New Delhi, May 25 (PTI) A section of students and teachers of the Delhi University have opposed the process of “replacing” the B.El.Ed course with the Centre’s Integrated Teacher Education Programme, claiming that the move would lead to a deep dilution of the standards required to prepare school teachers.
The university plans to gradually scrap its unique Bachelor of Elementary Education program (B.El.Ed.). programme. Delhi University had its own four-year integrated programme.
Three colleges of the Delhi University will adopt the Centre’s four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) for the upcoming academic year.
Teachers and students have both opposed the cancellation of the course.
Student group SFI said scrapping a well-reputed programme such as the BElEd is “not only illegal, but also academically and professionally irrational”. “The university should come clear on why it is coercing colleges into replacing the BElEd with ITEP?” the SFI said in a statement.
A section of teachers claimed in a Wednesday press conference that the decision to replace existing Bachelor of Elementary Education programmes (B.El.Ed.) in eight colleges by the new course in the next two-year period, as listed on the agenda of the Academic Council Meeting, had not been approved in accordance with procedure by the college governing body, the Committee of Courses, and the Faculty of Education.
Professor Poonam Batra, (former faculty member of CIE at DU), and Prof Anita Rampal, (former Dean Faculty of Education of CIE at DU) addressed the press conference along with other senior faculty from CIE as well as various colleges affected by the incident, such JMC, Gargi Mata Sundri, and Miranda House.
“If ITEP is to be commenced in pilot mode, it can be offered in any college of the University of Delhi. Why is this being imposed on colleges that conduct the BElEd exam? The real reason for coercing BElEd colleges into starting the ITEP is the UGC and DU’s unwillingness to appoint new faculty required to teach ITEP,” the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) said.
“There are close to 50 vacancies in the education faculty teaching the B.El.Ed. After a long period of time, the DU announced these vacancies. The imposition of ITEP will seriously impact adhoc and temporary faculty teaching in substantive posts for several years,” the teachers’ body claimed.
“The ITEP offers only one year of professional training after three years of general education. The ITEP’s imposition violates the laws protecting universities’ freedom to create their own curricula,” the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) said.
“We oppose the plan to eliminate B.El.Ed and replace it with a different course that will not adequately prepare teachers. The justifications stated by DU for discontinuing these courses, such as a shortage of faculty, are abhorrent,” it claimed.
“We urge the teachers and students’ body of DU to come together against this move and save B.El.Ed course and education of India,” the SFI added. PTI VA CK
This report is automatically generated from PTI’s news service. ThePrint does not hold any responsibility for its contents.