There is a need to measure excellence among students in non-conventional ways to be able to address the gap between industry requirement and the education being provided, said panellists during a discussion on the subject at the conclave.
The session moderated by T. Muralidharan, chairman of TMI Group, was marked by thought-provoking discussion on teacher qualifications, wage for teaching, university curriculum, opposition from universities to update syllabi and more importantly, the role of the government in the framework of education.
“The government should create a regulatory framework and move out of the way to let private educational institutions function,” opined Mr. Muralidharan, who also engaged the audience through questions posed by the gathering itself.
Speaking on the need for skill development, co-founder, CEO and MD, Talent Sprint, Shantanu Paul, said organisations like his exist because fresh graduates were not equipped with problem-solving skills that the industry demands. He said students should be able to understand a problem, analyse it by breaking it down and devise a simple solution which has to also be effectively communicated, adding that this was his definition of excellence.
The speakers agreed that the existing system was not preparing students for real world jobs, warranting dedicated training. Sujith Kumar, President, National HRD Network, Chennai Chapter, also spoke on how teachers were not being compensated adequately in schools to remain motivated and committed to the profession.
“Teachers should be the highest paid professionals if we are to reach excellence in education,” he said. Chandrashekar D.P., CEO, JGI Schools, opined that governments that attract investors including multi-national companies should get them to invest in education. He also suggested that funds earmarked for corporate social responsibility could be directed for use to increase payment to teachers.
