Name: Prosenjit Bhattacharya

Occupation: Educationist and Journalist

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(C.G.)

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Read the word and read the world – literacy in times of globalization

On closer scrutiny and investigation, one would discover that globalization is a relatively new
term used to describe a process of the bygone past. It owes its historical genesis that started with
our human ancestors moving out of Africa to spread all over the globe. In the millennia that have
followed, distance has been largely overcome and human-made barriers lowered or removed to
facilitate the exchange of goods and ideas. Driven by the desire to improve one's life and helped
along by technology, both the interconnectedness and interdependence have grown very
exponentially. This increasing integration of the world or 'globalization' has enriched life but also
created new problems.

Literacy is more than a word. For it is only by the virtue of literacy, that our civilization would be
able to address more of advances in any given contemporary society. Perceptions differ while
realities remain constant. One might undermine the thrust that literacy would have as a bearing
while others may find it going at tangent. But, we are not responsible for what people think about
literacy in today’s times of globalization; just as we are responsible for what we give to them to
think about the entire episode.

Not in the melee on the crowed street, not in the world we see, the ultimate triumph and the
ultimate defeat. Our ultimate defeat can be seen in ourselves. And our ultimate triumph when the
soul withers away the body and when the soul faints while the body preserves.

Times are certainly changing and values are also changing. The advent of globalization has
invited a plethora of challenges to be boldly faced.

Since the first appearance of the term in 1962 'globalization' has gone from jargon to cliché. The
Economist preferred to call it "the most abused word of the 21st century." Certainly no other word
in recent history has meant so many varied things to different people representing diverse cultural
landscapes and has, thus evoked as much emotion.

Given to proper understanding, the "g-word" actually does bear quantifiable utility. It can best be
understood as a leitmotif of human history. It is a trend that has intensified and accelerated in
recent decades and come into panoramic view with all its benefits and destructive power. Just as
climate has shaped the environment over the millennia, the interaction among cultures and
societies over tens of thousands of years has resulted in the increasing integration of what is
becoming the global human community.

Globalization - defined by Webster's dictionary as a process that renders various activities and
aspirations "worldwide in scope or application" - has been underway for a long time. Thousands
of years before the root word for this concept - 'globe' - came into use, our ancestors had already
spread across the earth.

The most powerful force for transmitting the ideas of democracy and human rights across borders
is the revolution in information technology in the second half of the 20th century. The telephone,
television and the Internet have been the prime tools. In the late 19th century, it took Queen
Victoria sixteen and a half hours to send a message of greeting across a transatlantic cable to
President James Buchanan. Today vast amounts of information in multiple formats - text, voice,
video - are transmitted at the speed of light. Moreover, a three minute call from New York to
London costs less than a dime, instead of the $300 it cost in 1930. This dramatic drop in the price
of telecommunications has made the benefits of the information explosion available to much of
humanity.

Meanwhile, innovations like satellite television have connected people's emotions across borders
and oceans: the news of Princess Diana's death flashing on cable TV's immediately elicited
wreathes of flowers from around the world. The free flow of information is also helping bridge the
political divide: September 11 triggered a candlelight vigil among young Iranians. But it has also
been hardening attitudes along ideological boundaries. The Arabic-language satellite station Al
Jazeera's live broadcast of Israeli-Palestine violence has widened the gulf between Arabs and
Israelis.

The falling cost of communications and transportation has boosted economic growth while
literacy and better health care have improved quality of life. People the world over are living
longer and healthier lives, while the number of people living in poverty has dropped in most
regions (though it has increased in Africa and South Asia).

