Educational Issues and Challenges in the 21st Century in India

INTRODUCTION

The future world of learning is one where the forces of globalization, pervasive technology and innovation demands in the learning environment combine to form a dynamic setting that is both challenging and difficult for educational leaders. Together with the changes, new expectations have knocked on our doors. The first aim of our education was all round development of a child, Father of nation, Mahatma Gandhi once said "By education I mean all round drawing out of the best in child and body, mind and spirit". It is quite apparent that all round development is like a day dream, because the current system is not developing all round ability in the child. According to Warren Bennis-"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality". Educational leadership in the 21st Century should be modern to face the challenges in the digital age. Schools are starting to do education differently. All the issues and challenges did not rise in a day, they took a long period. If we look back in time. ancient time India was on the top in education and knowledge. This was the country in which students used to come from all over the world to acquire the knowledge and education. No country of the world was even near to it. The Story starts from the invaders. First Muslim invaders who tried to destroy the culture and knowledge of the country. After them came the British invaders. They left our country in the condition of a beggar gave us many things like poverty, corruption. Injustice, unemployment and many other problems, which are now standing up as a challenge for our education system, which can cope by adopting perfect educational leadership.

Educational leadership is the process of enlisting and guiding the talents and energies of teachers, pupils, and parents toward achieving common educational aims.Educational leadership is usually associated with formal organisational position in schools, leadership is seen as a prime factor in improving school effectiveness. Leadership makes a difference. Effective leadership improves schools. Outstanding leadership has invariably emerged as a key characteristic of outstanding schools. There can no longer be doubt that those seeking quality in education must ensure its presence and that the development of potential leaders must be given high priority. (Beare, caldwell and Millikan 1989, p.99) Educational leaders take on their roles because they want to make a difference to student‘s lives and learning. Leadership is not an ending itself, rather, it is a means to enabling student to learn, achieve and develop. For all round development wider range of measures adopted to encompass excellence and equity, cognitive and non-cognitive and personal and social skills. Leaders who make a difference to the pupils they serve invariably attend to all of these skill areas, but their schools are only evaluated on a narrow set of cognitive learning outcome measures. In 2lstcentury educational leaders want to change this, since

Indian literacy rate is 74.04% (2011 figure) , the level is well below the world average literacy rate of 84% of all nations, India currently has the largest illiterate population Despite government programmes, India's literacy rate increased only slightly and a 1990 study estimated that it would take until 2060 for India to achieve universal literacy at then current rate of progress. The 2011 census. However, indicated a 2001-2011 decadal literacy growth of 9.2%, which is slower than the growth seen during the previous decade. There is a wide gender disparity in the literacy rate in India: effective literacy rates (age - and above) in 20ll were 82.14% for men and 65.46% for women. The census provided a positive indication that growth in female literacy rates (11.8%) was substantially faster than in male literacy rates (6.9%) in the 2001- 20ll decadal period, which means the gender gap appears to be narrowing. This is real scenario of education system of lndia, where we are standing, we are trying to achieve education for all, we are trying to diminish gender disparity in the literacy rate in India, we are going for quantity education but we are trying for quality education also. Our Aim of education of all round development of a student is quite apparent that all round development is like a day dream because the current system is trying to developing single ability in students. Now as we see in the society that the level of our social, moral, cultural values and ideals are going downwards, we are acquiring western culture and social values which are totally different from ours. The top most issues are: The education system is not meeting the current demands of students and the globalized world. Skills are invaluable for all students to succeed in both college and career ' skills are undervalued and under- rated in the present educational system.

