The State government’s decision to implement the New Education Policy from the current academic year has put the teaching faculty and those seeking admission to undergraduate colleges in a fix. The students have no clue about the new system. Forget students, the teaching faculty themselves have no clarity on subjects available for study.
The degree colleges had instruction to take admissions for the first semester from August 4 onwards. However, later they received another circulation to put the admission process on hold. The II PU results are already out. The eligible candidates and their parents approached the colleges for admission. “We are issuing applications to students, but there are no directions to take admissions as of now. We are expecting directions soon”, said the principal of a government degree college.
The NEP offers multi-disciplinary studies at the undergraduate level. The teaching faculty in small colleges located at taluk headquarters and hobli centres are worried about how this multi-disciplinary approach would be implemented there. “There are no sufficient staff members to teach subjects already offered in our colleges. How can we offer a few more subjects?” wondered another principal.
Objections
The new policy offers an opportunity for students to end their studies in the middle of the course with a certificate. Many teachers have expressed worries that it might increase the dropout rate. “Many girl students get married during the course and give up studies. We, teachers, keep telling them to complete the degree. But, the new system encourages such students to give up studies as they will be getting certificates”, pointed out a teacher, who wished not to be named, but said she had raised these objections in the academic forums.
Minister for Higher Education C.N. Ashwath Narayan has repeatedly said the new policy will come into effect from the current year itself. But there are no instructions to colleges on when they would get syllabus and textbooks for the design under the new policy. “In fact, we have not yet got textbooks of the revised syllabus of Kananda (Optional) from Mysuru University. The students are preparing for the exams, scheduled for the next month, by reading the PDF copies of the text. If this is the status of the course, for which syllabus is ready, when would fresh students under the new education policy get textbooks”, asked a principal.