What does all this mean for globalization? Will globalization be forced to retreat in the face of
growing disillusionment and dangers such as terrorists' who abuse open borders and easy
economic transactions? There is, of course, a precedent for such a decline in globalization.
Between the two World Wars, free trade and the free movement of people did slow to a crawl,
thanks to the raising of tariff walls and a closed door to immigration. But those restrictions did not
dampen the same four basic motivations - conquest, search for prosperity, proselytizing and
curiosity - that have driven globalization. The Allied victory against the Nazis and Japan, in fact,
reopened the floodgates of globalization, giving a further boost to trade and travel.
Literacy in Times of Globalization
Globalization breathes as a recent phenomenon in today’s world's socio-economic
system. The impact of globalization has been uneven and responses to it are varied in
terms of its positive and negative dimensions the world over. Virgin zeal for globalization
as a beneficial set of processes has given to quite an understanding that the
phenomenon is closely associated with increasing social inequality within and between
countries as well as instability and conflict. Thus, it is high time to assess the impact of
globalization on India's literacy, as it has not yielded any stupendous outcomes. While it
has expedited the pace of development in certain areas, it has led to some absurd and
preposterous propositions. Hence, it becomes incumbent upon us that steps should be
taken to reduce, if not remove, its baneful fall out. Globalization has a multi-dimensional
impact on the system of education. It has marked the need for reforms in the educational
system with particular reference to the wider utilization of information technology, giving
productivity dimension to education and emphasis on its research and development
activities.

Education is a healthy investment in building human capital that is a must to endorse

technological innovation and economic growth. It is only through improving the
educational status of a society that the multi-faceted development of its people can be
ensured. In the post-industrialized world, the advanced countries used to derive the major
proportion of their national income not from agriculture and industry but from the service
sector. Since the service sector is based on imparting skills or training to the students
and youth, the education sector is the most sought after. It must provide gainful
employment so that the sector is developed in an impressive manner. It has also given
genesis to a host of controversies germane to introducing changes in the inter-sectoral
priorities in the allocation of resources leading to the misconceived policy of downsizing
of higher education. It has also advocated privatization of higher education without
realizing the danger of making the system a commercial enterprise.

Further, education, as a service industry, is part of globalization process under the

umbrella of General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). However, there is every
possibility that this might force countries with quite different academic needs and
resources to conform to systems inevitably designed to service the interest of corporate
educational providers, and thereby breeding inequality and dependence. Thus, several
teachers’ organizations are on record opposing the inclusion of education in the GATS,
on the ground that education was not a commodity. Incidentally, there is an emerging
threat from the process of globalization in the recent times. Because, in the words of Arun
Nigvekar of the World Bank’s Task Force, 2000, “Globalization can lead to unregulated
and poor quality higher education, with the world wide marketing of fraudulent degrees or
other so-called higher education credentials”. It seems that countries like India, are likely
to turn into “an increasingly attractive market for foreign universities and hence other
nations are going to use GATS’ provisions to their advantage”.

When we speak about globalization and literacy, we cannot be negligent of the problem of
illiteracy under our tri-colored flag. Basic literacy, as defined by the United Nations, is the ability to
read 40 words per minute, write 20 words per minute, and do 2-digit arithmetic. Various barriers
to child and adult literacy exist in India, most prominent are the issues of gender and poverty.
However, now as the population nears the 1 billion mark and with issues of poverty and social
inequities spreading wider and larger, it is time to face the challenges. Literacy is the key to
development, health care, employment and last but not the least, it is the key to population
control.

Consider here taking a thoughtful look. Despite overwhelming factors (cultural issues, population,
resources), India's literacy is steadily improving. India's literacy rate at the time of independence
(1947) was only 14% and female literacy was abysmally low at 8%. In 1981 the literacy rate was
36% and in 1991 it was 52% (males 65%, females 39%). The southern state of Kerala was the
first to reach "100% literacy" for a city (Kottayam 1989), then a district (Ernakulam 1990), and
finally the whole state (1991). Grassroot endeavors, inspired by Kerala's success, have led
literacy efforts throughout India. However there is still a long way to go and Asha is an
organization trying to make a difference by supporting rural child education programmes, and
helping secure a progressive future for India's underprivileged children.

