Although continuous assessment sounds like a perfectly convenient way of grading students, the teachers have reservation with the process of implementation. Tapati Mukhopadhyay, secretary, Mumbai University College Teacher's Union (MUCTU), voices the opinion of teachers across Mumbai, "We are not against the credit system itself, but against the lack of teacher's involvement. Such a system requires effective implementation with structural changes. However, we haven't been taken into operational confidence resulting in complete chaos."
The teachers' union claims that the credit system is not operational in its full capacity. "The current classrooms hold up to 120 students at a time, as against the UGC recommendation of 60 students per class. Not only is the current teacher-student ratio askew, but most teachers work on contract hours, making it impossible to maintain constant assessment," explains Mukhopadhyay.
The average number of exams that a student has to appear under the new system has also doubled. Students are constantly appearing for exams in an effort to clear pending credits added by newer semesters, resulting in a loss of teaching days.
Many teachers also consider the lack of an unbiased system of assessment to be a major drawback. "Unlike in the western system, no checks and balances have been put in place, so the standards of teachers vary dramatically. The teachers who teach also set and correct the paper, with the more demanding teachers getting marginalised," explains a college professor.
Another grouse amongst the post-graduate faculty is unsynchronised transition from graduation to post-graduation. "The third year results come in very late and the first semester does not start till late August. So, the days are abridged and the entire teaching is really rushed. Students find the jump from college to the first semester huge and the drop rates are alarming. This is especially true in case of students who appear in Marathi medium due to an acute paucity of reading material," she adds.
The University of Mumbai's current credit system defies the most important aspect of interdisciplinary education. The inability to provide students with distinct options has proved to be another drawback. "Even though the credit system has proved to be a much awaited change, to make it effective, students need mobility allowing them to explore the curriculum," says Dinesh Panjwani, principal, RD National College, Mumbai.
Despite its shortcomings, many students have welcomed the new format. Akhilesh Subramaniam, a fourth semester post-graduate student of political science, says, "The semester-based system allows us to explore more subjects, 18 papers as compared to the earlier 8, with some very interesting specialisations."
The incentive of universally accepted grades and credits does help the cause. "This system has definitely increased a teacher's workload and there are a few discrepancies we need to address. But, I believe, when it is a question of the nation's progress, there is no alternative," concludes Panjwani.
The teachers' union claims that the credit system is not operational in its full capacity. "The current classrooms hold up to 120 students at a time, as against the UGC recommendation of 60 students per class. Not only is the current teacher-student ratio askew, but most teachers work on contract hours, making it impossible to maintain constant assessment," explains Mukhopadhyay.
The average number of exams that a student has to appear under the new system has also doubled. Students are constantly appearing for exams in an effort to clear pending credits added by newer semesters, resulting in a loss of teaching days.
Many teachers also consider the lack of an unbiased system of assessment to be a major drawback. "Unlike in the western system, no checks and balances have been put in place, so the standards of teachers vary dramatically. The teachers who teach also set and correct the paper, with the more demanding teachers getting marginalised," explains a college professor.
Another grouse amongst the post-graduate faculty is unsynchronised transition from graduation to post-graduation. "The third year results come in very late and the first semester does not start till late August. So, the days are abridged and the entire teaching is really rushed. Students find the jump from college to the first semester huge and the drop rates are alarming. This is especially true in case of students who appear in Marathi medium due to an acute paucity of reading material," she adds.
The University of Mumbai's current credit system defies the most important aspect of interdisciplinary education. The inability to provide students with distinct options has proved to be another drawback. "Even though the credit system has proved to be a much awaited change, to make it effective, students need mobility allowing them to explore the curriculum," says Dinesh Panjwani, principal, RD National College, Mumbai.
Despite its shortcomings, many students have welcomed the new format. Akhilesh Subramaniam, a fourth semester post-graduate student of political science, says, "The semester-based system allows us to explore more subjects, 18 papers as compared to the earlier 8, with some very interesting specialisations."
The incentive of universally accepted grades and credits does help the cause. "This system has definitely increased a teacher's workload and there are a few discrepancies we need to address. But, I believe, when it is a question of the nation's progress, there is no alternative," concludes Panjwani.
No comments:
Post a Comment