A task force of the Bangalore University (BU) has recommended withdrawal of affiliation of a large number of B.Ed colleges for indulging in different types of irregularities, including non-conduct of regular classes.
The task force, headed by H. Karan Kumar, a member of the university’s Academic Council, submitted a report to the acting Vice-Chancellor N. Rangaswamy on Saturday.
After visiting 99 B.Ed colleges in the last six months, the task force categorised the colleges based on the level of compliance as per the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) norms into various groups.
The report has categorised only 12 of the 99 colleges under “satisfactory performance” and 13 as “colleges with potential to improve”. The task force has found that 18 colleges have indulged in “irregularities” and 23 have committed “gross irregularities”.
As many as 20 colleges have been categorised as “other non-functional colleges” and the report states that these colleges “at the time of the visit, were either locked or completely non-functional and that their representatives had either stopped or tried to manhandle the members of the task force.”
Meanwhile, the task force has listed some of the colleges under the category of not being recognised by the NCTE and stated that granting or reviewing affiliation to these colleges was not possible.
Ritual process
Meanwhile, after analysing the functioning of B.Ed colleges, the task force has recommended that a high-powered regulatory body, headed by experts from the education field, be constituted for continuous monitoring of the functioning of all these colleges. “The system of a customary visit to the college once a year for renewing affiliation has become more of a ritual rather than an academic exercise,” the report states.
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Karan Kumar said, “The report is just a beginning. We will meet the Chancellor of the university and Higher Education Minister on Monday to discuss the future course of action.”
