Education for innovation

The scheme of education needs a thorough overhaul in Jammu and Kashmir to make students industry ready and bring out in them the best of innovators who can really carve their own futures and help mankind live better lives. Unfortunately, the curriculum being taught in the schools and higher educational institutes of Jammu and Kashmir is mostly obsolete or too theoretical to have any significant impact. Each year, our colleges and universities produce an army of graduates and post-graduates. However, most of them are not able to fit any industry standards and are often left unemployed or eyeing for a job in a government sector. There is little focus on niche education. A student giving four precious years of his or her life to a BA or a BSc program is often left wondering after the completion of course about his or her future. There is a lot of stress on rote-learning, and students are forced to cram lessons so that they can pass exams. It is a very mechanical process that produces degree-holders but does not make them industry ready at all. There is little focus on personality development, communication and language skills, or skill courses that can have a lasting impact on a person’s career graph once he or she leaves an education institute to look for employment. It is the reason why some of the top universities in India are collaborating with recruiters of key companies to understand what exactly they are looking for in an employee. This helps them make a tailored curriculum so that once a course is completed, the students have the niche skills to fulfil the requirements. As more recruiters look for job-ready candidates, education institutes are fast-adopting courses and curriculum that meet industry needs. So, it is fairly common to come across colleges collaborating with industry leaders in developing course curriculum and organising training by industry players, which prepares job seekers to fit in from the day they are absorbed. One should also keep in mind that a balance needs to be set from the beginning. We are not at all suggesting making educational institutes employee-making factories. However, we want them to be places of learning, education, as well as the first step to securing a livelihood in a person’s life. Those at the helm of running major educational institutes in J&K must take a back seat and review the curriculum, and make some key changes in it.