BENGALURU: For 10 hours a week, teachers of government polytechnic colleges take up online interactive classes for students in various colleges across the state. This two-year-old initiative by the department of technical education got a shot in the arm a few months back when teachers from private polytechnic colleges too were roped in to teach and interact with students.
Currently, 85 government and 41 aided polytechnic colleges are covered under this interactive programme and soon it will be extended to unaided colleges. The programme was introduced two years ago under the Central government’s Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP), wherein a teacher live streams classes from one of three centres. These centres were launched in Bengaluru, Mysuru or Mangaluru, in August 2017.
Director of Department of Technical Education, HU Talwar told The New Indian Express that online classes are held to make up for a shortage of teachers in polytechnic colleges. “The recruitment process takes at least two years to complete. The online interactive classes are a means to plug the gap in an innovative manner. We are attempting to cover all the subjects of the diploma curriculum,” he said.
The department approached the government to start the recruitment process two years ago, but it has been delayed as amendments in the state cadre and recruitment rules must be compliant with the new rules of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Following the amendments, the department will approach the KPSC to conduct the recruitment examinations, Talwar said. Until then, students can complete their studies through online classes.
“With the help of Google Suite, more than 20 colleges can be accommodated,” he said. Many polytechnic colleges are re-equipped with projectors which are required for classroom demonstrations.
Popular subjects
The need for lecturers seems more pressing in Maths and English classes and core engineering courses. According to officials, over the five semesters that the online interactive classes have existed, 21 subjects are already being taught and four subjects per semester are added to the online curriculum as a thumb rule.