REIMAGINING HIGHER EDUCATION: ECOSYSTEM APPROACH CAN REVIVE ENROLLMENT IN BASIC SCIENCES

To boost enrollment in Mathematics and basic Science courses in colleges, innovative strategies addressing changing student perceptions and industry demands are a must

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With an enrollment of more than 41 million students, India has been recognized as the world's second largest post-secondary education system (after China). In the New Education Policy 2020 (NEP), the Government of India projects to increase the enrollment rate to 50%, from its current 27.3%, by 2035. To achieve this goal, India will have to add around 34 million students to the system.

South India has been facing a decline in enrollment in Mathematics and Basic Sciences progressively. This can be perceived as due to emerging trends that view the tertiary education space from a utilitarian perspective. If such a notion persists, though, there would be closure of such programmes at many institutions.

However, admissions to Engineering programmes (having allied Mathematics as an integral part) in ranked institutions is still progressing well. This indicates that learning Mathematics in isolation as a major subject has been declining owing to the lack of an associated professional training component.

Starved of tuition revenue, universities and colleges are considering closing down departments. But, is there an alternative framework to reimagine the tertiary education space? Do colleges need to appropriate the perception of millennials concerning curriculum and pedagogical design, which would facilitate their enrollment?

Expectations of millennials