30 University Engagement with Adult Education in India- part 2

Prof. Rajesh

epgp books

 

 

Content Outline

 

1.    Learning objectives

 

2.    Introduction

 

3.    Tenth Five Year Plan (2002 to 2007)

 

4.    Eleventh Five year Plan (2007 to 2012)

 

5.    Lifelong learning

 

6.    Department Nomenclature

 

7.    Lifelong Learning in India

 

8.    12th five year plan (2012-17)

 

9.    Scheme of community colleges for universities and colleges(2012-2017)

 

10. Vistaar

 

11. University and Indian Adult Education Association (IAEA) linkage

 

12. Adult Education and lifelong learning in New Education Policy 2016(under draft)

 

13. Recent initiatives

 

14. Winter School

 

15. Challenges

 

16. Proposed Recommendations

 

17. Conclusion

 

 

 

1. Learning objectives

 

 

After this module learner will be able to,

 

1.   Analysis the phases of the development of University Adult Education.

2.   Expolain the Lifelong learning

3.   Discuss the challenges

 

 

2. Introduction

 

 

However till the ninth plan the dominance of UGC and the MHRD in university Adult Education could be seen in the light of the fact that during the initial period the social education and literacy was the dominant factors as per the need and initiatives of national- international priority in the field of University adult education development ,so with time to time government and UGC through various guidelines continuously shifted the priority area, but with the development of tenth plan the focus of University Adult Education Shifted to strengthening its Institution and the active engagement in the development of lifelong learning.In this chapter it has tried to explore the various initiatives or discourse and practices from tenth five year plan own ward on the basis of available document of UGC ,Scientific paper and personal experiences in the field of University Adult Education in India under the objectives.

 

1.    Analysis the phases of the development of University Adult Education from tenth plan onwards.

2.    Changing Status of University adult Education in India.

3.    Development of lifelong learning in University system.

4.    Current Academic development in University Adult Education.

 

 

3. Tenth Five Year Plan (2002 to 2007)

 

 

In the year 2004 UGC published 10th plan guideline for DACEEs. This guideline carefully identified major thrusts, target group role and function of DACEE programmes and the activities, organization structure etc.

The guideline was very specific about the designation of staff and recommended to the universities that the existing faculty working in these departments be re-designated. This guideline encourages department to establish-

·         Student counseling/placement Guidance Centre

·         E-learning center.

 

In November and December 2004, the UGC review committee took review of the 62 departments of adult and continuing education in the country to assess their performance. The committee under the chairmanship of Dr. D.P Singh, former member of the commission, interacted with director of different department in the country at New Delhi and at Chennai and reviewed the programmes being carried out in different universities (Vibhute 2007) .

 

The most disturbing factor in Adult education in Indian Universities is the decreasing number of DACEEs. The number has come down from 103(9th plan) to 73 (10th).

In the field of adult education, the National Literacy Mission was in place with clear focus and medium-term goals. The Tenth Plan targets for adult education were:

·         To achieve full literacy, i.e., a sustainable threshold level of 75 per cent by 2005.

·         To cover all left-over districts by 2003- 2004.

·         To remove residual illiteracy in the existing districts by 2004-05.

·         To complete Post Literacy Campaign in all districts.

·         To launch Continuing Education Programmes in 100 districts by the end of the Plan period.

 

This plan identified that, Illiteracy was largely a problem of social groups among whom literacy rates are low and who also suffer from other handicaps which make it difficult for them to participate in the adult education Programme. It is, therefore, most important to ensure greater participation of these groups in future adult education programmes. This requires a focused attention to their needs and problems and to the adoption of specific measures to suit their requirements. The focus in the Tenth Plan was to shift to residual illiteracy and cater to difficult segments of the population. This means that all the left-over districts and the left-over harder-to reach groups were to be targeted specifically (Tenth Plan UGC scheme on Adult, Continuing Education ,Extension and Field Outreach 2004).

 

The thrust of the tenth plan was the acceptance of the philosophy of continuing education as the part of total education Programme of the institution; the plan was focused to reach out to the larger section and deprived group seeking education. It also addressed the major issue and challenges to the National Literacy mission, child labour, and street children drug abuse HIV/AIDS, human right, community harmony and cultural integration, for first time 10th plan guidelines incorporated the senior citizen issue to be addressed through the curriculum and extension approach in higher education.

 

The collaboration and networking role was also emphasized with the industries, University department and with the civil society organization working in the field of developmental issue.

