The higher education department had given administrative sanction for around 15 new-generation integrated courses in November last year to improve the bouquet of courses offered by the universities in the state. However, its implementation is in limbo.
Many colleges are finding it hard to run the courses as the varsities are yet to finalize the syllabi for most hybrid courses. Even though some autonomous colleges have drafted their own syllabi with the help of subject experts the universities are yet to approve it. Many colleges admitted students and started classes in the hope that the syllabi would be approved soon. But the semester exams could not be conducted as the universities’ final say on the syllabus and structure of the course is yet to be announced.
For instance, most colleges under Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) that received affiliation to conduct the integrated courses are facing the issue of lack of approved syllabus. Around 10 colleges received permission to start the courses which include integrated programmes in languages – English, basic sciences-chemistry, in computer science –data science, etc. Some
colleges decided to stop admissions as parents are raising concerns about the lack of a proper syllabus and delay in conducting board exams.
“Even though the colleges have informed the varsity about the concerns, the issues regarding the syllabus remain unresolved. Teachers are conducting the courses as the colleges have admitted the students already. But they are unsure whether what they are teaching now will be approved by the varsity. The same issue prevails in most colleges affiliated to other varsities in the state too,” said the principal of a leading college in Ernakulam.
However, varsity officials said that the process of finalizing the syllabus is underway in most subjects with help of experts in respective boards of studies. “These are new courses hence the final approval of the syllabus will take some time. Moreover, the pandemic has affected the process and we hope to complete them soon,” said a senior official of MGU
Courtesy: The Times of India
