[Assam] Technical education-Editorial (The Assam Tribune, 13.07.2007)

[Buljit Buragohain]

                  EDITORIAL 
  
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  Technical education
— The approval of the Centre for 440 more seats for technical education in Assam is a welcome development that had been long overdue. The meagre number of seats in institutions of technical education such as Assam Engineering College has been having an adverse impact on the growth of technical education in the State. It has also been causing a mass exodus of students outside the State every year. It is now expected that phase-wise induction of more seats at degree and diploma levels and setting up of more institutes will ultimately raise the number of seats to 20,000 in the State’s engineering colleges and institutes. The ratio of seats against institutes in Assam has been well below that of many states of the country, and augmenting the absorption capacity of our institutes to those of other States could be the first towards curtailing the yearly brain drain. Along with increasing the number of seats, the Government should direct its efforts towards establishing more
 technical education institutes. Private investment in this vital sector also needs to be facilitated. What is imperative, however, for sustaining the endeavour aimed at promoting technical education is that the institutes maintain the standard of quality education. It is only through strict quality control that the objectives of promoting technical education can be realised. Or else, we will be merely adding to the long list of technical unemployed, which has already attained serious dimensions. A dispassionate analysis will reveal that the institutions of higher learning in the State have not been able to deliver in the manner expected. The falling standard of higher education in the State is fast emerging as a big concern, as exemplified by below-par teaching and the consequent poor results. The persistence with old, irrelevant courses and syllabi are also responsible for this sorry state of affairs. There are many colleges that are producing very few graduates and that
 too in the lowest category of divisions. Obviously, such institutions are not doing justice to the crores of rupees they have been receiving as grant for salary of teachers. The poor quality of teaching in many of our colleges has been a perennial bane contributing to the downslide of higher education. This can be traced to the deficient selection procedure of teachers, as the UGC norms for teachers’ appointment are never strictly enforced in many colleges. Of late, the Education Department has taken some steps to stem the rot, but in order to be effective, the drive has to be a sustained one catering to the long-term needs of higher education.
            
























        
























  
   
   (The Assam Tribune,13.07.2007) 



       
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