COIMBATORE: The Confederation of Indian Industry, Coimbatore Zone, will organise here a two-day regional summit on quality in education, on February 2 and 3, with the theme "Managing Change in Higher Educational Institutions."

Changing role

M. Settu, convenor of the education panel of the zone, told presspersons here on Monday that the summit would have sessions on changing role of higher education to meet global needs, enhancing teaching-learning process, and total quality management.

Faculty members of educational institutions and management representatives are expected to attend.

Mr. Settu said that Coimbatore was now emerging an educational hub and this would go up to the international level too.

Curriculum

Hence, the programme aimed at creating awareness on the changing scenario in the institutions in terms of methodology, curriculum and way of learning.

It also focused on improving institution-industry relationship.

In India, just seven per cent of those who complete school education went in for higher education.

In advanced nations it was 50 to 55 per cent. "Hence, India has a long way to go in quality and quantity."

Economic development of a country was related to development of higher education and the National Knowledge Commission had said the country needed about 1,200 universities more immediately. It already had 350 universities.

Thus, the education sector certainly seemed to be undergoing a phenomenal change.

With huge demand for skilled workforce, students who passed out of higher education should be ready for the job opportunities.

"So, CII is looking at education as an important sector and the emphasis is on quality, research, delivery."

Programme

The Coimbatore zone planned to launch a cluster programme for a group of schools (private and government) here so that they would be able to exchange information and adopt the best practices.

This would be a 10-month programme and discussions were on about the modalities.

This scheme was likely to be launched by the next academic year, he said.

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