1. Quality of education 2. Access of education 3. Cost of education 4. Un-satisfaction of youth 5. Discipline 6. Unemployment 7. Poverty 10. Privatization of education 11. Unawareness of teachers. Education in every society is concerned with teaching children how to live in the society, whether this is a matter of bare survival or a matter of how to have a good life. There will always be some education in relationships with other people. This may be to do with how to show respect to others, how to work within a group or with the rituals of human relationships. Quality of education can be maintained by curriculum, there should be one best curriculum for all over country. The curriculum is described as 'all the intended outcomes' of the school. Process and teaching method is thus part of the curriculum. Globalization: Globalization is the process of international we go to a classroom; we pick up a piece of integration arising from the interchange of chalk. Technology should be as automatic as world views, products, ideas, and other aspects picking up the chark. The newer teachers are of culture. According to prof. Anand Kumar Globalization can be defined as the compression of time and space beyond the nation state. It is multidimensional process which has taken shape around market centric democracies in last two decades in the modern world system. It has economic, political and cultural components, which are unevenly developed in different part of world, in simple words it means shrinkage of space as well as time, which together nations, cultures and economies in mutual respect for one another. Globalization indeed sounds exciting and makes one feel great and global in many respects such as approach, attitude and changed mind set to compete at international level and finally look for an elevated quality of life. Knowledge society, information and Communication technologies, the market economy, trade liberalization and changes in governance structures elements of globalization have a significant impact on Education. Therefore nations across the world have been striving to create the right Educational environment to promote effective teaching and learning to achieve the unique requirements of globalization So globalization paying more important role for 21st century ,education. Innovation: We want technology in 21st century to be almost a thoughtless, seamless process. When we go to a classroom, we pick piece of chalk. Technology should be as automatic as picking up the chalk. The newer teacher are expecting it and our students are expecting it

communicate' and to create' disseminate, store and manage information so ICT is potentially powerful tool for extending educational opportunities and innovation in educational field. According to Marc Prensky (2001b),"today's students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors'" They are "digital natives," born into the digital age, while adults are "digital immigrants," adapting their skills and thinking processes to a new world. These digital natives have fundamentally different expectations of access and interactions with technology.

Above table showing gap between rural and urban population's G.E.R. 20% in India. According to census 2011 in higher education There is gap between male and female G.E.R. is 4%. *-According to census 2011 in higher education *-According to census 2011 in higher education *-According to census 2011 in higher education *-According to census 2011 in higher education Above table showing huge disparity in higher education and this disparity found in junior and primary section also in another way, so challenge is how can we improve in education when public expenditure in education is already falling by maintain quality' Some suggestions are: • Increase the number of institutions both government as well as private sector. • Increase the intake capacity in existing system. • Whatever funding is required government should provide it. • Government should encourage the public private participation in education' • Careful amalgamation of distance and conventional mode of education' • Principal and head teacher should adopt suitable leadership for their institutions' • Use innovative and modern technology in education.

In 21st century educational leader and teacher play positive role and create such environment which will able to cope with issue and challenges, where student will learn by doing. The education system will meet the current demands of students and globalized world, education will be valuable for all students to succeed in both college and career. Every child will move forward at their own pace, according to his competency and the way forward will be abundant and diverse. There will be no physical punishment. There will be teacher and student ratio 1:10, the work will be presented by email also by adopting innovation in field of education. There will be mutual support between government and private schools. There will be no distinction on the basis of species and gender. Government will try to achieve 100 % literacy rate in our society, school will provide value based and skill based education, children's self-esteem will increase. Student will be world citizen by adopting globalization, he has to deal with every global problem faced by him. Curriculum will be flexible and will take education from anywhere in India. Every child will have functionality this creates

Bennis, W.G. (1997). In J'C' Maxwell, Leadership 101 (p. 14). Tulsa, OK: Honor Books. Caldwell, B. (2002). A blueprint for successful leadership in an era of globalization in learning: London: Falmer Press. Kumar, A. (2004, December) Globalization and Poverty: Some Notes. A Research Paper for International Seminar on Globalization & Poverty, Organized by M.G. Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi P' 1 -134' Prensky, M. (2001b December) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants.

M.A.(Ed), B.Ed., M.Sc.(Zoology), LLM, M.Phil (Ed), Ph.D.(Ed), Principal, Arya College of Education, Vill – Bherian, Post Muklan, Hisar, Haryana aryacollegeharyana@gmail.com