On the octave of literacy in the changing times of globalization, it certainly would prove
out to be criminally unjust, not to be addressing the Nobel Laureates T.W.Schultz and
Gary Becker in 1961 and 1963 respectively, who propounded the new economics of
education. According to which, all investments in education, be they private or public,
were guided by profitability. It was the profit motive that exhibited in the concern for the
‘rate of return’ to the money spent on education, which was the main factor, behind one’s
investment decisions in education. The private investments were based on the private
‘rates of return’ calculated by counting the private costs and gains that were expected as
the result of acquiring one kind of education rather than the other. The objective of
education was the same, be it for individual or for society as a whole, to get the best
economic value for the money and effort spent. Rather, there is high drop out rate, known
as a key symptom of the system’s inability to reform itself.

In any case, it is difficult to assess not only the nature and dimensions of globalization on
literacy, but also what it actually means and implies. Apparently, not many educational
researchers have attempted to draw sufficient conclusions between the leviathan
dimensions of globalization and the policies of education. It, to an extent, seems, that the
process of globalization may mean different things in the context of Higher education.
Most certainly, it means a very competitive and deregulated educational system modeled
after ‘free-market’ but with more pressure on it to assure that the future workers is
prepared for some fluid jobs in the ‘free-market of 21st century’. Further it means that
educational system would provide the sites of struggle over the meaning and power of
national identity and a national culture.
Ground Realities: Quite unfortunately the Human Development Report of UNDP
indicates that India had the largest national population of illiterates in the world.
Thus, it may be recalled that it was Gokhale who advocated making primary
education free and compulsory 94 years ago. Even the Article 45 of the Indian
Constitution that promised for free and compulsory education within the first
decade of our Independence, achieved a low mileage, partly due its non-judicial
character. However, the Education Commission further hoped that “all the areas
of the country should be able to provide five years of good effective education to
all the children by 1975-76 an seven years of such education by 1985-86”. The
simple calculations of free and compulsory education were never gone into
though all realized that the total cost would be enormous. Obviously, the India’s
Education Commission (1964-66) under the leadership of D.S.Kothari and
J.P.Naik as the Chairman and Member-Secretary that laid the foundation of post-
Independent India’s national education policy. Thus, the Commission had
recommended that 6%, as against 3%, of the national income be allotted as
government expenditure on education.

Decades of under-investment in education have created shocking ripples of

shortages of buildings, laboratories, libraries, sanitary facilities and even drinking
water and basic sanitation facilities in the nation’s decaying education sector.
Though the finance minister cites shortage of investible resources for
implementing the 6 percent proposal, it is common knowledge that given political
will, additional resources can be deployed into education only by trimming non-
merit subsidies to the middle class, and reducing defense expenditure. In the
final analysis a national consensus has to be met with immediately by the Union
ministry on the premise that higher education outlays are critically important
investments in the nation’s future. Besides, the emerging political consensus that
seeks to reform India’s traditional education based on mere memorization rather
than development of problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills demands
immediate attention.

The new United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s stand on a common

school system for India that was recommended by the Kothari Commission
(1966) is yet to be decided. The children of the poor and socially disadvantaged
have been denied English medium school education. As usual there is no re-
thinking on this issue within the Union ministry. However, Rajiv Gandhi
introduced the National Policy on Education in 1986(NPE-1986) and its
accompanying Programme of Action that promised child-centered, free and
compulsory education up to the age of 14 yeas by 1995. Interestingly, the revised
formulation of such NPE, made in the 1992, also talked about the same theme of
free and compulsory education, and thereafter it focused on ‘satisfactory quality’
education! Even the 86th constitutional amendment act in 2002 that made the
elementary education a fundamental right and has promised the same education
to all those between the ages 6 and 14 in the country. But then reverse of what
had been promised became a reality now.
Recent Trends: In the wake of globalisation process and to cope up with the
changing priorities of the people, the planners are bound to revise their strategies
in the education sector. Thus, several specialist committees, involving the elites
and stalwarts of industry and education, constituted by the Union ministry are
engaged in the process. Whereas, the public interest demands a wider domain
for the national debate on syllabus and curriculum reform among other related
aspects. As usual there are several viewpoints of conflicting nature expressed by
the epitome of industry and education like Azim Premji, Prof.N.S.Ramaswamy,
Kabir Mustafa and others. While there is a broad consensus on some points,
some are almost at cross roads with each other. The common educational
reforms that were endorsed by some of the eminent industrialists and academics
include:

Liberalize and deregulate the education system to encourage promotion of new

schools, colleges, vocational and other institutions of higher education.
Delicence higher education, confer institutional autonomy and decentralise
syllabus design.
Central and state governments should change their roles within the education
system, re-inventing themselves as facilitating and supervisory organisations.
Teacher training, infrastructure and syllabuses need to be urgently upgraded.

