The State Government’s decision to increase the duration of B Ed course to two years from the next academic year onwards will lead to large-scale exodus of students to other states, where the course duration is one year, the Kerala Self-financing Teacher Education Colleges Management Association (KSFTECMA) has said.
“We suspect that the government move is aimed at helping the teacher education lobby in the neighbouring states,” A Younus Kunju, president, KSFTECMA told a news conference.
“Teacher training programmes are controlled by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and the organisation has its own stipulations regarding the duration of the courses. Any violation of these norms would lead to the withdrawal of recognition of the institution,” he said. KSFTECMA office-bearers said they would petition the Education Minister against the move.
“We request the government not to introduce the increase in course duration till the change is introduced at the national-level,” the KSFTECMA office-bearers said. The Association claimed that doubling the course duration would amount to doubling the infrastructure and staff that would translate into higher fees.
“Already around 60 per cent seats in B Ed colleges are lying vacant,” Younus Kunju said.