 

 

4. Eleventh Five year Plan (2007 to 2012)

 

 

The 11th Plan outlay for Adult Education, fixed at 1.5 billion dollars, represents a very significant enhancement over the combined outlays of 715 million dollars for the 8th, 9th and 10th Plan periods. India’s 11th Five Year Plan incorporates the notion of lifelong education. This inclusion has facilitated a very significant reassessment of the Programme: from the earlier sequential and fragmented approach of basic literacy The National Literacy Mission is developing a series of instruments/ models to facilitate this process.

 

There are areas in the country – educationally deprived and isolated – where volunteers may not be available within the village for teaching, because the overall levels of education within that village or area may be very low. These areas would be provided specially trained instructors, from outside the community. The instructors will be especially chosen for their sensitivity to issues of gender and caste equality, and their commitment to constitutional values of democracy and secularism. In India, a second chance would be provided to young adults and adolescents who lost the opportunity for formal schooling. It has been observed that wherever positive stimulation has been provided, adolescents have, undoubtedly, done us proud.

 

The following are to be ensured in the new approach to Continuing and Lifelong Education as contemplated in the 11th Five year Plan:

·         That literacy is combined with skills for the enhancement of livelihood security and purchasing power provided for rural people under India’s new legislation, the

National Rural Employment Guarantee Act,

·         That literacy is synergized with the determinants of good health, namely nutrition, sanitation, hygiene and safe drinking water under the National Rural Health Mission,

·         That literacy is incorporated with political empowerment, particularly of women elected to local self-governments,

 

·         That literacy reinforces and augments India’s nation-wide campaign for Right to Information and through that process leads to an informed citizenry, crucial to any democracy.

·         And that literacy is intrinsically linked with universalization of elementary education of equitable quality, so that the fresh flow of illiteracy is arrested.

 

 

 

5. Lifelong learning

 

 

The importance of Lifelong Learning/Education has been repeatedly stressed in several educational policy documents and discourses in India. While the Report of the Education Commission (1964-66) observed that education does not end with schooling but is a lifelong process; the National Policy on Education in India – 1986 (modified in 1992) considered Lifelong Education as the cherished goal of the educational process which presupposes universal literacy, provision of opportunities for youth, housewives, agricultural and industrial workers and professionals to continue the education of their choice at the pace suited to them.

 

Although these policies were translated into practice and a number of Lifelong Learning programs were implemented by governmental ,non-governmental organizations and universities in the country during the last three decades, the bulk of the programs continued to focus on adult literacy and continuing education mainly due to the massive number of non-literates (300.14.million ) and neo literates(110millions) as estimated by the National Literacy Mission (NLM-Literacy Facts At A Glance ,2007) .With the formulation the Eleventh Five year Plan (2007-20012), the Government of India put forward the idea of expanding the scope of the Continuing Education Program by developing it as Lifelong Education and Awareness Program (LEAP).This may be partly influenced by the global discourse on Lifelong Learning and partly due to the socio economic changes taking place within and outside the country (Guidelines on Lifelong Learning & Extension:during the XI Plan Period 2OO7)

 

It was mainly after the launching of the National Adult Education Programme (NAEP) by the Government of India in 1978 that the UGC began to encourage the universities and colleges to participate in Lifelong Learning programmes and started funding it. Although the Programme made a beginning with adult literacy, its scope was gradually widened over the next three decades to include, post literacy, Continuing Education, Population Education, refresher courses and a variety of extension and field outreach activities. Simultaneously the UGC encouraged and funded the universities to institutionalize the Programme by setting up separate Departments with core faculty to undertake teaching and research. With the beginning of the Eleventh Five Year Plan the UGC would accord maximum priority to Lifelong Learning with a view to meeting the demands of emerging knowledge society and facilitate the process of developing a learning society.

 

Further, private universities are being set up and international universities and educational institutions have already entered the country.

Also, Information & Communication Technology (ICT) is more frequently used in the field of learning. On-line learning and e-learning are being adopted by select institutions of higher education. It is therefore essential that the university system and specially the Departments of Lifelong Learning (DLL) should prepare themselves to meet these challenges. While universities have to enhance student employability skills through the formal system, the possibilities of strengthening the non-formal stream of education for catering to the needs of unreached cannot be ignored. There is a rapid growth of Open Distance Learning through the Open Universities and Open Schools in India. Universities have to integrate formal and non-formal education by opening their doors to adult learners for Lifelong Learning programmes and by making the University an adult learner friendly institution.

 

The Departments of Lifelong Learning will, therefore, have to play a more dynamic role and move from the periphery to the center stage of the university system and to ensure this, the Advisory Committees overseeing the work of the Department need to play a more pro-active role. The Departments have to play a major role in the development of the human resources specially providing professional manpower in the area of Lifelong Learning.

