In line with the lofty goal, the entire education system should be reconfigured to foster and support the critical targets and goals of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable development. The world requires a serious change in the knowledge landscape and the growing number of unskilled jobs because of the gap between the current state of learning outcomes and the required learning outcomes. It requires a serious major reform that brings the highest quality, equity and integrity in the education system from the early childhood care to higher education.
Therefore, from the teacher centric learning, the new outcome-based education (OBE) will drive towards student centric learning. The OBE is a systematic approach in which the decisions pertaining to the curriculum are driven by the outcomes that the student should acquire by the end of his course. The student will know the final destination of his journey before it starts, unlike in the traditional system of learning. The course outcomes and programme outcomes should bring about a behavioural change among the students. This will make them industry-ready and will also create more employable graduates.
In line with this, the National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF) has introduced 10 levels of learning which increases the complexity of learning at different levels. The first four parameters -- Level 1 to 4 -- will cover school education, and Level 5 onwards, the focus will be on higher education. These levels represent a nationally recognised competency-based framework which provides for multiple pathways of learning, horizontal as well as vertical.
The NHEQF links the various elements of vocational education and training with those skills required by business and industry so that vocational pass outs can exit with employment related skills. The framework thus envisages close partnership with industry in the design, development, assessment and certification of skill content. This framework will maintain national standard and international comparability of learning outcomes in order to ensure global competitiveness and to facilitate students’ mobility. The mobility of learning will help the students adapt to multidisciplinary, liberal arts and transdisciplinary areas.
The Future of Indian Higher Education with NHEQF will assist in identifying potential progressive pathways from one level of education to the higher level. This can be achieved through multiple entry, exit and re-entry points/options in the context of lifelong learning. Higher education will move towards a blended mode of learning with premier institutions, reputed global universities and corporate conglomerates through MOOCs.
Education plays a significant role in the development of skilled human capital, who are creative, innovative and knowledgeable. Countries have invested huge amount of money to realise the objective of making the economy and the country a high-income and developed nation. The traditional instruction involves a typical lecture-based session and often uses the chalk and talk methodology.
However, this type of instruction has been a result of passive students who lack in active participation and have relied more on their grading transcripts, memorising and repetition for learning.
An outcome-based approach is needed for continual improvement in higher education.
Therefore, the “Fitness for Purpose” in Higher Education can be achieved through the latest regulations with the implementation of the NHEQF. This will place Indian higher education on par with global standards.
Dr. K. Sundararaman
Chief Executive Officer
Sri Krishna Institutions
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