Chapter III - Total Quality Management

Chapter III - Total Quality Management

Total Quality Management relates to the plethora of aspects which deeply impinge upon quality of delivery of the programme and learning outcomes of the participants.

The Belem Framework firmly holds the view that fostering a culture of quality in adult learning requires relevant content and modes of delivery, learner-centred needs assessment, acquisition of multiple competencies and knowledge, professionalization of educators, enrichment of learning environments and empowerment of individuals and communities. To this end, it commits to: Developing quality criteria for curricula, learning materials and teaching methodologies in adult education programmes, taking account of outcomes and impact measures; Recognising the diversity and plurality of providers; Improving training, capacity-building, employment conditions and the professionalization of adult educators; Elaborating criteria to assess learning outcomes of adults at various levels; Putting in place precise quality indicators; and Lending greater support to systematic inter-disciplinary research in adult learning and education, complemented by knowledge management systems for collection, analysis and dissemination of data and good practices (Jagmohan Singh Raju, 2011[2]; UNESCO, 2009: 6). In the LIFE document, there are no explicit programme or strategy components directly linked to quality improvement.

Situation in Indian Context and Emerging Perspectives

The emerging perspectives related to the measures contained in the Report of National Curriculum Framework for Adult Education, such as: (i) Core Curriculum Framework for Adult Education should have a core content covering national values as well as locally relevant issues; (ii) The national values to include scientific temper, communal harmony, gender parity, national integration. It would imply specific focus on the values of India’s socio-cultural, ethnic diversity and the need to reflect them in curricular contents, Teaching-Learning processes and living by these values; and (iii) Issues relating to local context would also get equal reflection in the content and curriculum (NCFAE, 2011: 22-23). The NCFAE also stressed that, in order to foster a culture of quality in literacy, there is need to have: Learning environments where learners can express their demands and preferences; Teaching–Learning Materials and methodologies in consonance with learner’s needs and practices; Improved training and capacity-building opportunities for adult educators within the philosophical framework of lifelong learning; and Improved employment conditions and professionalization of adult educators.

Other catalysts of improved quality stressed and endorsed by NCFAE included (1) the use of new Learning Technologies, especially ICTs, and in particular: (i) Increased use of ICT for literacy; (ii) ICT aided teaching learning; (iii) ICT aided capacity building; (iv) ICT enabled management information system (MIS); and (v) Computer literacy; (2) learner-centred needs assessment; content relevance to learner’s needs; and its efficient delivery; acquisition of sustainable competencies and knowledge that enables learner to meet better the challenges of environment and competencies of educators and learner assessment. (3) Development of quality curricula, learning materials and teaching methodologies in adult and lifelong education programmes is of foremost importance, and felt that this will be feasible only through active engagement of universities, industry, line departments, industry and other expert agencies. Teaching learning materials and processes must reflect the socio-cultural and ethnic diversity of learners besides creating learning environments where learners can express their demands and preferences. The Workshop recommended that to attract talent in adult education, as a trigger of quality, Literacy Educators ought to be paid at par with educators in the formal education system. Even voluntary teachers should be given financial incentives on performance basis.