Abstract

In India, Open and Distance Learning (ODL) for secondary and higher secondary level is mainly provided by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). The results from a telephonic survey of 1000 learners who were enrolled with NIOS and completed secondary and higher secondary education during 2008-2012 in selected Indian states showed that two different kinds of learners join NIOS at these two stages; the secondary stage seems has a bigger representation of lower socioeconomic strata. Flexibility offered by the ODL stream was the major reason for enrolling with NIOS. Male learners used the flexibility to pursue the course and continue their income-generating activity, whereas women used it to fulfil their care and domestic responsibilities. This raises the question whether ODL is contributing towards girls’ education or to further strengthening isolation of girls from labour force participation. Second, 65 percent mentioned that NIOS helped them in looking for better jobs, widening the job search, more stable (permanent) and secure (government) jobs. However, the majority of those in employment were at lower level administrative /support jobs. In addition, most of the self-employed (63%) did not find NIOS certificates much useful. This implied that it was the certificate and not necessarily the knowledge or skills developed through the course that really mattered.

This became apparent even when one examined the way those who were in employment articulated ‘certification’ as the main contribution of NIOS. This leads to the wider question of whether ODL is a suitable mode for schooling at secondary and senior secondary levels or not. Third, the analysis of NIOS student data for five years (2008-2013) reveals that the representation of males from upper caste groups from urban and peri-urban areas is relatively higher. High dependence on technology and lack of an institutional mediation (either in the form of school or an NGO) also act as barriers for those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and remote locations. A survey of currently enrolled students in two Indian states showed that the use of unscrupulous middlemen is high leading to high out-of-pocket expenses. This raises issues about the inclusive nature and equitable outcomes of ODL. Using these analyses, this paper examines these experiences to critically examine the question whether Open and Distance approach can be an effective alternative for inclusive secondary schooling in India that leads to better education, or skill development, which enables labour mobility, or just a mere certification process.

Jha, J., Ghatak, N., Mahendiran, S., Pancharatnam, P., & Minni, P. (2017). Schooling for education or mere certification: examining the experiences of open and distance learning at secondary level in India. Bengaluru, Karnataka: Centre for Budget and Policy Studies.