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When degrees lose their worth

SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT
04 Jan, 2023

NEWS HIGHLIGHT 

Theme : Social empowerment, development and management of social sectors/services related to Education etc.
Paper:GS-1 and GS-2

 

 The Diploma Disease  by British economist Ronald Dore offers a structural explanation for a widely prevalent phenomenon, namely the urge to gather more and more degrees.

TABLE OF CONTENT

  1. Context
  2. Various views on Qualifications
  3. What drives for more degrees?
  4. Constitutional Provisions related to Education
  5. Road Ahead

Context :  The Diploma Disease  by British economist Ronald Dore offers a structural explanation for a widely prevalent phenomenon, namely the urge to gather more and more degrees.

Various views on Qualifications : 

Devaluation of qualifications(By Dore):

  • He selected Sri Lanka, South Korea and Japan.
  • The desire to accumulate more and more degrees and diplomas was gaining rapid popularity in many countries.
  • India: Certificates, diplomas and degrees are in great demand in what is literally an educational bazaar. 

The Great Indian School Bazaar (By Dev Lahiri):

  • The title is relevant to higher education
  • The greater the variety of qualifications on offer, the faster grows the demand for them.
  • Permission for dual degree admission has further boosted the urge.

What drives for more degrees?

Internally:

  • Specialization: The system encourages students to gather additional qualifications by defining course content and its aims narrowly.This phenomenon is a response to the mystification of skills as distinct from knowledge.
  • Job ready: It captures the attraction of silver thin courses that cut the scope of learning.One certificate can only lead the student to search for the next.

Externally(economy):

  • Economic growth has not resulted in expansion of satisfying employment in many countries.
  • In India: scarcity of worthwhile jobs is quite severe in many regions, even in cities.
  • The fear of joblessness fuels the urge to gain new eligibility.
  • Candidates for jobs often select the relevant domain of their multiple certifications in order to represent themselves as being suitable for a job.
  • The volatility of the job market also implies that no job can last for long

Constitutional Provisions related to Education : 

  • The 42nd Amendment to the Constitution in 1976 moved education from the State to the Concurrent List.
  • Article 21A: It provides free and compulsory education of all children in the age group of six to fourteen years as a fundamental Right.
  • Article 39(f): It provides that children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity
  • Article 45: The State shall endeavor to provide, within a period of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years.
  • ARTICLE 46: The State shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people.

Road Ahead : 

  • Increased focus on vocational and profession led education: Include vocational subjects in mainstream universities to allow for greater acceptance and utility for vocational learning.
  • Craig Jeffrey, on the basis of his studies in India: Competitive exams now attract countless youth to indulge in “politics of waiting”.
  • Digital technology has made its own contribution to the noticeable changes in student behavior.
  • A university has to emphasize the value of reading is a sufficient indicator of the silent crisis that has engulfed the system of education.
  • There is a considerable gap between the discourse of reform and the reality of our higher education system.Unwillingness to acknowledge the persistence of older problems has become a source of further systemic enervation.

FAQs : 

  1. What is Diploma Disease?

ANS.

  • The Diploma Disease by British economist Ronald Dore.
  • It offers a structural explanation for a widely prevalent phenomenon, namely the urge to gather more and more degrees.

  1. What is Article-46 ?

ANS. The State shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people.