The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : “Periodical upgrading of curriculum vital to improve higher education”

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Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

“Periodical upgrading of curriculum vital to improve higher education”

Staff Reporter

THENI: Periodical upgrading of curriculum, excellent industry-institution relationship and high quality teaching and infrastructure that meets international standards are essential to improve efficiency of higher education, according to Mariamma Varghese, Senior Educational consultant, NAAC and former vice-chancellor, MNDT University, Mumbai.

Inaugurating a national-level conference on ‘Quality and relevance in higher education - New challenges,’ held at Jayaraj Annapackiam College for Women at Periakulam here on Monday, she said that higher educational institutions should maintain optimal use of human resources and infrastructure. They should also infuse quality input in the system to elevate efficiency in the over-expanding quality conscious job market.

With liberalisation and globalisation, quality and relevance were a new set of values and challenges emerged before higher education. “Today, the world needs technically skilled and well educated work force. To achieve this, symbiotic relationship between industry and institutions is mandatory. Obsolescence and academic inertia in the curriculum must be scaled down to enhance employability of students.”

Describing the challenges, the consultant said that only 11 per cent of 18-24 age group has got access to higher education, compared to 30 per cent developed countries.

Universities must revise or restructure curricula that have not kept pace with times and reform university examination system that will test understanding rather than memory. Infrastructure should be upgraded on a regular basis as it was inadequate and on the verge of collapse, she added. “Research activities must be supported and encouraged.”

Secondly, relevance was a crucial issue in higher education. Curriculum should be revamped to reflect the needs for national development with international bench marks, she added. Higher Education must respond by innovation and creativity. Change in higher education must be a continuous process.

Starting vocational courses, value added or career development courses, job oriented and industry-relevant courses, setting up of placement cells in collages, initiation of need assessment exercises were some of her suggestions for improving higher education relevant to the society. College principal Y. Yesu Thangam welcomed the gathering.

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