New course structures will alter workflow, focus on ad hoc regularisation: NDTF writes to DU VC

The NDTF said that the two new proposed documents differ from what has been passed by Academic Council and Executive Council and therefore, it creates confusion
Delhi University | (Pic: PTI)
Delhi University | (Pic: PTI)
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The National Democratic Teachers Front (NDTF) has written to the Delhi University Vice-Chancellor protesting against the two new course structures proposed by the varsity and sent to constituent colleges for feedback.

The NDTF said that the two new proposed documents differ from what has been passed by Academic Council and Executive Council and therefore, it creates confusion. "To our surprise, when teachers were expecting DU to take steps to streamline and strengthen the already passed structure and tackle the issues of course contents and workload of each department at the college level, the NEP cell and DU administration has decided to come out with altogether two new alternative course structures and proposals to start the process from ab initio," said the RSS-affiliated teachers' association. Newly elected DUTA President Dr AK Bhagi, who is also the President of NDTF, said that DUTA will soon come out with a resolution on this.

The teachers said that the Academic Council had passed structural frameworks on certain uncompromising principles and based on the NEP implementation committee recommendations — that too with condition that course structure will be fine-tuned to maintain the workload of each department/discipline in colleges. "The chairperson of the Academic Council assured that the workload of each department or discipline will be maintained and there shall be no loss of teaching positions," said the NDTF in a statement.

So, what is wrong with the new proposition? "One of the adverse implications of the proposed frameworks is that the overall workload of different subjects in UG colleges will be altered and may be reduced significantly for the first three years. It will also make workload fluctuate and thus, will adversely affect the teaching position reservation roster and therefore, the regularisation process," said the NDTF and demanded that the process of regularisation of ad hoc teachers should be first completed before implementation of NEP 2020 in the university and colleges.

The teachers said that the two new proposed alternative structures have reduced the total number of credits in three-year honours courses and therefore, will also result in diluting the course content as well as the teaching workload and the teaching positions. "A course structure that protects both needs to be considered," said the NDTF. "In one of the new proposed structures, all the Discipline Center Courses (DSC) and General Elective (GE) papers are reduced to four credits instead of six credits and there is no scope for practical classes. This is a dilution of academic content as well as a reduction in teaching workload. AECC papers had been significantly diluted and reduced. No course or paper of a regular course should be taught through MOOCs," they added.  

In the course structure passed by the Academic Council, both the general and honours courses of three years replacing existing programme courses and the subject-specific honours courses were retained, but with the new proposition, structural framework is proposed only for subject-specific honours courses. "In our opinion, both general and subject-specific honours courses are needed and are in tune with the idea of NEP which allows more options to students across disciplines," the NDTF said.

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