Mathur Ritika Passi

uncomfortably within the formal schooling
structure. Yet, they promise an effective
and low-cost way of reaching children who
need help the most.
Over the next five years, a focused
effort to introduce TARL in dedicated
learning camps (four-six weeks long) is
one way to close the learning gap. Over
time, the education system can integrate
TARL-type innovations through actual
or virtual remedial sessions. Several such
practices are already part of the NCERT
frameworks, but are difficult to implement
within classrooms. Shorter, targeted
programmes can be implemented more
easily.
Competencies
In 2013, the Learning Metrics Task Force
identified seven domains of learning—
physical well-being, social and emotional
skills, culture and arts, literacy and
communication, learning approaches and
cognition, numeracy and mathematics,
and science and technology. 17 Others have
described 21st century skills: Teamwork,
organisational skills, autonomous learning,
self-direction, creativity and innovation.
These skills reflect the reality of our social
and economic environment. Knowledge
accumulation no longer commands the
premium that it did before. Interpretation,
analysis, and management of knowledge
and its application to the world are much
more valued. Increasing automation in
manufacturing is another irreversible trend.
Both require that children learn to manage
environments, technology and people at
different levels of complexity. As the Indian
system struggles to provide the basics,
these broader domains sound almost
utopian—but they offer an opportunity to
leapfrog and embed these new skills into
our existing learning frameworks.
Helping Teachers Do Better
The success of any education system
depends fundamentally on the interaction
between students and teachers. There
is enough written about the challenges
of teaching recruitment, quality and
incentives. Four areas of immediate
management changes stand out. First,
teachers work best when there is clarity
regarding their scope of work and goals.
Arbitrary, frequent changes to curricula
and pedagogy demotivate teachers and
should be discouraged. Second, teachers
are most effective when most of their
working hours are spent teaching.
Instructional hours should be sacrosanct,
and predictable and adequate instructional
time has shown big improvements in
learning. Third, corruption is endemic
to teacher appointments in many states.
Political leadership across party lines
would do well to confront and defeat
this challenge. Finally, non-financial
recognition, through local recognition, peer
voting and immediate feedback—practices
deployed routinely in general management
circles—can bring improvements. It is
impossible to delve here into details of the
delivery challenges that lie at the heart
of the problems in the Indian education
system, but it is important to spell out
its role and to note, that even within this
system, the states that perform are those
that can motivate, reward and manage
their teachers better.
ICTs and Opening (and Open) Education
Evidence is mixed on how effective
information and communication
technology (ICT) is for learning.
Technology by itself is not enough to
improve student performance. What
matters is how it is deployed, who uses
it and why ICT can invert the model
of learning: It allows children to tap
into their natural curiosity and learn by
“wandering;” it increases confidence; it
offers divergent perspectives and makes
them active learners. Technology is a
boon for open education. The National
Institute of Open Schooling and the Indira
Gandhi National Open University are
two institutions that can immediately use
technology to free education from the
constraints of structured coursework and
allow students to decide how they learn.
Over the next two to three years, all open
courses offered by both institutions should
become completely flexible, with students
free to register and learn when they want.
In addition, the many experiments with
technology and learning should continue
as we discover the best ways to use
technology, especially for children with
poor learning levels. At a minimum, every
school should be connected to a high-speed
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