Kannur varsity starts choice-based credit system

Updated on: Wednesday, August 03, 2011

The syllabus of degree courses offered under the distance education stream of Kannur University has retained the content of syllabus for the regular stream as the university School of Distance Education (SDE) has introduced the choice-based credit system (CBCS).

Dismissing media reports alleging anomalies in the CBCS being introduced from this year for the students under the distance education as baseless, SDE Director James Paul said at a press conference here on Tuesday that the adverse reports appearing in a section of the media about admission to the courses offered by the SDE had created anxiety among students and parents.

As the process of admission to the degree courses in the regular stream was scheduled to end on August 5, the admission of students to courses under the distance education stream would start only in August-September, he said adding that only the students who could not secure admission in regular colleges would depend on distance education.

Denying that there was delay in starting the admission procedures, Dr. Paul said notification for admission had been issued by the SDE on July 23 and nearly 5,000 students had already registered for admission. The registration would end on August 20 and contact classes and distribution of study materials would begin after that, he informed.

The SDE Director said the university Syndicate had taken a policy decision following the allegation that the choice-based credit and semester system (CBCSS) was discriminatory to the students in the distance education stream.

A subcommittee, including chairpersons of all study boards, had been convened in January last to draft a regulation and a workshop for teachers convened in March last for drafting syllabus based on the CBCS for distance education students.

The CBCS-based syllabus was just a re-designed version of the CBCSS-based syllabus, he said adding that both required the students to secure 120 credits.

Dr. Paul said the university would organise a workshop on August 13 for introducing the CBCS to students and teachers in parallel colleges. Plans were also there to organise similar workshops at eight distance education study centres under the university, he added.

Terming as baseless the reports that the number of students registered in the SDE had substantially decreased, he said that over 11,000 students had enrolled last year and more students were expected this year.

He also said that arrangements were already under way for the distribution of study materials through the study centres. Contact classes would also begin soon, he said adding that a proposal for extending the duration of the contact classes was under consideration.

The newly conceived smart web of the university would allow the students under the distance education stream to access online study materials and classes using their individual passwords.

Dr. Paul alleged that the people associated with non-recognised universities outside the State were suspected to be behind the adverse campaign against the SDE. As per a directive of the University Grants Commission, the university Syndicate was considering denial of equivalency to distance education courses offered by off-campuses of other universities functioning outside the areas of their jurisdiction, he added.

Kannur varsity starts choice-based credit system

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