Quality in higher education: what reality says

Quality in higher education has become a grave concern at the present moment. The necessity of achieving quality is knocking at the door with the advent of Globalization. Quality is a big term. First of all we have to define quality. Then we have to proceed for achieving such quality. So we must have some clearly pre-defined objectives. Basically quality is measured by contribution of the learner after completion of learning. Now inorder to measure a learner’s contribution we may identify some specific fields where a learner uses to contribute. These fields may be job market, family life, locality, society or country. The main key of achieving quality in higher education is to pay attention to the contribution to be made by a learner. In this line of thinking the present day educationists in our country are keen on propagating some innovative steps, which they claim to be instrumental toensure quality in higher education. These steps include: introduction of employment oriented courses, improvement of academic qualifications on the part of teachers, admission through counseling, conduct of regular class tests, development of inquisitive mind among learners, extraction of potentialities of the learners, development of thinking ability among the learners, organizing Guardians’ meet, exposure to enriched resources through modernized equipments both on the part of teachers and students, career counseling and so on. Only sincere dedication and devotion to teaching can bring about success provided they are supported by the peripheral commitment to achieve quality education. Obviously the peripheral commitment must come from the top two tiers of the pyramid. Present day education policy lacks commitment and is full of ornamental suggestions. These suggestions are simply to divert attention from the core of the problem.