Wednesday, January 4 2006 18:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: The Left and Progressive Forces must come out with an alternative education agenda against the existing system of education, well-known Historian Prof K N Panicker said today (Jan 4, 2006).

"To counter commercialisation and communalisation of education it is necessary that education system is subjected to close analysis and checks. For creating a new system, left and progressive forces have an important role to play," he said, inaugurating the 26th four-day All India Students Federation (AISF) conference here.

During the last one-and-a-half years, there has been considerable ferment in the education arena. During the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)rule at the Centre, the education system was being 'communalised' by the then government led by it and there was 'considerable resistance.'

"The present Government United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has taken steps to desaffronise education but it is not sufficient and a much more comprehensive effort has to be taken," he said.

Referring to commercialisation of education, which he termed 'neo-liberal education,' Panicker said the UPA's support for this system of education was acting as an impediment to public education and it was only creating 'centres of excellence,' thus confining education to a few.

He said a fundamental change should occur in the structure and content of education, for which students and the teaching community had an important role to play. The present government has not shown any tendency to change the system wherein 'the poor goes to poor schools and the upper society goes to centres of excellence.'

Panicker said as part of the 'neo-liberal' education system, even foreign universities were now opening 'their shops' in India.

"The UPA government has drafted a bill to allow foreign universities to have campus here.Several US universities are listed in stock exchanges. Such universities are coming to India only on pure business reasons and create cultural and intellectual stress on our country," he said.

Advocating fine blending between traditional and modern knowledge, he said the demand for professional education, particularly in South India,had led to commercialisation of this sector.

"A concerted effort is required to change the content of education by removing all separation between mental and physical work," he said while referring to the differences that existed between vocational education and higher technical education.

Panicker also wanted teachers to be subjected to evaluation by students and advocated reforms in the classroom structure,which 'kills all creative energy of students.'

He also wanted reforms in the pattern of examination.

AISF President Ramakrishna Panda and chairman of the reception committee Dr G R Ravindranath also spoke.