 

6. Department Nomenclature

 

 

Nomenclature of the Departments In case of new Departments, they will adopt the nomenclature of Department of Lifelong Learning (DLL). The existing departments are advised to change their names keeping in view the new thrust of the Programme. For the purpose of the present guidelines the Departments are referred to as Departments of Lifelong Learning.

 

 

 

7. Lifelong Learning in India

 

 

The global discourse of lifelong learning initiated by the UNESCO, especially after the publication of the learning: The Treasure within (1966) and the memorandum of Lifelong Learning of the European commission (2000) played a crucial role in shaping Indians Lifelong Learning. The organisations of two UNESCO sponsored International conference on Lifelong Learning held in Mumbai (1998) and Hyderabad in (2002) and its promulgation statements on Lifelong Learning which highlighted it as a “Guiding Principle” and “Overreaching vision” did succeed in educating Indian policy planner and generated considerable interest among educationist (R. &. Narang 1998).

 

The Hyderabad statement on Lifelong Learning in the creation of learning society and the learning community (Shah 2012). It emphasized empowering people expanding their capabilities and choices in life and enabling individual and society to cope with the new challenges of the 21st century along with the various Confintea submit who advocate for lifelong learning for community to acquire knowledge, skill and values needed to lead productive, satisfying and quality life also advocate for Lifelong Learning as a discipline in the Country like India.

 

After the UGC Guideline on lifelong learning and extension during 11th five year plan (2007-12) open the gate for universities to adopt the lifelong learning policy where in 2014 Department of Adult Continuing Education & Extension, University of Delhi launched the first master degree in Lifelong Learning play a key role in furthering Lifelong learning program in Indian University system.

 

 

 

8. 12th five year plan (2012-17)

 

 

This plan tries to institutionalize the Adult Education program in several universities. It also address local need of the community so as the courses of the adult education gave due weightage of the local need. It also provided the luxury to the various adult education departments to work autonomously like any other department of social sciences, after the knowledge commission report 2009 the adult education department also started to work for skill enhancement.

 

UGC Guideline for this plan period advocate for establishing Universities-industries inter-linkage for more profesnalization. The very plan addresses the issue and launches a scheme of siting up The University-industries inter-linkage center (UIL Centre).

12th plan guidelines also provided the guidelines for fostering social responsibility and community engagement in Universities. For this UGC decided to establish a center for fostering social responsibility and community engagement for “academic citizenship”.

 

 

9.   Scheme of community colleges for universities and colleges (2012-2017)

 

The 12th Five Year Plan Document of the Planning Commission has also laid a special emphasis on expansion of skill-based programmes in higher education. It recommends setting up of Community Colleges (CC) to serve multiple needs including (i) career oriented education and skills to students interested in directly entering the workforce;

(ii)  training and education programmes for local employers; (iii) high-touch remedial education for secondary school graduates not ready to enroll in traditional colleges, giving them a path to transfer to three or four year institutions; and (iv) general interest courses to the community for personal development and interest. The Plan Document also states that Community Colleges will be located to facilitate easy access to underprivileged students and such colleges could either be established as affiliated colleges of universities or as entirely autonomous institutions.

 

 

 

10. Vistaar

 

 

After the 12th each Universities started to work according to own module like University of Delhi ,who developed “Vistaar” , to strengthen the community-University relationship for mutual benefit and to reach-out to the society by involving research scholars, students, teachers, professionals and the community stakeholders. It is a unique innovative approach to work in community extension and outreach activities by involving the teachers, research scholars and the students of the university. ‘Vistaar’ – means extension, is a perfect blend of theory with practice whereby students get practical exposure of guidance in their chosen area. The main purpose of this initiative is developing and offering need based Lifelong Learning / Education programmes for students and members of marginalized community (Anand 2016).

 

 

 

11.       University and Indian Adult Education Association (IAEA) linkage

 

 

IAEA is a pioneering national level voluntary organization who is working in the field of Adult Education and its Development in India since 1939,it is one of the oldest organisations who is working in the field as a catalytic agent by providing training ,professional and academic advice to the institution and individuals working in the area of non-formal,adult,lifelong education and population and development education ,it is a clearing house to disseminate information on growth and development of University adult education through its periodicals,journals,books,literature etc., where it organized various seminars , conferences ,workshop etc which not only help to University system and its professionalization but provide deep insight insolvent to the adult educators in the world.(personal working experiences of the author in the field of Adult Education &(htt))

 

 

12.Adult Education and lifelong learning in New Education Policy 2016(under draft)

 

Recent development of new education policy 2016 has pointed out that Eradication of illiteracy has been a major concern since independence. Several programs have been undertaken as a result of which the overall literacy rate in the country improved from 12% at the time of independence to 74% according to the Census 2011. Despite this, India still has the highest number (300 million) of illiterate persons in the world.