The rapid growth of the software development and electronic communications

industries is one of the few achievements of Indian industry in post-
independence India. Further, on the note of strong hold of the English language
in Multi National Companies and corporate circles, the chasm between rural and
urban is almost bridged in the field of education. In consequence, this great
reservoir of skills and expertise offers the opportunity to utilize them for the
spread of quality education through several technologies. Obviously, F.C. Kohli,
the vice chairman of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) recommended, "Through
the wider use of computers and technology, curriculums and faculties can be
shared by schools and colleges across the country". Again the pace is set by a
variety of private ‘educational entrepreneurs’, otherwise known as, ‘edupreneurs’,
who have promoted internationally recognized institutions of higher education
such as the S.P. Jain Institute of Management in Mumbai; Amity University,
Delhi; Indian School of Business and ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad;
Mahavir Academy of Technical Sciences and Presidency College, Bangalore and
the Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, among others. Besides,
some Indian ‘edupreneur’ are venturing overseas. These are all certain recent
trends that undermine the very social obligations of our governments.

Initiatives of Central Government: This urgent flood of activity within the

existing lethargic education sector has ensured that the vital importance of
qualitative education has permeated down to the lowest income brackets across
the board. Quite incidentally it was Rajiv Gandhi who was laid the foundations of
a scheme known as the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. As part of it more than
500 residential schools were established in rural India. Simultaneously it has
focused public attention upon hitherto arcane subjects such as syllabus design
and curriculum development and shifted national attention from ritual to really
quality education. Suddenly mere degrees are not as important as skills that
school leavers and college graduates must acquire within their institutions of
learning.

However, official gelid collar and unwillingness to engage in constructive debate,

a characteristic of the present UPA government as much as it was of its
predecessor BJP-led NDA administration is glaring. However, education and
healthcare have been given top priority in the agenda of the UPA’s National
Advisory Council (NAC). Obviously, there is a glaring evidence of the rising tide
of anxiety about the quantity and quality of education being noticeable, as is
indicated by the unprecedented provision made in the Union budget last year.
Thus, Union finance minister P. Chidambaram committed to imposing a two
percent ‘cess’ on all Central taxes and by promising to raise the annual education
outlay to 6 percent of GDP. The UPA government’s two percent ‘cess’ may help
to raise the additional funds for education. The additional revenue expected this
year seems to be used to upgrade education levels in the country. Additional
safeguards that the ministry taking to ensure optimal deployment of the
incremental revenue for primary education are still mysterious.

Social Obligations: In fact, the introduction of ‘cost recovery’ principles that

results in a hike in fees contributes to reduction in the burden of the government
in financing higher education. But, what about social obligations? Obviously, the
composition of the student community at large will change its color in favor of the
higher income groups. Moreover, privatization of higher education makes it pretty
expensive such that it is beyond the reach of lower income groups. Inordinate
and exiguous income implies denial of opportunity of the benefits of higher
education whereas the denial of access to higher education results in the lack of
fair opportunities to improve income. Now, this is quite a paradox. Further,
market needs cannot be ignored in the regard while developing the curriculum.
The element of productivity orientation should guide the formulation of curriculum
framework. It is also necessary that while deciding about the fee structure and
other student levies, the tendency towards commercialization of education should
be guarded against.

