The Departments of Pre-University and Higher Education will jointly conduct a drive to enrol P.U. passed students to higher education for increasing the enrolment ratio, said PU Department director C. Shikha here on Wednesday
Speaking at a meeting of the Dakshina Kannada Pre-University College Principals’ Association, Ms. Shikha said the gross enrolment ratio to degree courses of those between 18 and 24 years of age in the State was 26% , which was poor compared to neighbouring states. She and the Commissioner of Higher Education have decided to conduct a joint drive to enrol students for degree or any other courses. “Let the student be enrolled to the nearby government college or any other college. We should ensure the student continues his/her higher studies,” she said.
Remedial action
While commending lecturers and other teaching staff of the district for being in the top two positions in terms of the performance of students in the second year PU examination for over several years, Ms. Shikha said it was not enough to get a pass percentage of over 90 every year.
“The teaching staff here should take remedial action to ensure that those who have failed in the examination clear their subjects in the supplementary examination. These students should be inspired to continue their higher education. The State government was giving incentives to subsidise higher education for the needy,” she said.
Secure examination
With the success of Karnataka Secure Examination system last year, Ms. Shikha said the department would follow the same system for the second year PU examination that starts in March. All the examination centres will have closed circuit television cameras. The Department has delegated financial power to government college principals and the PU Department’s Deputy Director to purchase CCTVs and make other arrangements at the examination centres.
The PU colleges, she said, should hold meetings with parents of second PU students and ask them not to be carried away by claims of coaching institutions who say they will provide students with practice question papers that will be the same as those to be given in the annual examination.
Parents and students should be made aware of the recent amendment to the Karnataka Education Act, 1983, by which sharing a question paper over WhatsApp or any other social networking medium will be considered as leaking a question paper, she said.
