Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has urged universities in the State to declare their graduate attributes during the current academic year.
Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) advisory body members, poet K. Satchidanandan and economist Prabhat Patnaik, have also called for formulating courses and curriculum in a manner that instilled the Constitution’s core values including secularism and gender equality among students.
Convening the first meeting of the advisory body of the KSHEC here on Saturday, Mr. Vijayan urged the universities to embrace an outcome-driven style of functioning.
He called for adopting outcome-based education, the preliminary steps for which were set in motion by the council. The universities were directed to identify the skills and qualities they are capable of imparting to students.
Efforts lauded
The Chief Minister added that the other initiatives being taken by the KSHEC, including constitution of the State Assessment and Accreditation Centre (SAAC) and establishment of a faculty training centre, were aimed at improving the standards of higher education sector.
He also lauded the council’s initiative in launching the Prabudhata, Learner Ecosystem and Erudite scholar-in-residence schemes that aimed at democratising knowledge and ensuring accessibility of higher education.
Mr. Vijayan released the handbook on equivalency for university academic programmes/degrees prepared by the KSHEC.
Also at the KSHEC meeting, Mr. Satchidanandan and Mr. Patnaik stressed on the need to bridge the widening gulf between intellectuals and the common man.
Quality of research
Noted academician E.D. Jemmis emphasised on concerted efforts to improve the quality of research being undertaken in the field of higher education.
Education Minister K.T. Jaleel, A. Sampath and K.K. Rajesh, both MPs, Muhammed Muhsin and R. Rajesh, both MLAs, Chief Secretary Tom Jose, Higher Education Principal Secretary Usha Titus, KSHEC vice chairman Rajan Gurukkal, member secretary Rajan Varughese, and the council executive body members also took part in the KSHEC meeting.
