With warm greetings to readers of TSE in particular for a happy new year, 2008 that is expected to bring peace and prosperity in Manipur, it is felt it has become absolutely imperative for a fair study of the status crisis of education in the state. This is the last series of the writer in succession on education which hasn’t been set right in the state for long.

It would be of importance to ascertain whether it would be taken care of by the policy framers of the state. Every good ruler, who is convinced of the imperfection of human nature, must be conscious of the great liability to error for rectification in managing the affairs of the state.

To secure this objective, the unrestrained liberty of writing is the only effectual means that can be employed in a parliamentary democracy. If the writing acquires merit, it provides men in power the ample opportunity to carry out reforms in the governance.

That, only the most prepared nation with a knowledgeable and qualified working force is to survive the fierce competition in today’s knowledge-based economies, lifestyles and world politics.

Education, especially higher education, coupled with strength of technology and science, is the tool that provides societies with an edge in international competition. However, the new civilization is not based on science and technology alone. Currently, in Manipur, education needs drastic improvement both in quality and quantity.

Quality education in our state is limited to a few, mostly private missionary institutions that have acceptable regional standards, but due to very high tuition and admission fees, these institutions cater to children of high income families.

These families may represent less than three percent of the population of the state. The quality attained by that much percent doesn’t reflect school education in Manipur.

The quality of education in a country is measured by various indicators: by short-and long-term outcomes, i.e., the number of students graduating per year, qualifications of teachers; student lifelong achievements; and improvement in qualifications and research abilities.

Among the major goals of a country’s quality assurance, are the ability to produce global citizens who can adapt to the shifting requirements of the working world, have the aptitude for management and leadership, and are the products of a universalized learning process, enriched with technology and informative communication capacities.

The educational system status in Manipur is far from attaining any of these goals, while the pressure of globalization and world competitiveness is rising every passing day.

Now is the right time and opportunity to tackle the most serious issues of the quality of education, given that the government increases the new budget for education in several folds over what it had been in previous years.

This increased government funding will result in some encouraging changes in the evaluation of the status and quality of teaching and learning in the schools and colleges of Manipur. A field study can be conducted to promote education with the emphasis on quality as a major priority within the present renewable system.

Over the last 25 years, the emphasis has been on quantity rather than quality. This emphasis followed the policy that increased numbers of institutions. This neglect of quality has resulted in a system that is producing graduates that are unqualified and ill-prepared to make a contribution to development in various real life tasks.

While the state government of Manipur has ignored the issue, steps should be taken to establish quality councils, implement quality assurance mechanism and measured performance indicators, conduct academic audits, engage in strategic planning and management, build accountability into the system, and establish ranking order of colleges and schools in teaching and research and provision for student support services.

There is the need to re-focus attention on quality if the state’s institutions are to be brought to the level of other developed states in India.

Mode of teaching and tools: Across the state, it is an established fact that teaching is still largely done by lectures and the rote-learning method in which the teacher lectures and students memorise large tracts of information for an examination upon which their entire course grade and often promotion to the next level of education depend.

The system has not been responsive to changes in the skills that are required to function in a country. Participation and discussion are not at the centre of the methodology. Students of schools and colleges are not taught to think analytically, to question and challenge their teachers.

The above teaching principle starts in primary schools, and by the time they graduate from higher education, many students may have degrees but no basic problem-solving and analytical thinking skills. The lack of experience in applying their knowledge becomes a real challenge when the graduates are hired in places of work, say in offices, schools, colleges, shops, etc.

They are not prepared to take over positions that require leadership, solid-judgment, and creative solutions in the present Manipuri society. With poor mentality and skills, they won’t have even the slightest inclination to contribute something towards the development of the state.

Without knowing what the state needs are, how to address them, and how to prepare for the future, Manipur as a state within the Indian union will not be prepared to face the complexity of globalization. It will suffer deeply from an inadequate working force, and ill-prepared generation of graduates who will not know how to confront competitiveness and rise above.

Teaching in most government schools and colleges is based on plain lectures, and it is not a comprehensive, participatory learning process. Critical analysis, discussions and questioning of teachers’ views are often discouraged.

Rote learning and lack of creativity severely damage the ability of the students to become independent thinkers, critical observers and confident inventors of something.

In addition, the unavailability of infrastructures, with still a dream of technological resources weakens the capability for teaching and learning process. Unavailability of modern tools and of access to computers, internet, the latest scholarly publications, properly equipped libraries and laboratories has resulted in the institutional failures in Manipur.

It is very difficult for students to learn the most up-to-date theories without having access to them. Academic investigation or research will suffer greatly because of lack of data and books and inadequate libraries and means of laboratory practice.

An immediate upgrade of libraries and basic student resources is needed to improve the quality of education delivered at all levels of schooling.

This is another genuine and pressing requirement of the students. It is for the state government to see that the goods are delivered.

To be continued ...