MADURAI: Joint Action Council of College Teachers (JAC) Convener M Nagarajan criticised the higher education department for implementing the common syllabus in state universities. He said it is an indirect means to implement the New Education Policy (NEP).
While addressing the press in Madurai on Saturday, Nagarajan opposed bringing the common syllabus to all state universities starting next academic year. He also added that the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TANSCHE) developed the common syllabus for state universities, and arts and science colleges without consulting with college teachers and their allied associations.
He further requested the higher education department not to implement the common syllabus, as it is based on skills and occasional courses that would be in no way connected to the student's core subjects, which is an exact depiction of the NEP.
"According to the university bylaws, every state university has the right to frame its own syllabus and so as the same in autonomous colleges, but this common syllabus is depriving the university's rights, which is condemnable. We can't implement a common syllabus in all the districts, as the common syllabus says that 75% of the syllabus will be common to all, while the remaining 25% can be modified by the universities, which isn't practical," he added.
He further noted that the state government stated the reason for bringing up the common syllabus as to enhance the quality of education. To strengthen higher education, the government should build up the infrastructure in colleges and fill up the vacancies, he added.
Stating that if their demands are unmet, he said the members are planning to stage a hunger strike in various districts, including Chennai, Tiruchy, and Tirunelveli on July 8. Following this, the teachers will also lay siege to the Directorate of Collegiate Education in Chennai on July 25.
Members of the association further demanded monetary benefits for assistant professors, especially in government-aided colleges, stating that the government has failed to address the issue for many years. They also insisted on providing incentives for M.Phil. and PhD scholars, alleging that it was stopped.