: Helping students from underprivileged backgrounds brush-up their communication skills, is a side of the Delhi University that many may not be aware of.
The varsity’s Department of Adult Education runs a special course called English Language Promotion Course (ELPC) to polish language skills of students who are not good at communication.
“This course is meant for students who are bright but are not good at communication skills. This comes as a disadvantage to them when it comes to employability,” said Dr. Tasneem Shahnaaz, who coordinates the programme.
“We have no prescribed syllabus… we teach them through skits, talks and discussions. The four aspects of learning that we focus on are — reading, writing, listening and speaking. Our faculty has a very important role to play in this. Those teaching the students have to be first trained by the Department of Adult Education,” she added.
Grant withdrawn
The course, which started in 2008, trained many students and gave them successful careers but has now become inaccessible to them.
Till 2015, when the government was giving a grant to the department, the course fee was Rs. 1,000 for general category students and Rs. 500 for reserved category.
However, after the grant was withdrawn, the fee is Rs. 3,000 for everyone.
In order to now make it more accessible to the underprivileged section, the varsity’s Special Cell is going to run special summer classes for students from OBC/SC/ST where they will have to Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,000 for the class.
“The Special Cell at the Delhi University has received a grant from the government, which we are going to utilise for the ELPC course. We are in the process of charting out a proposal and will most likely start the special classes for the reserved category from May or June this year,” Ms. Shahnaaz added.
Currently, classes are held at the Department of Adult Education and in Aurobindo College, Bhagini Nivedita and A few other colleges of DU. Timings of the class are mostly after the college timings.
The number of colleges that had enrolled for the programme was high till last year, but after the grant stopped, the number fell drastically. The department now hopes to get more students in the special summer classes.
English Language Promotion
Course began in 2008 with the
help of govt. grant
