The Higher Education Department is set to revise the curriculum of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in line with the learning outcome-based model curriculum that has been proposed by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The direction to expedite steps in this regard was issued by Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel during deliberations that were held with the representatives of teachers organisations.
Mr. Jaleel exhorted the meeting to study the possibility of emulating the decision adopted by the A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University to do away with the system of fixing minimum marks for internal assessment in the other universities.
During the discussions, he raised caution against the possible repercussions that the provisions of the proposed National Education Policy could have on the higher education sector of the State. The draft document contained recommendations to scrap the existing affiliation system, discontinue M.Phil. and two-year B.Ed. programmes, and close down various institutions, including technological, health, agricultural and law universities.
In light of the scenario, the Minister urged teachers organisations and academicians to work towards evolving an alternative framework that would enable the State to mitigate the consequences of the Centre’s policy.
The Minister said that steps were afoot to ensure that the classes of undergraduate and postgraduate courses commenced on June 1 from the next academic year onwards. As part of steps aimed at achieving the goal, the results of the final year undergraduate and postgraduate examinations will be published on April 30 and May 31 respectively.
The meeting also deliberated on implementing the split vacation system that has been mooted by the Kerala State Higher Education Council. The proposal involved replacing the present two-month annual vacation pattern from April to May with a split vacation pattern to schedule vacation for November and May. The existing system has taken a toll on the revaluation system, the Minister said.
