CANADA- INDIA COOPERATION IN ADULT EDUCATION

Professor S. Y. Shah of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi was awarded the Senior Social Science Fellowship of the Shastri Indo Canadian Institute in1990 for research under the collaborative programme between the University of British Columbia and Rajasthan University operationalized during the four year period- 1964-68. As a part of the fellowship Dr.Shah spent two months each at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver and Ontario Institute For Educational Studies, Toronto. Apart from collecting relevant primary source materials from the Archives of the UBC and Toronto University Archives and interviewing some of Canadian experts, Professor Shah also gave a seminar on “ International Cooperation in Adult Education : Indo Canadian Scenario” at the Center for Policy Studies in Higher education and Training, UBC. One of the highlight of his visit was the meeting with the 98 year old renowned Canadian Adult Educator Dr.John Friesen who served as the Director of the UBC -Rajasthan Project during 1964-66 and Dr.Bill Dey and Professor James Draper who were the two Canadian Advisors for the project during 1966-67.

Following are the excerpts from the interview with the free lance Journalist Mr.Kuldeep Kohli of Vancouver.

Mr. Kohli. Welcome to Canada, Professor Shah. What is the main purpose of your visit to University of British Columbia?

Prof.Shah. My visit is primarily in connection with the research study on the “Indo Canadian Cooperation in Adult Education”. As a part of my major research project in the area of International Cooperation in Adult Education, I have already published a paper on “Indo British Cooperation in Adult Education” and now I would like to look at the Indo Canadian scenario especially because of the significant contributions of Canada to the development of Adult Education in India since 1950s. Although Canadian contributions to and influence on Indian Adult Education has been through the Government and Non Government channels and universities, currently I will be focusing on universities. While there were several collaborative projects between Indian and Canadian universities in different fields, in the present study , I would be focusing on the four collaborations in the field of University Adult Education ,viz; Rajasthan and UBC (1964-68), Toronto and Udaipur ( 1975-76 ); St: Francis Xavier University and Poona(1984-86); McGill and Jadavpur Universities (1989-92). Of all these projects, the collaborative project between UBC and Rajasthan is significant as it helped the Rajasthan University develop the first University Adult Education programme in India mainly following the Canadian model. Since the records of the project are at the UBC Archives and two of the Canadians who worked in the project are currently living in Vancouver, I hope, I could collect sufficient materials for my research.

Mr. Kohli. How did you get interested in the area of International Cooperation?

Prof. Shah. My interest goes back to almost two decades. Having had a Doctorate in History of Education and got an opportunity to work as an Assistant Director of Adult Continuing Education Programme at JNU in 1984, then Director of Adult Education Professor Tapas Majumdar encouraged me to focus on History of Adult Education -an area ignored by historians. When I started going through the few existing publications -all by non historians and other primary source materials available at the National Archives and Nehru Museum Library, I realized how Indian Adult Education has been influenced by overseas ideas, institutions and individuals at various points of time and yet this aspect has not adequately covered in the publications and hence I decided to initiate research in this area during 1980s. One of my responsibility at JNU being the development of Adult Education programme , I started reading about University Adult Education in other countries and came to know how the Canadian Adult Educators viz; Dr. John Friesen , Dr. James Draper, Dr. Roby Kidd, Knut Butte Dahl, Bill Dey ,Glen Eyford and Alan Thomas who tried to help the Rajasthan University develop its Adult Education programmes mainly following the Canadian model of community based continuing education. Subsequently when I met Dr. James Draper in 1987, I interviewed him about his experiences of working at the Rajasthan University . With further readings and interactions with several Canadian and Indian Adult Educators, I realized that there has been considerable cooperation between India and Canada in several fields including Adult Education and I decided to carry out further research on this topic.

Mr. Kohli. Could please elaborate on Indo Canadian Cooperation in Adult Education?

Prof.Shah. The relation between India and Canada has been very friendly and warm since 1950s and there have been several successful collaborative programmes in Adult Education between the two countries carried out through the Governmental and non governmental channels and universities. India was the first country to pilot test the Canadian Farm Radio Forum in 1950s and later adapt it with some modifications as an important programme for the farmers which continues as Krishi Darshan of the All India Radio. During 1950s the World Literacy of Canada-an NGO, set up the Literacy House at Lucknow to train literacy workers and prepare materials which became renowned in Asia for its work. Currently, under the leadership of Mamta Mishra, World Literacy of Canada continues its excellent work at several Eastern U.P districts.This year WLC launched a massive project of imparting one year training based on a specially prepared Manual for four hundred women from very backward areas with stipend. The Coady International Institute of Canada has been collaborating with several NGOs since 1960s and promoting the philosophy of Antigonish Movement in India. Apart from Collaborations through non Governmental channels, there has been successful cooperation between Rajasthan University and University of British Columbia 1964-68), Ontario Institute For Studies in Education and Udaipur University (1975-76); St; Francis Xavier University and Poona university (1984-86), McGill university and Jadavpur University during 1989-92. Of all these collaborations Rajasthan project has been very unique for several reasons.

Mr. Kohli. Why did you select the UBC –Rajasthan project as a case study ? Was it a successful project?

