Dr. U SAIDALVI (Principal, Malabar College of Advanced Studies, Vengara)
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”- Nelson Mandela
The higher education system in India is the third largest in the world, next to the United States and China. In the last two decades, Indian higher education system has got expanded by adding thousands of higher education institutions and millions of students in the country. In addition to that, India has established a number of science and technology institutes during the period. As a result, the country has become the hub of Information Technology, IT enabled services and manufacturing industry though it couldn’t reduce the divide within the society. But, it is a fact that higher education system in India compared to developing / developed countries needs substantial improvement.
The education scenario of Kerala is underscored by its ranking as the most literate state in the country. It has a rich and glorious history of education. Protestant missionaries from Europe who settled in various parts of the then Kerala (Malabar, Travancore and Cochin) in the early 19th century laid the foundation for modern higher education system in the state. Many schools were built along with construction of many churches. It is often said in Malayalam that wherever Christian missionaries went in the colonial Kerala they built a palli (church) and a pallikkoodam (school). Later on, such institutions were developed into colleges affiliated to the princely university of Madras. In the post independence period, after the formation of the state Kerala in 1956, the newly elected government took much initiative for the unification of the higher education in Kerala. The Kerala University Act 1957, The Kerala Education Act 1958 and the Kerala Education Rules are fine examples for that.
But it is the ‘other’ side of the fact that the higher education system is not in a commendable position compared to the school education system in the state. The Kerala state school education system is a model educational system to the entire nation. However, a good number of centres of higher learning i.e. colleges and universities are added to the list of higher education institutions in Kerala during the last two decades.
The present paper explores the role of higher education institutions in Kerala in empowering the society through extracurricular and extension activities. The extracurricular and extension activities do play a vital role in the social and cultural empowerment of the state thereby creating a ‘Kerala model’ in the higher education sector as well. For the better understanding of the argument, one has to approach the term ‘process of education’ with a wider perspective. “There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning”-says Jiddu Krishnamurti, the Indian Philosopher and writer. The present exploration becomes more relevant in the post surviving period of flood in Kerala.
There are a lot of clubs and forums to conduct various programmes outside the campus mainly intended to empower the people in the surroundings of the colleges. Members of faculty as well as the students participate wholeheartedly in such activities. Following are some of the extension activities undertaken by the college students in the state of Kerala.
Eng-Support Programme – Malabar College of Advanced Studies, Vengara ( An initiative of the Dept of English in which the final year under graduate students conduct different activities and games for the lower primary students in the nearby government schools to make learning of English interesting .)
Young for the Younger -Amal College, Nilambur (An initiative of the Dept. of English in which post graduate students teach upper primary students with specially designed syllabi.)
KAHMUNITY:
KAHM Unity Women’s College, Manjeri (The Department of English organises orientation programmes in English communication for Anganwadi Teachers in Manjeri Muncipality)
Nukaram Pakaram Project: Interested outstanding students act as teachers in the equivalency exam under the Literacy Mission, Govt of Kerala.
Nukaram Pakaram Project: Interested outstanding students act as teachers in the equivalency exam under the Literacy Mission, Govt of Kerala.
Department of Computer Science, WMO College of Arts and Science College, Muttil.
The following are some of the routine and regular extension activities done by the students under the banner of National Service Scheme, National Cadet Corps, Bhoomitra Sena Club, Women Development Cells etc.
The activities done by the staff and students of colleges of Kerala in all districts during the recent flood hit areas are the best examples for the empowerment of society through extension activities. As it is live instance I would like to focus on it by explaining how higher education institutions could play very important role in the survival of the state.
All stakeholders of colleges participated in the rescue operations, collection and distribution of food and dress materials, services in relief camps etc. are worth mentionable in the first phase. Many of the colleges took initiative and became the official collection and distribution centres of money and other needy materials. This was very much helpful for the local self governments and bureaucrats to coordinate things in a fair manner.
In the second phase also staff and students participated in various activities such as cleaning of houses, educational institutions and other buildings, chlorination of wells and survey to study the loss. Different cultural and educational programmes organised by the college students in rehabilitation camps are also noteworthy. It even reduced the tragic effect and trauma of the flood affected children.
In the third phase of the flood rehabilitation programmes various educational institutions have come forward to make the public aware of various health issues that may spread in the flood affected areas. In a nutshell, higher education institutions have played a vital role in the flood rehabilitation project of Kerala in an effective manner. In this context such institutions came out of the shells of traditional so called elite/untouchable (1. Untouchability and 2. Far away that lay man can never touch) centres of knowledge production and dissemination which were ironically situated far away from the common man and his needs.
Suggestions/proposals
The University Grants Commission has to take necessary steps to introduce short term or add-on courses as part of partial fulfilment of undergraduate programmes in the country. Following are the suggestive titles of short-term/add-on courses:
