotients (EQs).
•
For sustainable learning, move from
Factory oriented approach. From very beginning, promote learning and not
memorizing. This will improve class room attendance as well as reduce school
dropout rate. Simultaneously, it will also enhance quality of knowledge and
skills.
•
Economic well being of population
also weighs on students attending school. Ensure that paucity of funds does not
affect a child’s education. Instead of reservations and quotas based on caste
and creed, introduce funding avenues for economically weaker students. This may
include free education up to a certain level and then giving financial
assistance to needy and deserving students.
Complete transformation of our education system has to work towards
making students Life Long Learners and
also strengthen their Spiritual Quotient (SQ) to help in overall personality
development. Future Education models should focus on creating Higher SQs and
ability to control one’s mind. This would also require educators to become
mentors to facilitate greater learning and knowledge sharing in the country.
Knowledge is going to be most coveted feature of futuristic society.
Lets make India a knowledge hub.
At micro level, given the changing paradigm of education and learning,
the focus as Educators and importantly as Nation Builders should be on:
•
Creating a
futuristic class-room
•
As every
student’s learning requirement shall be different, the facilitator identifies
the need and works in sync to design a curriculum that suits the students
learning needs best
•
A
class-room should not be a pigeon hole ( as has been the case since year’s)
rather a place where learning happens through discussions, ideations and
collaboration
•
Books
should be an aid not the only source for learning
•
A student
should have the liberty and option to mix and match his subject electives as
per his interest
•
Emphasis
and training sessions be conducted to create Champions who create Jobs
•
Learning
should be Applied and Hands-On in nature
•
Institutions
like Schools, Colleges, Universities and Corporate should not work as
independent islands rather there should be a seamless collaboration between
these institutions so that students are oriented and made to experience the
best facilities and learning environment right from the formative years