The distance education or 'technology-mediated learning' in India, although regarded as alternative mode of education, has a very significant role to play. Distance learning institutes are a platform for continuing education for all those who had to take up jobs early. By making learning materials available at your home and reducing the cost of education, distance-learning courses in India are actually playing the very important role of democratizing education in the country. The application of high-end technologies and growing popularity of online education can in fact free distance education from all the ills that it suffers at the moment.
Distance Education Institutes in India: There are at present quite a good number of distance education institutes in India that offer various academic and professional courses. There is, at present, one National Open University- Indira Gandhi National Open University, IGNOU and thirteen state open universities. However, most states also have dual mode Universities that allow them to offer correspondence courses in India. The number of dual mode Universities recognized by the Distance Education Council (DEC), a statutory authority for promotion and coordination of the Open University and distance education system and for the determination of its standard, in different states are mentioned below-
Andhra Pradesh- 14, Arunachal Pradesh- 1, Assam- 2, Bihar- 4, Chattishgarh 1,Delhi- 3, Gujarat-1, Haryana-4, Himachal Pradesh- 1, Jammu & Kashmir- 2, Karnataka- 10, Kerala- 4, Madhya Pradesh- 8, Maharashtra- 13, Meghalaya- 1, Orissa- 5, Puducherry- 1, Punjab- 5, Rajasthan- 3, Sikkim- 1, Tamil Nadu- 18, Tripura- 1, Uttar Pradesh- 8, Uttarakhand- 2, West Bengal- 6.
Apart from these institutes, the Symbiosis Center for Distance Learning, Pune and IMT Distance and Open Learning Institute, Ghaziabad are also approved by the Distance Education Council of India.
In order to make distance-learning courses affordable and available for children a National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) was also formed. Gradually, State Open Schools and State Centers for Open Learning were also established. In 1997, the National Consortium for Open Schooling, NCOS was established to co-ordinate and systematize the interaction between different open schooling agencies.
Democratization of Education: Distance learning courses in India serve different purpose to different people. While the urban youth is attracted to the correspondence courses as they allow them to continue their jobs while pursuing education, millions of rural youth find it attractive, as they cannot afford to relocate themselves. Another factor that has made the distance learning courses popular is that the course fee of these courses are also much lesser than the regular courses. Thus, one can take up an MBA or Journalism and Miscommunication or any other professional course at quite a low cost. Thus, the distance learning courses have come as a boon for not only the urban youth of the country but also for large number of bright young people of the rural areas. For example of the 1.5 million enrolled students of the Indira Gandhi National Open University, a large number of them belong to the disadvantaged sections of the society. The National Institute of Open Schooling, by providing various academic and vocational courses have contributed a lot in integrating the physically handicapped and all those children who can not afford to attend regular classes. Thus, the distance learning institutes in India, by making various need based programme available at doorsteps at affordable price, playing a very important role in the process of democratization of the education system in India.
Conclusion:
Education for all has become all the important in India to cater to the human resource needs of various industries of the Indian economy as well as to strengthen its democratic roots. Sustaining eight percent economic growth would not be possible for long without educating the poor and disadvantaged sections of the society. And it is distance learning in India that can make quality education available at affordable price. Therefore, distance-learning institutes, by making use of high-end technologies can make equitable development possible and strengthen the democratic roots of the country. As for millions of Indians, distance learning is not an alternative mode of education, but the only mode of education.
vivek Gupta
http://www.indiaedu.com
No comments:
Post a Comment