State targets higher education GER of 25 per cent

‘Path-breaking initiatives in the 12th Five Year Plan will ensure that this target is met'

AIMING HIGH: C. Thangaraj, Vice-Chancellor of the Anna University of Technology-Chennai, making a presentation of the terms of reference of XII Plan for higher education sector at a stakeholders' consultative meeting held at Bharathiar Univrsity in Coimbatore on Wednesday. Photo: M. Periasamy

Even though the national Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education is 12 per cent, the State has an average of 16 per cent. Now, it has set a target of increasing it to 25 per cent. Path-breaking initiatives in the XII Five Year Plan will only ensure that this target is met, E. Balagurusamy, Member, State Planning Commission, said here on Wednesday.

Chairing a regional consultative meeting of stakeholders, to get suggestions for finalising the plan document on higher education for the XII Plan, at Bharathiar University, he said that mere increase in number of colleges should not be the point of focus; rather it should be on increasing the quality of education.

“The XII Plan will focus on addressing major issues such as improving quality of education, increasing number of teachers and their teaching quality, enhancing the quality of research to address social problems, and thereby the number of patents.

Focus should be on producing graduates for future employment and not immediate employment,” Mr. Balagurusamy said.

He said that the innovative initiatives suggested by stakeholders in this regard would be incorporated in the Plan document and the Government would be convinced in adopting them.

Pointing out that in the present scenario, skill development was running parallel to formal education, he added that the XII Plan would work on incorporating the skill component in the formal curriculum.

Application-oriented research

“Colleges are not there to provide employment, but quality education. In the last 15 years, rate of self-employment has come down considerably. Research output of State universities is very poor. Focus should be on application-oriented research. There is no point in preparing papers and presenting it in international seminars in the United States. Research should help address the many ills that plague the society,” Mr. Balagurusamy said.

C. Thangaraj, Vice-Chancellor of Anna University of Technology, Chennai, presenting the terms of reference that included a gamut of issues, said suggestions would be taken from stakeholders under 12 core areas.

“The three main measures that is being viewed as means to achieving a GER of 25 per cent while enhancing the quality of education are, increasing the distribution of total public expenditure per student in higher education, increasing the number of qualified faculty in colleges, and ensuring that more number of colleges get accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council,” he said.

C. Swaminathan, Vice-Chancellor of Bharathiar University, M. Alagar, Director, EMRC, Anna University, Chennai, and P.K. Manoharan, Dean, CDC, Bharathiar University, spoke.

Vice-Chancellors, former Vice-Chancellors, college principals, and representatives of teachers' associations, besides others participated in the meeting and put forth issues that needed to be addressed and also gave suggestions.

The suggestions drawn from other centres such as Madurai, Tiruchi, and Chennai, would be consolidated and compiled as a draft plan.