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Tuition fee: the debate continues
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Those arguing for it feel that it will pave the way for quality education and those against it think it will shrink access to education
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Ankita Kotari
Tuition fee is a contentious issue apart from being highly emotive and sensitive. Efforts to enhance it have always met with stiff opposition, more so when it comes to higher education. The reasons are varied from social to economical and sometimes political too. But students pursuing higher education in colleges and universities have largely been spared from the hike in tuition fee despite the cost of higher education going high and Government’s support to the unive
rsities dwindling over the years or remaining stagnant.
But in this era of globalisation when private parties have come into play, tuition fee is considered as one of the key components of mobilising resources.
N Satyanarayana
In tune with the changing times, a section of the people has attuned themselves to the reality of paying higher tuition fee though the Government sector has remained relatively untouched.
The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) in its crucial report submitted this year has argued for collecting more money from the students if the nation is to meet the target of improving higher education and providing best of the facilities in order to deliver quality education.
In this backdrop the comments of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Planning Commission meeting assume greater importance. He said it is necessary to seriously look at the proposal for fee increases to reasonable levels in a graduated manner.
A. Prasanna Kumar
This despite the Central Government’s funding for education in the 11th Plan is likely to be Rs.2.5 lakh crores in constant prices, which is a four-fold increase over the Tenth Plan. The share of education in the total plan will correspondingly increase from 7.7 per cent to 19.4 per cent.
The NKC recommendations apart, comments of the Prime Minister clearly indicate that higher education is going to be costly in future.
Opinion divided
Academics and students are divided over the issue of fee hike.
Those arguing for higher fee feel it would pave way for quality education and those against it think the cost recovery measures to be adopted by the Government in future would shrink access to education.
— Photo: M. Periasamy
Conflicting views: The National Knowledge Commission is all for collecting more money from the students to meet the target of improving higher education.
N. Satyanarayana, Principal, P.B. Siddhartha College of Arts and Science in Vijayawada says unless fee is increased, the wherewithal to provide good education to match with global competition will not be possible. Fee should be increased by at least 10 per cent every year to raise sufficient funds to fund physical and human resources for the colleges.
The only way to breathe a new life into Government and aided institutions is through meeting maintenance costs with students’ contribution.
“If the needs of the poor students are to be taken care of, it can be done with the help of alternative schemes as suggested by the Prime Minister.
The National Scholarship Bank, which is being talked about, should be formed to extend financial assistance to the students from economically poor background,” he says.
Social commitments
On one side China reformed its PSUs and on the other side it encouraged its private sector,” says A. Prasanna Kumar, former Rector of Andhra University and an active academician.
Prof. Rammurthy Naidu
The Principal of Andhra University College of Engineering, Allam Appa Rao, says, “The very thought of increasing the fees for higher education is discouraging.”
The APSCHE Vice Chairman P. Jayaprakash Rao reminds that the recommendation was made by the NKC but at the same time the Prime Minister was emphatic on providing more scholarships to ensure none is denied education due to costs. Prof. K. Ramamurthy Naidu, member, University Grants Commission says emphasis in the XIth plan was taking higher education to the most unaffordable sections.
Ankita Kothari, a Business Management student of P.B. Siddhartha College of Arts and Science says higher fee will make higher education inaccessible to far more number of students.
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Education Plus
Karnataka
Chennai
Coimbatore
Hyderabad
Madurai
Tiruchirapalli
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
|
