Teachers of English language and literature in colleges under the Calicut University have appealed to the varsity authorities to restructure the M.A. English question paper pattern in view of the mass failure in its recent first semester examination.
The teachers have also sought an end to the existing disparity in question paper pattern followed in autonomous colleges and other affiliated colleges. Currently, Calicut University follows a different question paper format for M.A. English in autonomous colleges, the University Department of English and government, aided and self-financing colleges.
While M.A. students of the University Department of English and autonomous colleges have to write an average of 30 sheets in three hours, their counterparts in affiliated colleges will have to write 40 sheets.
“It is impossible for a student to answer all the questions (four essays of 600 words and five short essays of 300 words) in three hours. The question paper pattern for autonomous colleges and the University Department of English is far more advantageous to their students. This glaring disparity should go,” said Zainul Abid Kotta, convener of the English teachers’ collective in a memorandum to the Calicut University Vice Chancellor.
Thirty-nine English teachers from different colleges in Malappuram and Kozhikode attended a meeting that raised concerns over the students’ mass failure. They said that the university should follow the same question pattern for all.
They also demanded a relook into the university’s existing evaluation system. The university has done away with the double valuation system for its postgraduate programmes after the introduction of the centrally monitored valuation (CMV) system a couple of years ago.
“Even teachers without adequate PG teaching experience and, in certain cases, even without qualification could easily become examiners,” said Dr. Kotta, demanding reintroduction of double valuation for M.A. English programme.