 

Unfortunately, the adult literacy programs have lost their momentum particularly in the last few years; a sense of urgency is needed to address this challenge. Achieving this can be accelerated by-

·         Reaffirming government’s commitment to basic literacy and providing an opportunity for continuing education and lifelong learning for all illiterate persons above the age of 15 years

 

·         Providing a seamless transition from basic literacy to continuing education so that the gains that have been made are not lost.

Involving youth and women’s organizations and in particular the Self Help Groups to participate in the programs Well-defined geographical area should be taken up on priority by NGOs, Government, Schools/Colleges/educational institutions, etc. in districts with low literacy attainments, particularly among women. It is necessary to establish equivalency with formal education programs by making the content and curriculum for adult education comparable to the level of competency acquired by lower primary level students. Other things are-

 

i.        Reinstating the State Resource Centers (SRC’s) and Jan Shikshan Sansthans to be managed by reputed Foundations, Trusts and NGOs if they have the inclination and the where withal to accept the responsibility at least at some locations.

ii.         Instituting awards for the best innovations in promoting adult literacy on the lines of the National and State awards for teachers, sports. (Development 2016)

 

In the contemporary world, lifelong education is regarded as the determinant of a literate society. The pathways progresses from a literate environment created through the basic literacy programmes to a learning society which provides multiple avenues for meeting the learning needs of all sections of society. Lifelong Education is today essential for survival and for enhancing people’s quality of life, as well as for national, human, social and economic development. If India has to compete globally and emerge as a developed nation, it has to improve the quality of its human resources through well-defined lifelong education policies and programmes. Massive numbers of non-literates, the emergence of knowledge economy, challenges of globalization, tremendous expansion of information communication technology and increasing lifespan of individuals call for a major shift in the adult education policy and programmes. Multiple approaches to literacy are needed in diverse and complex Indian society. Approach to literacy will have to be flexible, decentralized and context based with focus on livelihood, entertainment, development interventions, etc. The following policy initiatives will be taken:

 

1.    Existing initiatives will be strengthened and curricula revamped with multi-pronged strategies involving Self Help Groups, NGOs, Government, schools/ colleges/ educational institutions, youth and women’s organisations for achieving universal youth and adult literacy.

2.    The mandate of existing structures, including the National Literacy Mission Authority at the apex level, the State Literacy Mission Authorities at the State level and the Lok Shikshan Samitis at the District, Block and the Gram Panchayat, as well as the resource support bodies, will require remodeling and strengthening for achieving universal literacy goals. States will prepare a district-wise action plan for achieving universal literacy.

 

3.    The Government will set up an apex body of experts to look into remodeling and strengthening of AE programmes and develop scientific criteria for assessing the learning outcomes of adults in literacy, skill development, prior learning and equivalency for certification which may also facilitate entry into the formal education system. NLMA will partner with accredited agencies for the purposes of accreditation of prior learning and for professional up-gradation of adult education personnel.

 

4.   Adult literacy Programme will incorporate skill development and digital, financial and legal literacy (Some Inputs for Draft ,National Eucation Policy 2016).

 

 

13.       Recent initiatives

 

 

After the 10th plan the university adult education has redefined in new way with the adoption of the policy of lifelong learning in 11th plan, area of adult education has broaden, now it has evolved as the key players in development of Knowledge society. The effort taken by UGC to make the Programme to the state universities are the important initiative in recent time, however in 12th plan where UGC has given the free hand to the department for institutional work, and development of good research cadre and theoretical base for the enhancement of capacities of University and community. Third dimension has been remain as the key for the functionality of Adult Education Department but after the 11th five year plan DACEE shifted their approaches towards the good theory building and their applicability to the society and this trend well sported by various national international organizations and conferences like , where recognizing the prior learner and giving the skill training to the adults and use of ICT in the activities of extension has griped more in recent time for the profesnalization , the University

 

Adult education has also given the autonomy to run short term courses like counseling and Guidence,teavel and turism,Radio broadcasting and various other self-financed courses related to development of soft skill and hard skill with full time Masters,M.Phil.,PHD Courses to force themselves in the constructive development of lifelong learning, however the very department is still working in their core are of community development and extension.

