Academia unsure about reforms

Updated on: Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Universities in the State are gearing up to implement the choice-based credit and semester system in undergraduate programmes from the new academic year. But a large section of academia remains doubtful about the success of the programme.Even though many support reforms in the higher education sector, there is a general perception among the teachers that the universities are going ahead with the reforms without plugging the loopholes.

Many shared the feeling that there is an undue haste in introducing the new reforms at a time when the universities continue to receive brickbats from the students and the public on issues including the lack of permanent teaching faculty and the inordinate delay in the conduct of examinations and publication of results.

Investigations by the Hindu-Education Plus found that the publication of results of undergraduate programmes in all the universities except Cochin University of Science and Technology is getting delayed thanks to the increasing number of examinations conducted by each university every year.

According to official estimates, Kerala University conducts around 11,000 examinations and Calicut University holds a record 17,000 examinations a year. A senior syndicate member of the Kerala University said that the growing number of affiliated colleges is a reason for the delay in the conduct of examinations. Even though the universities realise this fact, the process of granting affiliation to the colleges remains steady following pressure from various sections.

Many faculty members in affiliated colleges under the MG University pointed out that the authorities are clueless about how to bring the examination system for the postgraduate programmes (following the credit and semester system) back on track. They said that the authorities are yet to resolve the problems in the postgraduate level. Referring to the State Higher Education Council’s recommendation that each semester in the undergraduate programme will have 90 working days, teachers said that such suggestions are good but difficult to implement in a university famous for its delayed schedules. Recalling a recent incident, they said that a fourth semester examination was scheduled in such a way that only around 60 days existed between the end of third semester examination and March 31, when colleges close for the mid-summer.

Teachers admitted that no arrangement was made to conduct the classes during the mid-summer holidays. Most of the teachers get engaged in undergraduate examination duties. Students also said that the university authorities had decided to go ahead with the fourth semester examination from the first week of June without ensuring that the portions were completed according to schedule.

The situation is no different at the Calicut and Kerala Universities, and Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit at Kalady. Teachers at Calicut University said that postgraduate students have lost a year following the time lag suffered in completing the semesters on time. Many faculty members pointed out that teachers are not taken into confidence before introducing the reforms. But who will provide the answers when students and parents approach us protesting against the delay in the conduct of semesters and publication of results, asked a Principal of a Government College in Kozhikode.

Stating that the conduct of examinations will be a major headache under the new system, several teachers under the Kerala University said that the number of examinations is likely to double under the choice-based credit and semester system. Explaining that the serious shortage of permanent faculty in affiliated colleges is a major impediment in the implementation of the credit and semester system, the council of principals of colleges in Kerala has pointed out that nearly 2,000 teaching and non-teaching posts in colleges are lying vacant.

They said that continuous evaluation, prescribed under the new system, could be introduced only after appointing permanent teachers. Reforms proposed by the council would not succeed, if the universities continue to utilise the services of guest lecturers in 40 per cent seats that remain unfilled, principals said. .

Urging the authorities to postpone the implementation of the new system at the undergraduate level, the council said that the universities have not provided the textbooks for the new academic year based on the new curriculum.

Teachers too shared the concern that delay in the distribution of textbooks will only result in confusion during the initial days. They also said that it would take at least two months to familiarise the students with the new system. Teachers said that they are still in the dark regarding the curriculum prescribed for the undergraduate programmes. Universities are yet to give the syllabus for the new courses. .

Many have also voiced concerns over the decision to implement direct grading in the continuous assessment and external evaluation of the answer papers .

Sources in the Kerala University said that the Syndicate had initially opposed the move but later agreed to implement the proposal following pressure from certain quarters. Faculty members, involved in the evaluation process for the last several years, said that direct grading would only add confusion to the existing system.

Hindu

Academia unsure about reforms

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