‘Education should take into account needs of learners’

As many as 64,188 students receive degree certificates at BU convocation

Governor K. Rosaiah, who is also the Chancellor of Bharathiar University, presenting degree certificate to a student at the convocation held at the university in Coimbatore on Tuesday.

Any attempt to improve the quality of education should take into account the needs of learners, who are the focal point of education, said A. Navaneetha Krishnan, Chairman, Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, at the Bharathiar University convocation on Tuesday.

For education to be inclusive, it had to be responsive to the various needs of the learners and give necessary importance to the abilities, skills and knowledge they brought to the teaching-learning process. And, an inclusive environment was essential.

Human capital

Quality human capital came only from quality education process. Therefore, a carefully designed and well-planned education system was critical to developing such human capital.

Institutions in such system should play a vital role in improving teaching and learning in such a way that effectively transfers knowledge and skills to students.

Speaking on employability skills, Mr. Navaneetha Krishnan said that when institutions provide the skills to the students, they should have in mind that unlike in the past where employability skills were job-specific, today the definition of employability had changed.

It included foundational academic skills, right attitude, good habits, ability to solve complex, multi-disciplinary problems and work in teams.

Urging the private sector to join hands with the government to evolve a partnership to make the education more effective, he said that the aim of such a partnership should be to provide a holistic and man-making education. In doing so, the institutions could leverage the benefits of new technologies as they would have a significant impact on the quality of education.

Women's education

He urged the university management to take adequate steps to promote women’s education, strengthen and empower youngsters, equip them with skills to strengthen their thinking capability and use cutting-edge technology.

Grants

The Vice Chancellor, G. James Pitchai, said that the university was ranked among the top 50 institutions in the country, had obtained grants amounting to Rs. 57.38 crore from the University Grants Commission, recently opened a PG extension centre in Erode and had taken steps to power the campus with solar energy. He also spoke about the university’s e-governance initiatives.

As many as 64,188 graduands received their degree certificates. After the convocation, Governor Mr. Rosaiah inaugurated a teachers’ tree park in the university by planting the first sapling.