‘Improve quality of higher education to prevent costly migration from Kerala’

At the school level, Kerala perhaps can boast of an education system that is comparable with the best in the word. However, when students reach the higher education stage, there is a dramatic fall in quality.

Two young and successful education entrepreneurs—Jain University director Tom M Joseph and Learnfluence Education MD Orwell Lionel— blame it on the failure of Kerala to create the ideal higher education ecosystem. Both were speaking on the topic 'Education Unbound' at Manorama News Conclave 2025 held at the Lulu Bolgatty International Convention Centre in Kochi on Friday.

"Creation of employable graduates is the primary goal of higher education. The education-employment gap is huge in Kerala," said Tom Joseph. "The syllabus is weak or not reworked to reflect the changing needs of the time. The system lacks the capability to change," he said.

Orwell, echoing Tom, said that Kerala had failed to put in place the new-age requirements for higher education. He was referring to the obsoleteness of both syllabus and infrastructure found in Kerala's higher education. Orwell, too, emphasised that job creation was the primary goal of education. "Graduates who pass out (from colleges in Kerala) are not properly placed," he said.

Orwell said that job orientation should begin at the school level. "Stakeholders should be taught early on to choose the subject that can offer a good job," he said. Such employment awareness right from the school level can forestall the attempts of parents and students to take huge loans to study in foreign universities that are incapable of providing right placements. In addition, Orwell said the system should change.

Tom said the Private Universities Bill, which is now awaiting the approval of the Governor, was a policy measure that came too late. "At a time when we are speaking of the privatisation of transportation and defence, education cannot be left aside. Many Indian states, notably, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, have already passed the private universities Act," he said. According to him, 35-40% of students in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are in private educational institutions.

They don't lack in quality as well. "After the IITs and IIMs, private colleges have cornered the other top spots in college rankings. They improve quality, not lower it," Tom said.

Except for those flying out to study in Ivy League colleges, Orwell said that Kerala could persuade students to stay in Kerala. "They go out in search of three things: quality, opportunity and freedom. Our ecosystem should be reworked to help our students achieve these aspirations here in Kerala," Orwell said.

Tom seconded Orwell. "We can reduce migration if we can improve our climate, standard of living and employability. The government has a big role to play here," Tom said.