Prof. Shah. I have focused on this particular project not only because it was the first project between an Indian and Canadian University but also due to the availability of source materials and access to several Canadians and Indians who were associated with this project. Although I am still in the process of analyzing the rich untapped primary source materials collected from the Archives in Canada and India and my notes of interviews and other materials given by Dr. James Draper and Dr.Friesen, I feel that the UBC and Rajasthan project has been a successful as it achieved all the objectives viz; designing and launching community based continuing education programes, expanding the extension programmes, planning an evening college and correspondence courses, organizing training programmes for literacy workers; launching a Diploma Programme in Adult Education, and identifying potential Indians for training in Canada. What is striking is that the Canadian Advisors did not confine their work to university but also took wider interest in professionalizing Indian Adult Education by encouraging the formation of Adult Education associations in Rajasthan, participating and delivering lectures in several seminars and workshops and bringing out publications. Dr. Friesen’s report on the University Adult Education based on the Conference of Vice Chancellors( 1965) is considered to be an important document.

Mr. Kohli .Can we draw some lessons from the experiences of the Project especially when India and Canada are seriously pursuing the agenda of Cooperation? Can it be considered as a good demonstration project?

Prof.Shah. Some of the experiences and insights from the Rajasthan project may be very useful for future collaborations. The project, in fact showed what precautions should be taken in future. As told by Dr. Bill Dey, the project had several structural weaknesses. As per the Agreement, Canada was expected to send a team of two Advisors each year and the tenure of one year was too short to effect changes in the university system. No serious attention was given to develop a cohesive team of Indians and Canadians and they worked in tandem. There was no consistent support of from the Rajasthan University and the State government. While Dr. Mohan Sinha Mehta, who was the Vice Chancellor during the first year of the project extended unstinted support , his successor Professor. M. V. Mathur was very cautious and often slow in taking decisions. Besides ,as said by Dr. Friesen,” the vagaries of administration and finances often hindered the progress of the project.” Because of the inherent weaknesses in the project design, it cannot be considered to be a good demonstration project.

I feel that the project was far ahead of time. It was only in 1977 that the University Grants Commission of India brought out the policy document –Extension as the Third Dimension of Higher Education ,but launched a package of funds and guidelines in 1983-84. Since the job opportunities were limited for Adult educators during 1960s, there was no enrolment for the Diploma programme, after the first three years. The efforts made by Dr. Mehta to persuade the UGC to follow the Rajasthan pattern of community based continuing education was strongly opposed by Dr. Malcom Adiesheshayya who believed that the main role of universities was to offer discipline based courses in Andragogy. However, the Project did succeed in building lasting relations among several Canadians and Indians and some of the Canadians specially Dr. Friesen and his wife Marta still continues as unofficial Ambassador of India in Canada. In spite of living in ten countries and travelling all over the world, their love for India continues unabated and is reflected in their drawing room which is full of the Rajasthan paintings and artifacts and warm feelings towards India.

In fact, it is not possible to discus all the details of the project right now. Yesterday I gave a seminar at the Faculty of Education on this topic and it was followed up with lively discussions mainly because of the presence of Dr. Bill Dey who served as an Advisor in the Rajasthan project and Professor Tom Sork who is familiar with India.

Mr. Kohli. What did the Canadians gain by participating in the Rajasthan project?

Prof. Shah. Four of the seven Canadians who worked in the Rajasthan project with whom I could talk, felt that they gained tremendously in terms of the rich professional experience of working in a developing country like India. They had the satisfaction of working towards strengthening Adult Education in India. While Dr. Draper opined that the Indian experiences gave a new Asian perspective to his teaching and research in literacy in Canada, Dr. Friesen and Bill felt that the project changed their personality. They valued their personal ties with several Indians which continued even after the conclusion of the project.

Mr. Kohli. How did the Indians respond to Canadian contributions to Adult Education in India?

Prof. Shah. While all the Indians I could talk to appreciated the genuine concern for and commitment of the Canadians to the development of Indian Adult Education, and their role in strengthening it, Indian Adult Education Association initiated Roby Kidd and James Draper Memorial Lectures and awards in their honor . The Rajasthan Vidypeeth University awarded Honorary Doctorate to Prof. James Draper in appreciation of his work India. Some of the Indians were motivated to pursue further studies in Canada.

Mr. Kohli. Ever since the Canadian Prime Minister Harper identified India as a growing economy and expressed Canadian interest in India, several Canadian Universities are keen for collaborating with Indian Universities. What are your suggestions in this regard?

Prof. Shah. For a successful collaboration in the field of Adult Education, interested Canadian universities should identify those Indian universities which are committed to Adult Education and where Extension permeates the entire university system. Besides the selected university should have an Adult Education Department consisting of a minimum critical mass of 3-5 faculty who are familiar with the Adult Education programes in overseas universities. Perhaps it would be a good idea to start collaboration with a research project. Since the Shastri Indo Canadian Institute provides liberal funds and fellowships and encourages cooperation between Canadian and Indian universities, it may not be difficult to make a beginning.

Mr. Kohli. Thank you professor Shah. Hope to see your publication soon.

Professor Shah. Thank you for making me reflect on some aspects of Indo Canadian Cooperation in Adult Education . Bye & Have a good day.