Distance education is a highly welcome step because in a country like India, overcrowding of schools, colleges and universities is a chronic problem. The infrastructure in the field of education is on the verge of break down. The prospects of distance education have been made more fruitful because of the development of information technology. More over the field of conventional education may be limited because the students interested in higher education may like to earn while acquiring education. For want of financial constraints students will not have to cut short education.
The development of distance education will make education accessible to all irrespective of financial, social and age factor. Equality in the field of education can be achieved for the rich and the poor, the urban and the rural population. In 1966 the Kothari commission made a very meaningful observation on distance education. He said that the home study or correspondence method does not provide the opportunity for inspiring contact with the teachers. Interestingly, he remarked that inspiring teachers are rare these days. In correspondence system of education there is a strong motivation to learn. It is a fact that distance education does not provide effective kind of close relationship between the teacher and the taught, But this short coming has been overcome by providing contact classes and study centers for the guidance of the students. Everything said and done, the inspiring ideal behind distance education is self motivation of the learners for betterment of their own prospects. The Kothari commission has also observed that important vocational programmes can be taken up in the field of industry, commerce and agriculture, to help the workers improve their efficiency. Even the Indian Education commission (1964-66) was also of the opinion that there must be a method of taking education to the millions who depend upon their own efforts to make advancement in the educational field. The International commission on education has also strongly supported distance learning system. Open university system has come to assume immense significance as a viable alternative to conventional system of education. The Indira Gandhi National open university was estab¬lished with these objectives & it has proved quite useful in its scope to encourage open school system.
Most of the universities in the country have come up with distance learning programmes in accordance with National Policy on Education. In India we have a kind of dual system of distance education — Distance education Directorates and Open Universities. The advent of open education in India came up with the establishment of Andhra Pradesh open university in 1982. Indira Gandhi Na-tional open university (1985) and Kota open university (1987) have given fillip to distance education in the country.
According to one estimate there were around 20.8 lakh students in the field of distance education as against 65.9 lakh in universities and colleges in the year 2000. The future of distance education is quite bright. Another beneficial feature of education provided by open universities and the system of distance educa¬tion is that the courses provided by these systems are not based on conventional study courses.
However, the system of distance education in our country is not free from the problems. Most of the distance education directorates are poorly funded by the states. In some cases they have to support themselves. It is therefore, important that these directorates should be given autonomy within the university system so as to plan new courses & enhance their financial status. The distance education system has not been able to make full use of electronic media as a means of two-way communication between the students and their tutors. More over the material provided by these directorates is sub-standard and the study material is not received in time. There is a need of closer examination of the study material so as not to lower the standard of education provided by distance education directorates. Inspite of these shortcomings, in a country like India only distance education can bring education to the door of all and one.