 

Recently Adult education department has involved themselves in quality enhancement by developing the social and economic infrastructure with quality research work.

 

With the establishment of firm department and funding in university adult education system led to region and international colobrations between various universities has exposed the Institution and research work on global platform and it has proved as a Competency enhancement tool where all the component of the University adult education got competitive mode to switch themselves for the sake of society.

 

In recent time University of Delhi has introduced the 6-8 paper of the adult education in Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) which is quite remarkable in the way the adult education is impacting the teacher and learner.

 

 

14.       Winter School

 

 

International MOUs with various departments has also provided a good platform to understand the comparative adult education and know their strong and weak point. Development of various winter school, autumn school and summer school, recently took the initiative to mobilize the adult educator throughout the world to discuss the certain issues and problems and solutions other than research, has been the key future in resent time in the sector of University Adult education. Where Indo-German project between the University of Delhi and Julius –Maximilian University, Wurzburg, Germany has revolutionized the Whole Adult education system in recent time in India and provided the good opportunities to the Adult education for comparative study, cross cultural understanding of Adult education discourse and practices in very field.it also provided the exposer to five other Indian universities other than University of Delhi, who are working towards the development of Adult Education by providing the DAAD,scholarship to the students.

 

 

15.       Challenges

 

 

·         Less numbers of Universities involvement in Adult education/ have been also big challenges in development of Adult Education, its professionalization and community engagement.

·         Due to not having the Adult education/ lifelong learning, in College level like social work or other discipline, is also paralyzing the development of adult education as a discipline, as college level is known as the building block for the growth of any discipline, so development of the discipline at the college level has been the major challenges for University Adult Education development.

 

·         Other big abrogate is that various Universities in India is running the Adult education program with different nomenclature is also a huge problems where one university in running the lifelong learning program where other is running in the name of Master’s Degree in Extension Education or with any other name some time hamper the credit transfer issue or other technicality work of Universities like colobrations as well as the funding.

 

·         Recently University Adult Education is working for the community where the involvement of researcher and professor with strong motive is required because it is a sector which affect directly to the community wellbeing, so strengthening these things with strong motivation is still lacking where there is need of proper strong policy and funding from time to in the development of University Adult Education In India.

 

 

16.       Proposed Recommendations

 

 

·         Need to implement the Adult Education as a discipline in colleges of both state and central level universities.

·         Need to consider collaboration between NLMA and Universities for better execution and profesnalization.

 

·         Need to establishment of the cell in university level to co-ordination or execution of Adult education programs/work ,because the same kind of work done by various department like social work, Adult Education or various other department split the whole function of the university Adult Education.

·         Need of more university to university collaboration at regional and International level.

·         Instant need to revive the Gender Resource center (GRC) for local community.

·         There is need to involve the corporate social responsibility (CSR) with University Adult Education in India to development of infrastructure, resource mobilization and effective deliberation of service to the community.so need to develop public private partnership (PPP) model for strengthening the University-community partnership

 

·         Need to provide more UGC special Assistance Programme (SAP) to theAdult Education Department of the Universities in India, who is working in this field.(Currently only Tirupati University has SAP in this field).

·         University adult education system collaboration with Skill India programs for imparting the skill and technology transfer to the ruler people and the marginalized section should be the next step of imitative for Adult education and lifelong learning other than teaching, research & Extension and it is the need of the hour where government can use the resource of the Adult education to reach out to the all the sections of the community.

  1. Conclusion

 

However in recent time after the ninth plan University adult education has geared up for the sake of society in the direction for development of theory to revamp the University Adult Education by upgrading the teachers-learners skill in this discipline and its practices. Today most of DACEE are involved in the development of theoretical base for the firm establishment of University Adult Education and their meaningful engagement.

The international colobrations has been the noticeable remark, with development of new technologies and use of ICT has definitely impacted the most in recent decade but need to harmonize the education is still big task in front of University Adult Education system and work for those sections of the population , who did not gate the chance for education , it means there need to integration of the formal, non-formal and informal education system through the Adult Education for more prominent and convincing intervention of University Adult Education system.

 

 

you can view video on University Engagement with Adult Education in India- part 2

 

References

 

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  • Some Inputs for Draft ,National Eucation Policy. New Delhi: MHRD Government of India, 2016.
  • “Tenth Plan UGC scheme on Adult, Continuing Education ,Extension and Field Outreach.” University Grant Commission, july 2004.
  • Vibhute, Bhalba. “Extension Education in Indian Universities : An overview.” University News, 2007: 4-9.