Business Education condition of India is worrying – Need Attention
– Dr.S.Sundararajan, Associate Professor
Sankara Institute of Management Science
It is worrying that India does not have any world class institution of higher learning and that the key indicators of business education were not encouraging. The world is witnessing knowledge explosion but India is lagging behind in terms of quality and universal education. We are no doubt a great and upcoming nation, that being the position, we have far greater challenges compared to the developed countries.
Draw attention to following attributes
Condition of B-schools:
Citing figures: 49 per cent schools have less than 60 students while 31 per cent business schools teachers are “untrained,” and only 28 per cent b-school teachers are able to avail annual in-service training like FDPs.
Training B-school teachers
More than the college and university teachers, it is the B-school teachers who face a crisis of identity, they said suggesting that they needed to be provided with “freshly thought training capsules” for updation of their knowledge base and teaching skills for Business students.
Our Indian Higher education body draws attention to following things:
- Education is not the political agenda, it is the national agenda. Education Ministry do not do politics with education.
- Highlighting the priority of his government that the education system would be improved in a mission mode. The goal of the government is development and education for all
- According to a national education survey, some states prime areas where teachers cannot even speak and spell properly. The government is taking an initiative towards resolving this and motivating teachers by conducting teacher training programs
- There should be uniformity among languages in India. Education Ministry should focus on the three-language formula mentioned in the constitution for imparting education which ought to be followed by everyone
- People should understand the value and purpose of education which is acceptance, tolerance and empathy
- The appointment of teachers in various university and said meetings would be held soon to look into the matter
- Speaking on the State board exams, 95 % to 99% of the students appeared for the same exam. When some states asked about the reduction in the number of the chapters allotted for the exam, education is not just about mugging up the content, but about the knowledge and values ingrained from the content
- As compared to all states, the girls in some states are doing much better in education
- Ground level implementation should be carried out soon for a credit based system
- In order to improve the mental ability of students, yoga should be made mandatory in schools
- Almost every student is becoming an engineer. However, humanities must also be encouraged as one should know India’s culture and traditions. IITs/IIMs/IISc and other higher education institutions must include humanities as a part of their curriculum.
India needs its own model of management education
In India, recent past, many initiatives are taken by the Government and most recently demonetization which would bring forth many opportunities and challenges in the coming days. Indian B-schools should adequately modify the existing curriculum to incorporate such areas.
Gaining a global perspective: Identifying, analysing and practicing how best to manage when faced with economic, institutional and cultural differences across the countries.
Developing leadership skills: Understanding the responsibilities of leadership, developing alternative approaches to inspiring, influencing and guiding others; learning such skills as conducting a performance review and giving critical feedback; and recognizing the impact of one’s actions and behaviours on others.
Honing integration skills: Thinking about issues from diverse, shifting angles to frame problems holistically; learning to make decisions based on multiples, often conflicting, functional perspectives; and building judgment and intuition into messy, unstructured situations.
Recognizing organizational realities and implementing effectively: Influencing others and getting things done in the context of hidden agenda, unwritten rules, political coalitions, and competing points of views.
Acting creatively and innovatively: Finding and framing problems; collecting, synthesizing and distilling large volumes of ambiguous data: engaging in generative and lateral thinking; and constantly experimenting and learning.
Thinking critically and communicating clearly: Developing and articulating logical, coherent, and persuasive arguments; marshalling supportive evidences,; and distinguishing facts from opinion
Understanding the role, responsibilities and purpose of business: Balancing financial and non-financial objectives while simultaneously juggling the demands of diverse constituencies such as shareholders, employees, customers, regulators and society
Understanding the limits of models and markets: Asking tough questions about risk by questioning underlying assumptions and emerging patterns; seeking to understand what might go wrong; learning about the sources of errors that lead to flawed decision making and the organizational safeguards that reduce their occurrence; and understanding the tension between regulatory activities aimed at preventing social harm and market-based incentives designed to encourage innovation and efficiency
10 steps to improve education quality and student achievement with outcome based education
1. Mission, Vision & Objectives
The central feature of OBE software is to prepare the mapping of the mission, vision and values set by the institute with the program educational objectives (PEOs).
