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NEW CHALLENGES AND ISSUES IN THE 21ST CENTURY IN INDIADr. Shweta Talesara Christian Eminent College, Indore
“Education for all” declares that everyone has a right to education; its aim is to give everyone a chance to learn and get benefitted from basic education.
Abstract- This research article makes an effort to introduce the challenges and opportunities of Education in the 21st century in India. Drastic changes are seemed in the education system recently. Technology dominates across the world. New techniques have been adopting in the Education system due to the scenario of pandemic. New updations are continuously altering the relationships to information. The whole Education system has been changed; Online teaching has taken the place of classroom teaching, teachers have became hi-tech, students are learning to operate new applications for learning the concepts, online tests are going on to assess the knowledge of students even events like cultural activities are going through online mode, practical exams have been taken online, many sessions, webinars, conferences, motivational lectures, expert speeches are being conducted by electronic method, overall all academics are now web based. These changing global conditions require rethinking about the education system. This article tries to through light on the challenges which have to be faced and what are the best opportunities which can be cashed in this critical situation.
Keywords: Challenges, Opportunities, 21st century.
1 INTRODUCTION
The future scenario of teaching and learning is that one where the pressure of globalization, technological boost, creativity and innovations need the teaching and learning atmosphere combined to form a proper setting that is difficult and challenging as well as for educational leaders and students. New changes and challenges, new expectations, new demands have knocked on the doors for updating modifications and new ideas. The main object of our education was overall development of a student. Mahatma Gandhi the father of nation said that, “By education, I mean all round drawing out of the best in child's body, mind and spirit.” Due to the current system of education the statement of Bapu is like a daydream because the current education system is not developing all over abilities and capacities in the child. According to Warren Bennis, “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” In 21st century educational leadership should be modern to face the drastic changes and challenges in the digital Era,
All the issues were not a day problem, they all took a long period of time if looking back in the ancient time, India was on the top in the knowledge and education. India was called Vishwa-Guru. India was that nation where students used to come across the world to get knowledge and for learning the culture. No any nation of the world was in compare of India but after the Muslim endeavours and British endeavours came to India they destroy the culture of the country and they left our country in a beggar condition. Many bad things arise after coming them like poverty, unemployment, corruption, social problems and many more, education system was not remain untouched by all these. Today is the time of Digital Education; online teaching mode has its own drawbacks which cannot be ignored.
1.1 Objective
The main object of this paper is to throw a light on the challenges of education in 21st century.
1.2 Research Design
This paper is based on secondary data.
2 ISSUES AND CHALLENGES:
Literacy Rate: Indian literacy rate is 77% in 2020 the level is below in comparison of world literacy rate that is 86.3 %. India currently has the largest illiterate population. After all the
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government policies of education, government programs India's literacy rate is increasing slowly and it would take more 40 years for India (in 2060) to get the universal rate of literacy. In last decade the literacy growth rate was 12% which is lower than previous decades. Gender disparity rate in India is very wide and literacy rate is 84.7 % for men and 70.3% for women in 2020. Previous year’s data show that the growth in female literacy rate was faster than male literacy rate. This is the current scenario of our Education system of India.Today the social, moral, cultural values, ethics and ideals are going downwards;
India is adopting western cultural and social values which are not from Indian cultural.
Education System is not according to the Current Situation: Today’s competitive and modern era demands some extra and unique in education field, but the education system is not meeting the current demands of students and the globalized world. Skills are invaluable for all students to grow and get succeed in both colleges and career. Skills are under-valued and under-rated in the present educational system.
Poverty: People of India are not as capable for high cost education for their children. Fee structure and extra charges by private schools are not in range for a common man for his children’s education. Today’s technological education required instruments like Smart phone, laptops or tablets are not affordable by every parent and not every student can easily operate these gadgets.
Technological Boost: Today’s education system is totally based on technology. Online teaching and learning is dominated everywhere. Majority of students even teachers also are not as much technology friendly as they can mould themselves in online teaching learning process from traditional teaching learning process. Network issues have to be faced many times by students and teachers. They are not able to adjust in the online world of teaching.
Kindergarten students have to face the mobile and laptop screens for hours; it’s harmful for their eyes and health. Even exams are going on through online mode. Online exam is not the correct assessment process of students. Extracurricular activities including cultural activities are going on by online basis which are not as effective as it should be.
Quality Education: The quality of education is connected with the life of the learner. It is must that the education which is provided to students should be relevant and related with learner’s future. The percentages of teacher and students should be proper. Teachers should be qualified enough and trained for today’s level of teaching. Experiments, practices, models, teaching-aids, charts, stories, examples should be added in teaching to make it interesting and effective. In influence of English medium teaching, Hindi subject image has become bleak. High and higher secondary level students cannot write and even read clearly and properly Hindi, which is the official and mother tongue.
3 SUGGESTIONS
Some suggestions are as follows for the betterment of current education system:
Increase the number of institutions and teachers in both government and private sectors.
Enhance the intake capacity in present education system.
Government should provide the required fund for infrastructure with full facilities of educational institutions.
Teaching learning process should be updated time to time with innovations.
Proper training should be provided to teachers for new changes and challenges in education.
Student’s participation should be mandatory in all the activities of schools and colleges.
4 CONCLUSION
In 21st century educational leaders and teachers play positive role and create such environment which will able to cope with issues and challenges, where students will learn
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by fun and by doing. The education system will meet the current demands of students and globalized world, education will be valuable for all students to grow and succeed in colleges and future. There will be a suitable ratio of students and teachers. There will be a mutual understanding among government and private schools. There will be no distinction on the basis of gender and species. Literacy rate will increase and achieve the target of 100%literacy rate in country. Schools and colleges will provide value based and skills based education. Curriculum will be flexible and the dream of overall development of child will come true. Every child will be able to create new environment for 21st century in India.
REFERENCES
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2. Caldwell, B. (2002). A blueprint for successful leadership in an era of globalisation in learning: London:
Falmer press.
3. Kumar, A. (2004, December) Globalization and Poverty: Some Notes. A Research Paper for International Seminar on Globalization and Poverty, Organized by M.G. Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi P. 1-134.
4. Prensky, M. (2011 December) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Part II: pp. 1- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy_in_
