Andhra Pradesh

`Higher education in need of overhaul'

By R. Sampath

VISAKHAPATNAM, AUG. 17. Higher education in the State needs to be given a quality dimension to strengthen its very fabric and make it equitable and relevant to the requirements of changing society, according to K. Chenchu Reddy, who is taking over as Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) on Wednesday.

In an exclusive interview with The Hindu , Prof. Chenchu Reddy averred that it should be remembered that quality "is a critical input for quality governance and even basic education.'' Further, quality would engender skills in and intellectual inputs to various disciplines, he added.

In the current context of globalisation and stiff competition, quality was a pre-requisite for creating a level-playing field for those pursuing higher education, he pointed out.

Private participation

Prof. Reddy favoured the involvement of private industries in developing higher educational institutions towards making them viable and arresting the perceptible deterioration in quality.

A multilateral approach was essential to tone up the quality of higher education, he emphasised, as it would open up the scope for a more meaningful and greater industry-academia interaction. "Industry will then become a stakeholder in promoting quality higher education, whereby it will also derive some benefits.''

Monitoring agency

Spelling out the APSCHE's role as a coordinating and monitoring agency focusing on policy implementation, he said that it was not meant to disturb the autonomy of universities. "Instead, we intend utilising the wisdom of our Vice-Chancellors towards achieving excellence, besides commonality among all universities. As of now, the council comprises the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, the Secretary and six educationist members.

It will be my endeavour to induct Vice-Chancellors also as members so that it will function like executive councils of universities and usher in participatory management for policy evolution and execution.''

By commonality, Prof. Reddy meant administrative cohesion among all universities in the State, uniformity in the number of working days, leave and holidays, and avoidance of different calendars.

Teacher posts

Would the APSCHE attend on the problem of vacant teacher posts in universities? ``Recruitment of university teachers is another area where the council will certain play its role.

Here again, quality will be a key factor. Recruitment will be need-based and would require minimum student strength in any discipline.''

About social sciences taking a back seat in the light of the craze for professional courses, he said that it was indeed unfortunate.

Social science courses, too, had to be reoriented and restructured so as to make them relevant and bring in new developments in those fields.

"They should be as empirical and qualitative as science and technology courses. Humanities cannot be totally neglected,'' he added.

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