THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After dragging its feet on its pet proposal to set up an Open University in the state, the LDF government has finally walked the talk. Academics have expressed apprehensions as to whether the hurry in getting the varsity up and running this year itself would hamper the prospects of over one lakh distance education students who enrol every year. However, the government is confident that all issues will be ironed out on time.
Higher Education Minster KT Jaleel told TNIE that the government wants the Open University, slated to be launched on October 2, to start enrolling students this year. He said the uncertainty over distance education courses offered by state universities would end once the Open University starts functioning. “No university in the state is in a position to offer distance education courses as none of them have the UGC-prescribed NAAC score of 3.26 or above.
The Kerala, Calicut, and Kannur varsities have been conducting distance courses with provisional recognition from UGC. Varsities here will not admit students in distance education or private registration from the current academic year. This will be clear once the Ordinance on the Open University is promulgated,” he said. Issues relating to redeployment of staff will be sorted out soon, he added.
The Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC), which had submitted an implementation strategy for the University, is equally upbeat. “Admissions to distance courses are usually completed by the December-January period. The fledgling varsity will be able to come out with new courses by then,” said Rajan Varughese, member secretary, KSHEC.
Meanwhile, the haste has come in for criticism from a section of the academia. The Save University Campaign Committee, a collective of academics and activists, assert that distance courses in state varsities should not be discontinued abruptly. Academics have also advised that the Open University’s aim should be to obtain proper recognition from UGC at the earliest so as to increase its credibility.