In fact, the economic reforms have resulted in freezing the public funds to many
institutions and in stagnating the expenditure on education. Thus, educational
sector has been more commonly described as, not service sector, but education
industry. The free market philosophy has already entered the educational sphere
in a big way. Commercialization of education is the order of the day. Commercial
institutions offering specialized education have come up everywhere. In view of
globalisation, many corporate universities, both foreign and Indian, are
encroaching upon our government institutions. Once these institutions turn ‘self-
financing’, their prices would be benchmarked against their global counterparts,
which would be affordable to the same top layer of the society. As the job
 markets become acutely narrow, the polarization between the elite and non-elite
would be clearly discernible. Meanwhile, various kinds of price barriers would be
imposed to prevent the entry of the non-elite like the downtrodden and poor
communities. Further, Corporatization has transformed the education sector into
an enterprise for profits.

Thanks to Dr.Ambedkar, the government policy of reservations in education and

employment spheres has played a remarkable role for Dalits and Adivasis. The
constitutional provision that merely envisages a proportionate representation of them as
to their population, not beyond that, is subjected to half-hearted approach. Suffice it to
remember the failure of their representation in government jobs, so as to vindicate this
observation. Whatever be the criticism, the reservation facilities have given certain
economic means of livelihood to over 1.5 million Dalits, for instance. Besides, over
50,000 Dalits could enter the field of government authority so far. Obviously, over a
period of time these physical benefits have instilled some confidence in Dalit community.
Now, due to the globalisation policies the winds of change in the name of ‘Economic
Reforms’ has slowly shaken the very foundations of the Dalits. Wherever these reforms
were carried out, denationalization of the public sector and privatization have been
introduced. In consequence, more than any one else it is Dalits who would be the first
ones to be affected very adversely in terms of ‘no reservation in private sector’.

Finally, these reforms envisage the withdrawal of state from its social obligations once for
all. Thus, we should decide about the nature and extent of globalization that can be
constructively introduced in their socio-economic and educational systems. While it is
difficult to resist the temptation of falling in love with the international community, it is
necessary that while doing so, the significance of national interests should be kept in
view. This is more so in the field of education, which is intimately concerned with the
development of human capital. Ultimately, any hasty involvement in the global
educational market can end up in harming the vital interests of students, and particularly
of poor and downtrodden for generations to come.

While discussing on the debate of literacy in today’s time of globalization it is worth

mentioning some of the recent developments and findings. A research claims that India is
among the bottom five countries in South and West Asia when it comes to female literacy
rate, says a new report released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural
Organisation (UNESCO).

With a mere 47.8 per cent female literacy rate, India plays at the bottom fifth position with
countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Afghanistan at more dismal positions.

According to the data presented in the report for the period between 1995-2005,
Bangladesh's female literacy rate is 40.8 per cent, Pakistan's is 35.4 per cent, Nepal's is
34.9, and Afghanistan's female literacy rate is just 12.6 per cent.

Also, less than 60 per cent of the total adult population of South and West Asia can read
and write.
The report titled "Education for all by 2015. Will we make it?" was released of late at the
global literacy meet organised by the Unesco and the ministry of human resource
development (HRD) .

The report says that India, Nigeria and Pakistan account for 27 per cent of the children in
the world who are not enrolled in schools.

India's education satellite Edusat, devoted to distance learning courses, is one of the
saving graces in the face of a poor education scenario in this part of the world, the report
says.

Calling it a revolution in distance learning, the report says that a year after its launch in
2004, "virtual classrooms have become a reality with the connection of more than a
dozen teacher-training centres and 50 government schools in Kerala".

Not to be unreasonably unmindfully here in the context of literacy would be to

acknowledge a happening that claims that India has slipped five ranks since last year to
105 on global education parameters leading to fears that the country would miss most of
the millennium development goals for its children, according to a report by UN education
watchdog UNESCO.

UNESCO's Director-General Koichiro Matsuura said despite remarkable strides towards

the UN's Education For All by 2015 programme, huge gender disparity remains a
problem for India. "Girls account for 66 per cent of out-of-the-school children in the
region, the highest share worldwide,"

Matsuura also pointed out that a large number of children leave school without basic
literacy and numeric skills because of poor quality of education in most schools. The
report shows that India's gross enrollment ratio is about 95 per cent, but the overall
dropout rate is as high as 14.4 per cent for Class I.

Among the dropouts, about 66 per cent are girls, the report says.

