Higher Education Minister R. Bindu has lashed out at purported efforts made by various quarters to undermine the higher education sector in Kerala for political and other vested interests.
She was also critical of the narrative that attributed the migration of higher education aspirants from the State to the waning standards of education.
Inaugurating a deliberation with the academic community of Kerala University on the introduction of four-year degree courses here on Thursday, Dr. Bindu said the reform will enable students to acquire skills necessary for employment as well as facilitate research and in-depth study in a wide array of disciplines.
The Minister rated Kerala to be the best higher education destination in the country after New Delhi and Tamil Nadu, considering the recent achievements of universities and colleges in the State. As many as 42 colleges figured among the top 200 ranks in the India Rankings 2023 published under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).
Besides, Kerala University secured a NAAC grading of A++, while Calicut University, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, and Cochin University of Science and Technology obtained A+. Moreover, 16 colleges including government institutions have bagged A++ grades. Thirty two others also secured A+ grade recently. “Despite such accomplishments, certain sections in the State are hell-bent on tarnishing the sector,” she lamented.
Those staying back
Delving into the issue of student migration, Dr. Bindu said nearly 35,000 students from Kerala are estimated to enrol in higher education institutions outside the State on an average. The trend could be attributed to a greater flexibility in academic choices as well as peer pressure. However, one cannot neglect the fact that 13.5 lakh students pursue higher education in the State.
The members of Board of Studies of Kerala University, other academics and representatives of affiliated colleges highlighted various practical issues that could hinder flexibility guaranteed by the four-year degree programme.
‘Haste in course launch’
Questioning the alleged haste behind deciding to launch four such courses this year, a participant opined the designing of curricula for both UG and PG courses should be done at the same time and not in a phased manner. Another teacher highlighted the dearth of infrastructure in government colleges as an impediment for implementing the four-year programme in full swing.
A demand made by a senior professor in the university to overhaul the teaching hours-oriented workload criteria for teachers found resonance at the programme. There were also calls to ensure uniformity in syllabi of various universities prior to launching the Academic Bank of Credits to facilitate smooth student mobility. Kerala University Vice Chancellor in-charge Mohanan Kunnmmal presided over the programme.
