The Karnataka unit of All India Save Education Committee has opposed replacement of three-year degree courses with four-year degree courses as proposed in the National Education Policy – 2020 (NEP-2020) stating that the move would speed up commercialisation of education and encourage the sale of degree certificates, like other commodities.
In a media release, Allamaprabhu Bettadur, Karnataka president of the committee, said that universities in the State were going to implement the proposal in a hurry without discussing it with educationists and other experts.
“With implementation of NEP-2020, the Union government is going to convert the education sector into fertile soil for reaping rich profits for global capitalists. The policy would turn higher education into a commodity and the students into customers... In the proposed four-year degree courses, the Kannada language would be taught only in two semesters. Instead of increasing the local language teaching to inculcate social concern, sensitivity and noble values, the purpose of language teaching would be reduced to only communication,” Mr. Bettadur said adding that the enlarged course would also add to the financial burden of poorer students.
Terming the proposal as anti-poor and pro-corporate, Mr. Bettadur called upon students, parents and educationists to come forward to oppose the government’s move.
