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In the rapidly changing world of education today, considerable debates have begun to occur around the unnecessary and unfortunate compartmentalization of various streams of education in national ministries and departments in many countries. Different departments exist almost as silos in respect of primary education, secondary education, tertiary education, vocational education, literacy, and adult education. From the vantage point of policy-makers, separate departments may be efficient in managing programmes and budgets of various streams of education. But, from the point of view of the learner, these various streams are closely inter-related in the various life-stages of the person and her family. With rapid structural changes in economy, learning of new knowledge and skills becomes critical for livelihood, as well as for effective functioning of the person as a citizen in society. Hence, there is an increasing imperative to evolve an integrated framework of life-long learning which can inform the development of policies and programmes in various streams and departments of education at the national and provincial levels.
The major disconnect in the various streams of education appears to happen in the context of higher educationâtertiary education, or post-secondary education. The biggest challenge, therefore, seems to be to find principles and perspectives that embed higher education policies and programmes in the framework of life-long learning. Such a framework would encourage viewing higher education as a stage in the learning cycle of citizens, who may access such opportunities in diverse ways that match their needs and aspirations.
An interesting example of this approach is evident in the University of Siena, in Italy. The commune of Siena was facing challenges related to human resources in coping with the changing nature of its political-economy in the late 12th century. Its leadership, with some support from the Church, began to explore how an institution of higher education can be set up in Siena that builds on the existing knowledge and training of its people, but also takes a long-term view of what is required for the region to become economically, socially and politically developed in the coming centuries. So, in 1240 AD, the commune of Siena founded this institution of higher education. The professors and students invited to this institution were welcomed in the commune by its citizenry; the procedure for renting rooms for professors and students to stay was so created as the landlords paid a cess to contribute towards the finances of this institution. The new knowledge generated from the work of these scholars was shared with the public in meetings of town halls and community centres; these meetings encouraged the scholars to identify the new research agendas based on the suggestions made by the citizens. Overtime, this institution has become one of the best universities of Italy.
The emerging innovations around social inclusion through productive employment of all citizens were supported by this, and other, universities of Italy. Today the sector of social economy and social cooperatives is the bulwark of livelihood and mutual support to the ordinary citizens and their families, as the more formal and corporate sectors of Italian economy are in deep turmoil in the crises of the Eurozone.
Similar institutional innovations have existed in many different societies around the world; we may have lost knowledge about them, and their roots; those models may have been undermined in the rush to globalize higher education around the world. Yet, it appears that âembeddingâ higher education in local realities is likely to make the integration with the framework of life-long education far more likely. It can also generate much greater public support for expansion of access to and contributions from higher education in our societies. However, such an orientation to âembedâ higher education may entail deeper localization and decentralization. Such an approach may appear counter-intuitive to the current push towards standardized global rankings approach that is driving universities to compete in ways that may further distance them from such âembeddednessâ? It may be a huge challenge since the perspective of knowledge economy is currently shaping the educational practices in all forms. To promote knowledge society, economy may need to be âembeddedâ in society first, a tall order indeed?
Rajesh Tandon July 25, 2012
PRIA’s MobiliseHER team traveled to Bangalore during the week of June, 10 – 14, 2024. The aim of the visit was to gain relevant insights into the civil society ecosystem in Bangalore and meet different organisations to understand the city through a lens of gender and inclusive mobility.
Working at PRIA, often leads us to various cities across the country. Each trip is an opportunity to witness firsthand the challenges and triumphs of different communities.
Mr. Yedukrishnan V has recently joined PRIA after gaining valuable experience in the development sector. Drawing from his journey in the social sector and personal encounters in Kerala, he emphasises the importance of participatory governance and research in empowering marginalised communities.'