- Program Educational Objectives (PEO)
In terms of student achievement, PEOs are assessed for longer duration when graduates are envisaged to achieve in their career 4-5 years after graduation. PEO attainment is based on stakeholder inputs using online survey questionnaire, which will reveal that graduates are broadly satisfied with their achievement in all PEOs.
- Graduate Attributes (GA)
Graduate attributes are often known as key skills, generic attributes, transferable, employability and/or soft skills. Mapping and implementing of graduate attributes to the curriculum design to achieve the desired learning outcomes is tracked in real time and visibility improved to students and staff through generation of curriculum mind mapping tools.
- Student learning outcomes (SLO)
A learning outcome is what a student can do as a result of a learning experience. It describes the attributes of their ideal graduates based on their visions and missions as part of their institutional goals or outcomes, and using these as bases for developing specific program outcomes. The three broad types of learning outcomes are disciplinary knowledge and skills, generic skills and, attitudes and values.
- Program outcomes (PO)
Program outcomes are the sets of competencies (related knowledge, skills, and attitudes) that all learners are expected to demonstrate. These desired outcomes are mapped to the expected learning outcomes in specific courses. The desired course and learning outcomes are attained through assessment and evaluation tools.
- Course outcomes (CO)
Course outcomes refer to the knowledge, values, and skills all learners are expected to demonstrate at the end of a course. Learning outcomes are mapped to course outcomes and program outcomes.
- Syllabus, Unit & Lesson Plan Outcomes
Course outcomes lead to lesson outcomes. Create syllabus, unit and lesson plan to link with the learning outcomes of each teaching activity that aids coherence and cohesion in student learning.
- Teaching Methods
Technology-enabled performance demonstration of pedagogical learning through video lectures, podcasts, and slide presentations would innovate and enhance students learning experience. Technology-aided teaching methods and assessments would enable education institutions to accurately and perfectly map with the targeted outcome. This enables students and faculty to work together as partners toward achieving a visible and clear goal.
- Assessment & Evaluation Tools
Implementing OBE further translates to the quality and orientation of the faculty members. The core mission of teaching is to build the learning competencies through online tests, assignments, quizzes and puzzles, and evaluation of courses/faculty through survey questionnaire for attainment of PEOs.
- Customizable Rubrics & Marking Schemes
Assessment of writing, oral communication, critical thinking, or information literacy often requires rubrics. Automated rubrics are standardized scoring guides that assist evaluators to make assessment more transparent, easy, consistent, and objective and determine the quality of student work in a consistent manner.
SANKARA BLOG 
Good article. Passion for education among faculty is slowly declining, many consider teaching as just another job rather than service, and give importance to commercial aspect more than the ownership and service rendered to students. That is the reason why many colleges struggle to get skillful staff, as there are less passionate and skillful staff.
One more reason for decline in passion for teaching could be that most of the developing colleges, faculty are given plenty of tasks, such as placement, admission work, office work, etc, and hence, interest and passion to work in education sector can alleviate.
However, irrespective of the work load, as long as every teacher/faculty from kindergarten to university, does their job with passion every time they enter the classroom, and take responsibility of every student’s welfare, then education sector will progress. Also a passionate teacher will always try to upskill whenever possible to ensure their students develop. Additionally, government should start providing better infrastructure, especially in govt. schools, and should start recruiting teachers with skill and passion rather than staff with influence/reference and who are on the look out for government job only for security and monetary benefits. If not overall quality of students will be poor and they will struggle to even pass their exams, without strong foundation. We shall hope, like our institute, all other institutes from schools to universities, recruit right candidates. College managements across India, should also ensure that academics are given more priority compared to any aspect, including admissions.
When above basic issues such as basic infrastructure and quality teachers in government institutes are addressed, government can consider about changing the overall academic structure, syllabus, etc, however, building various govt educational institutions should be ongoing. Finally, for a passionate teacher, money is always a by-product of the service they render to students, money and opportunities will flow in abundance even without planning for the same.
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