Coimbatore: Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra on Friday expressed concern at the lack of adequate attention given to primary education. It will affect the quality of education at higher levels too. He was speaking at the inauguration of a Regional Summit on Quality in Education organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Mr. Mishra said that as far as the industry and infrastructure needs were concerned, lot of planning goes in and resources are generated. But primary education remains a neglected lot.

Mr. Mishra said inadequacies were being addressed to now in civic body schools. Funds were never a constraint but bureaucratic restrictions affected policy decisions. He said that there was a gap in planning and bringing in new technologies to ensure quality education through consultancy.

He asked the Government and Non-Government sector to bring about qualitative changes in primary education.

He expressed the concern at the absence of professionals and professionalism in doing things.

Work ethics, professionalism and integrity were the strength of the West, which is lacking here. On the initiatives taken in Corporation schools, Mr.Mishra said that that there had been qualitative changes in Corporation primary schools. One day Corporation schools would definitely make a difference. Ravi Sam, chairman of CII, Coimbatore Zone, welcomed the gathering.

Senthil Kumaran, Senior Counsellor, CII Institute of Quality gave a theme note address.

The theme note pointed out a silent transformation happening in Indian education. During the period 2002-07, there had been a 40 per cent increase in setting up of primary schools. Enrolment in primary and upper primary levels had increased from 101 million in 2002 to 131 million in 2008.

A few progressive states were looking at universal primary enrolment. In higher education, the number of universities in the country had increased 20 in 1947 to 400 and with a student reach of 14 million. The number of colleges which were around 500 in 1947 had gone up to 18,000. Distance between households and schools have shrunk to the bare minimum of 1 km to 3 km today. But, the education leaders have a responsibility to set standards, goals, policies to ensure quality education. The objective of the summit was to initiate dialogues among the education leaders for a meaningful and fruitful exchange of thoughts. R. Nandagopal, convener in his concluding remarks reiterated the necessity for initiating the quality assurance process in primary education so that in higher education, the task becomes easier.

courtesy - Hindu