Numerous industry leaders have time and again stressed on the fact that the current education system has failed to provide them with employable candidates. The same was confirmed by around 5,000 students who took part in the survey conducted by St. Xavier’s College recently.
While the academia and authorities have admitted to the gap between academics and industry, and that the education system needs to be changed. In fact, the University of Mumbai (MU) authorities have admitted to the fact that the effort to address the industry demand by introducing the credit-based system and grading has not served the purpose in any way as students are finding ways to circumvent the new systems, thus defeating the initiatives of the government and authorities.
According to Dr P.M. Khodke, director of the Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education (MSBTE), after realising that the industry was not willing to hire students who studied under the board due to the lack of practical knowledge and experience, the board started industrial training for students. “Though students get practical knowledge, they do not want to enter the industry as they are not content with what is paid to them, and hence prefer to go for further studies where they do not get the practical training we offer,” said Dr Khodke.
Agreeing on the lack of practical experience among students studying various courses under the MU, management council member Dilip Karande said, “Students do not learn the ways and methods followed by the industry in the current mode of education. Rote learning tends to provide them marks, but not experience which is what the industry looks for in the graduate students.”
A senior University official admitted that the credit-based system introduced on the guidelines of the HRD ministry to make students market-ready has failed to serve the purpose. “The credit-based system wherein 40 marks are allotted to students based on the project work they do is not a reliable method, as students generally tend to resort to shortcuts rather than making any effort at all. Field visits are a compulsory ingredient of the system, but as college professors are burdened with routine duties, students do not work on their projects sincerely,” said the official.
Confirming the need for a standardised education system, which was one of the opinions of the surveyed students, J.M. Abhyankar, former chairman of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, said, “There is a need for standardisation of what is being taught by all the boards in the country. However, certain subjects should be specific for its peculiar nature. The authorities need to address and do away with different boards to create a level playing field for all students.”