With these stumbling blocks, the report clearly says that India will not be able to meet the
target of Education for All by 2015.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, however, reiterated that India would provide elementary
education to all by 2010. But she admitted that the challenge was to ensure full
enrollment, reduction in dropout rates and to impart quality education.

The UNESCO report projects that by 2015, India would achieve the literacy target of just
71 per cent although Human Resource Minister Arjun Singh promised to educate 85 per
cent of the country's population by 2012. At present, one-third of world's illiterates are in
India.
The report shows that India has improved on most education and child health indicators
but other countries have done much better.

Education would mean something only when we are able to reduce the chasm between
the haves and the have-nots living in our contemporary society. Ther certainly can never
be any denial that today education has become more enterprising than its inherent
purpose – the profit tag associated speaks truckloads of the commercialization of
education.

A lot can be discussed on the same. But, what is actually important is the final
implementation of the noble thought behind the purpose of education. Knowledge is
power. The idea is to promote knowledge, ideally, without any biases. And for this to
actually happen we need to look at the entire structure without any jaundiced views.

India is committed to universalizing primary education by 2010, said Congress president

and the ruling UPA coalition chief Sonia Gandhi inaugurating a two-day meet on global
literacy.

Gandhi also underlined the need for achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) by 2015 at the Global Literacy Conference, organised jointly by Unesco and the
Indian human resource development ministry.

The conference is a follow-up to the White House conference on global literacy held in
September 2006.

A video message from Laura Bush, First lady of the US and honorary ambassador for the
United Nations Literacy Decade, was also shown to the audience. The First Lady of Sri
Lanka, Shiranthi Rajapakse, was the guest of honour.

Recalling the vision of her husband and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia
Gandhi stressed that the National Literacy Mission had led to an increase in literacy from
52 to 65 percent during 1991-2001.

Reiterating India's commitment to universalize elementary education by 2010, Gandhi

outlined key challenges to achieve this target, including full enrolment, reduction in the
dropout rate and imparting quality education.

"A cooked mid day meal program is an integral part of this strategy. Today, some 120
million children are being fed daily in schools," she said.

Referring to the three most populated countries in the continent, she said India,
Bangladesh and Pakistan should redouble their efforts to eradicate illiteracy.

"This will include greater focus on information and communication technologies and
linking education with job opportunities (vocational education)," Gandhi stressed.
"We are at a moment of convergence between technological development and
educational need, as well as between educational need and political will. Let us grasp
this moment," she said.

"The challenge of literacy is not just of finding the means. It is one of commitment and
perseverance. Literacy has to be brought to the centre stage not just in our respective
countries but also amongst the comity of nations," said Human Resource Development
Minister Arjun Singh.

The minister aid that community mobilization, societal awareness, national commitment
and international understanding are needed to achieve full literacy.

"Our goal is that every child at primary level is enrolled and retained in school. Taken
along with our efforts under the National Literacy Mission, we hope to achieve 85 percent
literacy by the end of this plan period," he said.

The Unesco's director-general, Koichiro Matsuura, lauded India's progress in the

direction of achieving millennium development goals. Matsuura, however, highlighted the
problems of gender disparity in south, south-west and Central Asia.

"Girls account for 66 percent of out-of-school children in the sub-region, the highest share
worldwide. This threatens to perpetuate inequalities in access to learning opportunities
throughout life," Matsuura said.

The conference is the fourth in the series of six regional conferences - covering the Arab
states, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean - being organised
to promote literacy.

An exhibition on the theme of creating a literate environment has also been put up at
Vigyan Bhawan. It will focus on how information and communication technologies can be
utilized in increasing access, localizing content and creating an environment conducive to
literacy.

Read the word and read the world – literacy in times of globalization would prove out to
be fruitful only when we all realize that Knowledge is proud that she knows so much while
wisdom is humble that she knows no more.

Most definitely and for certain, we would be able to do some justice with literacy only
when we realize very seriously the fate of our country India, in the subsequent times to
arrive, to be ready with sublime alacrity either to welcome or to ostracize the spectre of
unemployment, invited by illiteracy.