TN: College Teachers Oppose the New Common Syllabus for UG Courses
College teachers hold protest in Egmore, Chennai. Image credit: Theekkathir
College Teachers' Joint Action Committee and University Teachers' Association said the new syllabus prepared by the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TANSCHE) goes against the autonomy of higher education institutions in the state.
The proposed syllabus was substandard to the existing one in the universities, the committee criticised.
The TANSCHE asked UG universities and colleges to follow 75% common syllabus from the model syllabus, and universities can have local content up to 25%. Whereas the teachers' associations observed that the Council could only decide the overall framework, and the syllabus would be set by the bodies within the universities.
The teachers' associations feel the new syllabus is being introduced without consulting stakeholders, educationists and teachers' associations. Teachers want the Council to postpone the implementation of the syllabus to next year and asked the state government to do it after consultation with all the stakeholders.
They also pointed out that when the state education policy is not finalised, the implementation of a new syllabus is a hasty move. It is unclear whether the state policy would incorporate provisions from the New Education Policy (NEP), such as scrapping the three-year undergraduate course.
Additionally, they said the common curriculum is in danger of ruining Tamil Nadu's higher education, which is one of the best in India.
TANSCHE expects the move to promote standardisation and uniformity in higher education and address issues of inequality in higher education.
Members of associations observed a one-day fast on July 8 in Chennai, Madurai and Tirunelveli, urging the state government to withdraw the move.
They additionally demanded the reinstatement of the old pension scheme. They demanded the government to restore the incentives provided for teachers who complete MPhil and PhD; they are given a 15% pay hike. Immediately release arrears for teachers in government-aided colleges and affect a pay hike along with the promotion, they said.
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