Warning bells

In the wake of the record number of students passing the SSC exams this year the percentage was a phenomenally high 74 compared to 56 the year before, the state government had better sit up. The consequence is a huge shortfall of 60,000 seats for standard XI in the Mumbai division. Parents and students are asking anxiously where this number of seats will be found. As the government thrashes about for an answer, it has itself to blame for short-sighted policies on education. Consider this. While the government regularly awards grants for divisional improvements at junior college level, it has had to be goaded without much success to make similar grants at the degree college level. Without adequate funding, colleges are not interested in opening new divisions at the junior college level because of the problem of absorbing in-house students at the degree college. It is right that the government8217;s foremost concern should be primary education followed by secondary education. But it cannot ignore higher educationwhen the effects of neglect cascade down the line. It is high time the government took a coherent, long-term view. In order to cope with the consistent rise in the student population, new divisions at junior and degree colleges must be opened. But space and the infrastructure in Mumbai impose limits to the amount of expansion that can take place. The government needs to start working on some permanent long-term solutions. One which deserves to be supported is distance education with a defined contact programme at the junior college level. Kerala offers another way. Students there who pass with less than 45 per cent can only opt for vocational education. The importance of vocational education should not be underestimated. Not every student is interested or has a talent for pursuing academic courses. But the lack of choice compels everyone to do so. It is a waste of individual talent and public money to push everyone through the academic sausage machine. Many more students would opt for vocational courses andequip themselves for useful careers if well-designed courses were available. The 60,000 seat crunch this year sounds a warning bell. The government would do well to heed it.