The COVID-19 pandemic and the experiences that it brought with it, form the core of the G20 education working group meeting, that begins in Chennai on Tuesday.
Learning hitches and the subsequent fall in learning capabilities of students across the world due to school closures helped decide the themes for the event, along with technology, which was thrust upon students, but remained uneven in its penetration, thereby significantly impacting learning.
The participating countries have identified four themes – foundational literacy and numeracy; more inclusive tech-enabled learning; skill development to promote life-long learning in the context of future of work and strengthening research and promoting innovation through richer collaboration and partnerships.
“We have selected four themes based on a consultative process with all the countries,” K. Sanjay Murthy, higher education secretary, Union Ministry of Education told The Hindu on Monday, Adding: “We needed to bring back focus to see how we can arrive at a common goal or common institutional arrangement. It is not just for G20 countries: across the world, learning has suffered.”
Mr. Murthy was in Chennai to inaugurate the G20 education working group on Tuesday.
Knowledge through technology
COVID-19 taught countries the delivery of knowledge through technology: be it the CoWin app [for India’s vaccination progeamme] or the Diksha portal [offers learning material] or Swayam platform [hosts courses]. “We need to see how this could be further collaborated upon for better efficacy in reaching the target (larger) population,” Mr. Murthy explained.
The pandemic also led to changes in work methods. “Our institutions need to focus on the need to train children and students on this future of work,” the Education Secretary said, giving example of how some countries had automated hotel check-in counters. “You need to be prepared if you want a job. I think this gives you an opportunity to deliberate, on the future of the job market,” he added.
Referring to COVID-19 vaccines he said: “Having realised that research is a collaborative, multi-country effort you need to go forward to see how you can work more closely with each other to serve for public good. We expect that these four themes will throw up some solutions. If not, [they may] suggest institutional arrangements where we can work together towards realising the aims and objectives that these themes are supposed to address,” he explained.
A total of 32 countries are participating in the G20 summit that will take place at Indian Institute of Technology-Madras’ (IIT-M) Research Park. The summit will include seminars and exhibition.
NEP 2020 and State’s education policy
The Education secretary skirted question of the Tamil Nadu government’s plans to develop its own education policy, but said the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 “talks of many interesting things.” He dwelt on the issues of teaching, learning in one’s mother tongue and technology. “The Government of India and the Ministry is taking this seriously,, especially in terms of providing course material of technical courses in the mother tongue. For the predominantly large non-English speaking population it is imperative that we provide reading material and literature in the local language. And I think these are steps that we are taking and I think we are having great support from States towards this endeavour,” he said.
The NEP’s focus on flexibility “to the student in his learning journey”, the concept of multiple entry and exits, providing credits for courses through proper regulations, and the academic bank of credits, would benefit students, Mr. Murthy emphasised. Also, the use of technology for learning would provide students and faculty with better tools, and would enhance the learning experience, Mr. Murthy said.
“These three fundamental approaches of the NEP are universal and are adopted by all the States in whatever fashion they want. At the end of the day, we need to see how the student is benefiting from these policy and regulated initiatives, and I think a beginning is being made and we’ll achieve its desired outcomes,” he said
On the State’s concern that multiple exit options could lead to drop-outs, Mr. Murthy said, the NEP had been designed with the future in mind but whether the four-year degree programme as has been designed would be relevant five years down the line remained to be seen.
“I have to prepare myself for the unknown future. I’ll have to ensure that my student is given that opportunity to learn at his pace and at his time of choice. I think we are doing a disservice by not giving him that opportunity to learn what he wants. Unless you provide these avenues I don’t think he can meet the challenges of the future,” he pointed out.
“It is technology which is going to show [us] the path. Unless we are prepared and we prepare our students and the faculty is prepared, we will not be able to address any such challenge which may come up on us unexpectedly” Mr. Murthy concluded.
