The number of colleges providing Bachelor of Education (BEd) courses affiliating to Bangalore University has drastically come down. Due to the quality and poor infrastructure facilities, the university has closed down many colleges.
As per the data available with the university, the number of BEd colleges in 2008 was 110, and it reduced to 98 in 2010 and 59 in 2012. For the academic year 2013-14, the number of BEd colleges affiliated to Bangalore University eligible to admit students are 49.
The list of 39 colleges which satisfied all the norms of the university, Government of Karnataka and the National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE) was sent to Central Admission Cell (CAS) of the state government which conducts counselling for BEd courses. The Academic Council meeting held on Saturday cleared 10 colleges.
The Local Inquiry Committee (LIC), constituted by BU to visit 30 colleges, submitted its report to the Academic Council. After a discussion on each college, the authorities have decided to recommend renewal of affiliation for 10 out of 30 colleges visited.
With this, the number of functioning BEd colleges will be 49. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Vice-Chancellor Dr B Thimme Gowda said, “We will send the list of 10 colleges to CAC. There are chances that some colleges will approach the court and the state government. If we get direction from the court or the government we need to consider it.”
In May 2012, Bangalore University constituted a task force for teachers education which created a controversy. The report submitted by the task force recommended to disaffiliate most of the colleges.
Questioning the recommendations, the colleges approached the High Court, which annulled the task force report and directed the university to constitute LIC.
Following this, the university constituted LIC. The committees headed by Dr Jagadish Prakash and Dr Prabhakar recommended for renewal of affiliation for most of the colleges, but the academic council decided to recommend just 10 colleges.
“If the LIC recommends for renewal of affiliation subject to fulfillment of condition, we will not accept it. This applies even for general degree courses,” said the Vice-Chancellor.
However, the issue is going to be placed before the Syndicate meeting which is scheduled to be held on Monday. After the meeting, the university will start the disaffiliation process by sending show cause notice to the colleges.
Dr Jagadish Prakash, who visited 15 colleges tried his best to defend his report recommending renewal of affiliation to some of the colleges.
“These are model colleges and even the V-C can visit them once,” said Prakash.
But the Vice-Chancellor intervened and said, “I too have visited the colleges personally during the exams and the students who were not present even during the admissions, attended the exams. This is a serious lapse and we should not recommend for renewal of affiliation.”