Education for real life

<p style="text-align: justify;">Judith Irwin, director of international programmes and services, American Association of Community Colleges is interviewed by Rahat Bano.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><img style="border: 3px solid black; margin: 3px 4px; float: left;" src="https://images.shiksha.com/mediadata/images/1259302218php8xEEGZ.jpeg" alt="" width="150" height="110"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>The equivalents of US community colleges exist in other parts of the world, including India. So, what distinguishes one from the other?</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br />US community colleges (CCs) have the &lsquo;transfer function&rsquo;, in which students can take their first three years of UG education at a community college, which give you the same education as a university. The credits they earn will be transferred to any university (with which the college has an articulation agreement). The programmes at CCs are accredited by the same agencies that accredit university programmes.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Are CC students those who could not join a university?</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br />No. The students may need additional assistance with English or maths, but the main reason is, the tuition fee is a lot lower (in CCs). And the fees are lower because the US mandated that no eligible adult who wants higher education should be deprived because of lack of money. CCs get additional money from local governments, so they can charge low tuition than what universities do. It&rsquo;s not that CCs have lower standards.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><br />How many international students study in CCs in the US?</strong></span><img style="border: 3px solid black; margin: 3px 4px; float: right;" src="https://images.shiksha.com/mediadata/images/1259302266php53X4hJ.jpeg" alt="" width="145" height="142"></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br />According to last year&rsquo;s data, there were about 87,000, of them 3,000-4,000 Indians.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>India has had a lot of industrial training institutes, and now, IGNOU is affiliating community colleges. Your suggestions?</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br />It&rsquo;s very important to give students hands-on experience in the field they want to get into. If a graduate doesn&rsquo;t have the right skills, then the industry in the US would often say to a CC, &lsquo;Can you develop a programme and we will help you with it? We need you to teach students certain skills.&rsquo;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br />Make sure the courses are right. Also, students should never be given false hopes (about jobs). Another thing to make sure is that the instructors and faculty really focus on the needs of the students.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Author: HT Horizons</strong></p> <p><strong>Date: 27th Nov., 2009</strong></p> <hr /> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>For further details about related courses and colleges please click below:</strong></span></p> <p>Related courses and colleges</p>