Interesting Article on B-School
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Anupama Singh
Jan 5, 2011, 11:51:33 PM1/5/11
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Hi All,
I found an intresting article on B-School.
Your views/comments on the same are welcome :-)
Students pick subjects for study because of the prospect of well-paid jobs, because they are interested in pursuing a particular line of study, or because they cannot get into any other, in that order of importance. Management education is believed to offer an assurance of well-paid jobs on graduation. Gullible parents and students, a lack of knowledge about what to look for in a good B-school and lack of comprehensive information and evaluation about B-schools are illustrated in this sad case.
Most people assume that any B-school offers similar opportunities as IIMs and some others. They take the extortionate fees as justified by the prospects of earning high salaries. To stop people from suffering due to selection of wrong B-schools, we must improve information available, introduce objective evaluation, severely punish crooked ‘educational’ entrepreneurs, improve institutional governance, and overhaul the regulatory institutions for management education.
This case is representative of similar tragic stories in thousands of households across India. The case is about a B-school that is not recognised by All India Council For Technical Education (AICTE). The same is true of many recognised B-schools as well. Families beg and borrow to put their child into a B-school in the expectation that the child will earn enough to repay the loan and also raise the family’s living standards. But in practice, hardly 10 per cent of all B-schools offer education of any quality. Most do little to improve a student’s prospects.
Faculty is often inadequately trained and used for even classes outside their subject. Facilities such as library, computers, counselling, etc., are poor. We have little idea as to what is the content of what is taught in such schools or whether any thought is given to pedagogy or to changes required in a rapidly changing India.
Associations representing the professional management community and management schools (All India Management Association, or AIMA, and Association of Indian Management Schools, or AIMS) have done little to set things right. They rate schools but only the best 20 per cent. The regulator (AICTE) has a reputation of corruption. It does little inspection and reporting on B-schools, and rarely disbars low-quality B-schools. Politicians and businessmen ‘own’ many B-schools and protect their institutes from penal punishments. There is no quick redressal for students who have been cheated of a proper education by crooked unrecognised B-schools, nor against the many low-quality, recognised ones. Even the energetic HRD minister has not indicated any legislation to deal with such B-schools.
The first requirement is comprehensive information on B-schools in India, recognised or not, whether standalone institutions or university-affiliated ones. The information must be independently collected and published each year. It must include details of campus location, classrooms, library, computer facilities, full-time and guest faculty numbers, their qualifications, research, etc. There must be severe penalties for misinformation or false information.
All B-schools must be governed as are corporate bodies, with independent board members, audit committees, timely and detailed publication of audited accounts, including data on number of faculty, students, etc. Any payments (demanded) that are not listed in the prospectus must be treated as illicit and the school should be suitably punished. AIMA must be given the responsibility to inspect and report on every business school, as well as publish annual comparative ratings of all. An annual catalogue of all B-schools must be published.
Unfortunately, B-schools are evaluated on placements and salaries, and not on the content of their education. This is true for all schools. Management education also emphasises profit maximisation over any other value. In a poor country that is on the rise, it is not surprising that families use placement and salary record as criteria. Greed is perpetuated by education and the family’s need. We need to change the value system so that what is taught and learnt becomes more valuable than just placements.
What can the parent and student do to ensure that there is a useful management education? This case describes actions taken after admissions. They must be taken before. Decide if your child can get into one among the top 20 per cent of B-schools. If the child cannot, evaluate what the family can afford and the total cost of B-schools in that vicinity. Read up on the schools on the AICTE and other websites. Visit the target schools, check out the facilities, talk to present and past students as well as faculty, including guest faculty, get their academic profiles, and their opinion about the school. If possible, talk to some of the employers who have taken students from the school on summer or permanent placement. Keep detailed notes that can be used later if necessary in consumer courts.
S.L. Rao was director general, NCAER; ran the National Management Programme; wrote the AIMA report on management education among 13 other books.
www dot slrao dot com
(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 03-01-2011)
Most people assume that any B-school offers similar opportunities as IIMs and some others. They take the extortionate fees as justified by the prospects of earning high salaries. To stop people from suffering due to selection of wrong B-schools, we must improve information available, introduce objective evaluation, severely punish crooked ‘educational’ entrepreneurs, improve institutional governance, and overhaul the regulatory institutions for management education.
This case is representative of similar tragic stories in thousands of households across India. The case is about a B-school that is not recognised by All India Council For Technical Education (AICTE). The same is true of many recognised B-schools as well. Families beg and borrow to put their child into a B-school in the expectation that the child will earn enough to repay the loan and also raise the family’s living standards. But in practice, hardly 10 per cent of all B-schools offer education of any quality. Most do little to improve a student’s prospects.
Faculty is often inadequately trained and used for even classes outside their subject. Facilities such as library, computers, counselling, etc., are poor. We have little idea as to what is the content of what is taught in such schools or whether any thought is given to pedagogy or to changes required in a rapidly changing India.
Associations representing the professional management community and management schools (All India Management Association, or AIMA, and Association of Indian Management Schools, or AIMS) have done little to set things right. They rate schools but only the best 20 per cent. The regulator (AICTE) has a reputation of corruption. It does little inspection and reporting on B-schools, and rarely disbars low-quality B-schools. Politicians and businessmen ‘own’ many B-schools and protect their institutes from penal punishments. There is no quick redressal for students who have been cheated of a proper education by crooked unrecognised B-schools, nor against the many low-quality, recognised ones. Even the energetic HRD minister has not indicated any legislation to deal with such B-schools.
The first requirement is comprehensive information on B-schools in India, recognised or not, whether standalone institutions or university-affiliated ones. The information must be independently collected and published each year. It must include details of campus location, classrooms, library, computer facilities, full-time and guest faculty numbers, their qualifications, research, etc. There must be severe penalties for misinformation or false information.
All B-schools must be governed as are corporate bodies, with independent board members, audit committees, timely and detailed publication of audited accounts, including data on number of faculty, students, etc. Any payments (demanded) that are not listed in the prospectus must be treated as illicit and the school should be suitably punished. AIMA must be given the responsibility to inspect and report on every business school, as well as publish annual comparative ratings of all. An annual catalogue of all B-schools must be published.
Unfortunately, B-schools are evaluated on placements and salaries, and not on the content of their education. This is true for all schools. Management education also emphasises profit maximisation over any other value. In a poor country that is on the rise, it is not surprising that families use placement and salary record as criteria. Greed is perpetuated by education and the family’s need. We need to change the value system so that what is taught and learnt becomes more valuable than just placements.
What can the parent and student do to ensure that there is a useful management education? This case describes actions taken after admissions. They must be taken before. Decide if your child can get into one among the top 20 per cent of B-schools. If the child cannot, evaluate what the family can afford and the total cost of B-schools in that vicinity. Read up on the schools on the AICTE and other websites. Visit the target schools, check out the facilities, talk to present and past students as well as faculty, including guest faculty, get their academic profiles, and their opinion about the school. If possible, talk to some of the employers who have taken students from the school on summer or permanent placement. Keep detailed notes that can be used later if necessary in consumer courts.
S.L. Rao was director general, NCAER; ran the National Management Programme; wrote the AIMA report on management education among 13 other books.
www dot slrao dot com
(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 03-01-2011)
Best Regards,
Anupama
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