Budget 2022: An opportunity to rethink, reset education

As the budget day (February 1) inches closer, there are heightened expectations among students and teachers of a pro-reform Education Budget 2022-23 that will not only nullify the adverse impact of the pandemic but also push the agenda of the New Education Policy, 2020. 

A Budget that will hike allocation to 6% of the GDP, from the 2% to 3% seen during the years 2014-19, and a 14% cut as witnessed in the 2020-21 Budget. 
 
With the new Covid variant refusing to go away, the Budget provides a great opportunity to rethink, reset and reinvent education for the 21st century not just in terms of the curricula, but also on the delivery mechanism. 

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The curricula should be made current and interesting enough so that the students enjoy learning with relevant and relatable study material rather than being exposed to outdated theories that are no longer relevant. 
  
The focus, therefore, should be imparting employable, digital, and flexible skills with a focus on skilling, reskilling, and upskilling if the country's youth have to be an active participant in a data-driven digital economy that is perpetually evolving because of the digitisation process and the great resignation. 

There is a need for the government, the ed-tech players and the ed-tech sector to come together, collaborate, lay the foundation and define the modus operandi for digitising education. 

The emphasis should also be on enhancing the digital and physical infrastructure. digital education must be backed by a robust framework. 

Similarly, the quality of education too should be a priority and given more if not equal emphasis as digital education. Official guidelines and frameworks for online examinations need to be established because such examinations are here to stay.

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The government should work together with the ed-tech players to establish a framework, issue guidelines, and have a process in place to achieve educational goals. 

Education is one service that needs to be provided uninterrupted in a disrupted world. In the past two years of the pandemic, we have witnessed what our Ed-Tech sector is really capable of. 

The government should lay the foundation for further strengthening our education ecosystem by collaborating with ed-tech to ensure that education as a service remains uninterrupted and accessible to all. 

Additionally, there is a dire need for liberalisation and innovation in higher education, which decides a learners' future. 

Freedom to choose a career along with technological advancements such as AI and Big Data in the sector would gradually help our nation inch towards innovation. 

But we need a stronger government backing so that things accelerate at a faster pace and India is able to compete with the world on a global platform. 

(The author is CEO, Mercer|Mettl.)