Ananya S Guha.
There is much hype about inclusive education. Education in its lexicon automatically appropriates inclusion. In other words at least as per Indian laws everyone has a Right to Education. The polemics of the word ” inclusive ” coupled with its interpretive nature is precisely because of non- inclusion due to non-affordability and capitation fees which have earned several times the stricture of the Apex Court. Inclusive education also means opportunities, access to education, for those who live in seclusion and live in disadvantaged social and economic conditions. However the telling paradox is that education is also becoming more exclusive. Otherwise how do we explain the ubiquitous cut off marks ranging from 97- 99 to get admission in colleges in the country, especially in the capital city where everyone tends to make a bee line for? Or with privatisation of education the money factor impounds on the quality, and this intersection makes it difficult to draw the distinction as to what the emphasis is on : money or the elusive ‘quality.’ The point of this article is to focus on how Distance and Open Education by a systemic methodology can make education wider in terms of access to it, flexible in terms of spacing out studies and also can invest education with continuity, that is taking to studies after a hiatus or continuing with education and work at the same time. This is a significant attribute of what we call inclusiveness, as this gives to education a broad continuum of meaning and space.
Apropos of the fact that education must be inherently flexible in terms of access is a point of ambiguity. It cannot because schools and colleges have limited openings or seats. And why is this so? Because they say the student teacher ration must be contained. True. But the ratio is still on the very high side especially in government schools. The flawed part of it is that education in our country is systemically flawed. The learning by rote androgogy or pedagogy still continues unabashedly. Of course today we have the internet, but the ‘ cut ‘ and ‘ paste’ formula still works with elan both among students and teachers! Added to it is the ghost of teacher absenteeism.
If we are to look at the flexibility perspective of education, we are thinking of a complexity factors: the continuity of it, alternating between work and study, lifelong education, education for women, working people, education for those challenged due to reasons beyond their control or their parents and continuing education- a steady flow of the precepts of learning from childhood to adulthood unimpeded by trauma of failing, getting degrees and an interested or even a ‘ disinterested ‘ pursuit of learning for its own sake and for pleasure.
It is precisely here that Distance and Open learning can play a pivotal role in shaping education, giving it the much needed dynamism, flexibility and continuity in a steady and unabated flow. Moreover it gives a chance to the learner to come back to studies after a break for whatever reasons. It addresses the problem of ‘ drop outs’ and one time failure by giving maximum time to complete courses and programmes. It introduces flexible concepts like associate degree and credit transfer thereby opening up dialogue with other universities for inter student mobility. It is no wonder then that Distance and Open education in India free of myopic restrictions has become very popular with its intake of students accounting for almost twenty five per cent of the takers in Higher Education. Moreover it subverts a degree bias and places certification and diplomas on a common platform, not meant to be comparable with higher degrees, but standing on their own right as professional or vocational short term academic programmes. The three selection criteria of Distance Education are: easy access, flexibility in terms of duration of courses, and admission throughout the year. This is its connotation of being ‘ Open ‘ meaning inherent flexibility.
However in recent years the glitches and the stumbling blocks are many. The University Grants Commission which is now the apex body for assessing Distance Education insists on a review every two to three years; imposes restrictions on introducing new courses and monitors dual body institutions saying that these universities cannot introduce courses in Distance Education other than what they offer in their respective institutions. This is not only duplication but a gross embargo on innovation. Moreover again under its aegis the NCTE, AICTE, Nursing Council of India, the Dental Council are imposing all kinds of restrictions to Open Universities to initiate professional programmes by means of partnerships and alliances. The collaborative nuances of education are undermined and stifled. Access and flexibility are becoming myths and Indian Education is slowly going back to its heydays of backwardness, learning by rote and procuring degrees by the do or die maxim. If hurdles are put in the way of Distance Education then free access to deprived learners will be denied. Moreover the mission statement of education is reaching remote places, and this can be achieved by taking it to remote areas through study centres and mobile learning centres. True Apex Bodies can issue guidelines for academic programmes having a heavy practical component, but I do not think it is wise to restrict academic programmes only to traditional Graduation or Post Graduation Degrees. Education must be innovative and Distance Education because of its inherent flexibility can look towards larger target groups: the young, the young adult, working professionals, housewives, missionary and charity workers, school and college teachers etc. Such cutting across sections of the society calls for greater and wider selection of courses and much more applicable oriented human resources.
So in this context what is inclusiveness? It is the rounded appeal of distance education which is cardinal. Inclusion would mean accommodation of education for all, which is a catchword and still remains mythical. Inclusion will mean related entry norms, extension of the classroom in terms of pedagogy introducing innovative standards like reflexive technology, internet and free and open source software by means of which students can glean information for knowledge transference. Teachers must use both in the synchronous and asynchronous modes; the mobile phone and the internet to keep in touch with students. E- Learning must be appropriately used in terms of teaching, use of the skype, google/ yahoo groups and social networking sites will not only bring traditional effects to education, while reducing ‘ distances ‘ and breaking barriers of isolation.
Here Distance and Open Education is not only reinventing the wheel but changing rapidly with the times, by adapting the newest in technology and associating education with training as well. The inclusiveness of Distance Learning is that it is: lifelong learning, adult education, continuing education, professional training and also education for the young immediately after school. If this isn’t a wide spectrum of inclusion then what is? It is not a one to one management of education but a one to many as study texts substitute the teacher persona and in- build a teaching mechanism in the content material, written in a lucid manner so as to ‘ teach ‘.