As many as 1,440 B.Ed. students may face an uncertain future owing to the unilateral decision of the Kuvempu University to have its own curriculum for the B.Ed. course in its affiliated colleges from the academic year 2015–16.
The university has refused to accept the curriculum suggested by the Karnataka State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) from 2015–16.
Participating in a debate on the State Budget proposals in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, Y.S.V. Datta of the JD(S) said except Kuvempu University, all other universities in the State had accepted the B.Ed. syllabus suggested by a committee under E.R. Ekabote of Gulbarga University.
“Will other university colleges give recognition to the B.Ed. degree granted by the Kuvempu University,” Mr. Datta asked, and urged the government to direct the Vice-Chancellor to follow the syllabus adopted by other universities.
The Ekabote committee designed the uniform curriculum for B.Ed. courses throughout the State. But the Kuvempu University offered its own syllabus to its affiliated colleges owing to the unilateral decision of the Vice-Chancellor, Mr. Datta said.
“More than 1,400 students will face an uncertain future if the Kuvempu University refuses to accept the curriculum suggested by the KSHEC,” he said. The university has enhanced the duration of the B.Ed. course to two years as per the recommendations of the National Council for Teacher Education from the academic year 2015–16.
Mr. Datta said, “Why does the government appoint these kinds of vice-chancellors?” The Vice-Chancellor has written to the government stating that the university disagrees with the recommendations of the committee, he said.
The Vice-Chancellor has maintained that according to the Karnataka State Universities Act, 2000, the Board of Studies and the Academic Council of the respective university enjoy the privilege to design the curriculum and syllabus.
