Re-engineering education -- Some issues before Goa's technical education
Anil Seth
After the recent furore over the Common Entrance Test
(CET) as a means of finalising admission to Goa's growing
number (but still much-demanded) engineering seats,
interest in the issue has died down. Admissions have been
done, and parents have seemingly given up on that issue.
But an educationist who is with the Padre Conceicao
College of Engineering (Verna) looks at the wider issues
involved in engineering education in today's Goa. Dr
Anil Seth studied in the US, worked in Goan industry for
a considerable period, and then shifted to education.
He also enjoys writing, and not just on technical issues.
I presume not many would be surprised to know that I am very
disenchanted with our engineering education. What worries me is that
a lot of 'atrocities' are being inflicted on our system in the name
of 'merit'. My biggest grievance against so-called merit is that we
impose a single dimensional function upon it and believe that a rank
based on some exam is synonymous with merit.
Half the seats were reserved for 'meritorious' students.
Experience revealed that the less affluent were subsidising
the affluent, which was certainly not the intention. Worse,
the state got a chance to distribute seats without any
effort; hence, there has been little effort in extending
the higher education in the state sector. That neglect is
making it very difficult for the state to let go of the
admission process and the fee structure in the 'private'
or, more appropriately, non-government institutions.
Having different organisations adopt different criteria for merit is
desirable. After all that is how evolution has worked. We must judge
by the results.
The results of an institution are determined by the performance of
its students, that is how well they are placed and how well they
progress in their careers. Every institution is under pressure to
ensure that their products -- the students -- are useful to the
society. A poor institution will not get the raw material if it does
not deliver. Unfortunately, this process takes time and the
transition period can be painful for some.
There is still a very important factor which can help parents and
students make the decision -- the economic factors related to the
cost of education. I am increasingly of the opinion that the tuition
fee must be sufficiently high. Let me elaborate on why.
I am convinced that students will not be offered
ridiculously low salaries if an employer knows that they
have paid a substantial sum for their education. It does
not mean that they will raise the salaries. They may
decide to hire a person with lower qualifications. While
an engineer may not benefit, someone else will.
Far too many students do not realise that what they are investing is
their time, which cannot come back. If fees hurt, will they be
equally lax about their studies? I expect not. George Bernard Shaw
had once commented -- youth is wasted on the young.
Learning is far more complex than merely attending lectures. A major
advantage that IIT students have is not the faculty or the course
contents, but their peers. A major and effective learning takes
place from interaction with other students. A student will learn far
more if challenged by capabilities of the fellow students. (Indian
tennis champ) Sania Mirza will not enjoy beating me hollow, but I
may improve my game.
It is in the interest of the students that very good students are
around. Being a big fish in a small pond does that help because one
must leave the pond.
A few token rank holders will not do. An institution must aim at
having the best students in the region. If that is true, getting
companies to come for campus recruitment will be trivial. (Imagine
an institution which auctions seats. How many employers are likely
to visit the campus? We need to rely upon self-corrective mechanisms
rather than enforce rules which create more holes than they close.)
High tuition fees come in handy. At least 25% of the students at an
institution should be on scholarship, based on need and abilities.
For very good needy students, the institution should take care of
the hostel and food expenses as well.
Good students challenge not just the students but faculty as well.
The faculty needs to work harder to meet the aspirations of the good
students. Great faculty join institutions like Harvard and Stanford
not because the richest students study there or their salaries are
not as per AICTE recommendations, but because some of the finest
students study there. It becomes a mutually re-enforcing cycle and
everyone benefits.
Let me conclude by saying that the students should fight for high
tuition fees if they want excellence in education. Once they have
paid for their education, they can demand that the institution
delivers. This is equally true for students on scholarship. They are
investing their time which is far more valuable than mere money.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr Seth has a PhD from the US, and is an active
participant of Goa's computing world, specially on the Free/Libre
and Open Source Software front.
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