Shift from semester to annual system leaves students of govt colleges in lurch
BHOPAL: Higher education department decision to shift from semester mode of education to annual system for bachelor courses has left many students in lurch. The new mode is being implemented from this 2017-18 academic session. Teaching has taken a back seat in government colleges as almost half of the year has passed and no major academic activists have been witnessed there. Shortage of faculty has always being plaguing the colleges and to add to it the teachers are being engaged for work other than teaching.
At the receiving end are the first year students, who will have to face annual examination. The students complained that since not many classes were held, most of their courses were incomplete. The department of higher education and colleges’ administration were sleeping and had not done the homework properly before taking decision on shifting to annual system mode of examination, they added.
Higher education department had directed all the colleges and universities administration to admit the students in the first year bachelor course on new mode of examination. Also, a new year-based syllabus module was prepared as per the orders.
The admissions for the new academic session were accepted till August. The classes for the first year began in September. Immediately, after the admission process was completed, the teachers of the government colleges were sent on student body election duty in the private institutions, colleges and for a month they remained busy there.
When finally they returned in October, four month had passed without any major academic activities in the colleges. The faculty took a few classes and again they have been assigned semester examination duty in December. Besides they were also engaged in paper setting and other activities other than academic.
Also, the government colleges and universities of the state were facing teaching staff shortage. Most of the lasses are being taken by the contractual faculty, who have least interest to in coming to colleges regularly.
Free Press talked to a number of the students of the Maharani Laxmi Bai College, Nutan College and Government Motilal Vigyan Mahavidyalya.
A student, not willing to disclose her identity, said that more than sixty per cent of the courses were pending due to mismanagement. The college administration is least bothered to provide quality education, she added.
There is already shortage of faculty and to add to it, teachers are assigned non-academic work due to which they are failing to fulfill their parent responsibility, rued another student.
Even a few officials of the higher education department admitted that the studies in colleges are being compromised. “No one is concerned about the students’ grievances and in a democratic set up government takes populist decision for vested interest. This year academic session has fallen victim to a such decision only,” said an officer on condition of anonymity.
