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Higher education needs new sense of direction, says Oommen Chandy

Staff Reporter

Two-day State conference of principals of arts and science colleges begins

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has called for a two-pronged strategy for higher education in the State: raising the academic standards to international levels even while enabling income generation among the unemployed youth. It is possible to achieve the former with the earnest cooperation of the academic community and investment of a high order is required to make any further headway in the latter.

Inaugurating the two-day All Kerala College Principals' Conference 2005, sponsored by the University Grants Commission (UGC), at Government College for Women at Vazhuthacaud here on Tuesday, he suggested that both these efforts should go together.

Apprehension

He expressed the apprehension whether the progress Kerala had made in the educational sector had turned out to be a bane of it — doing more harm than good mainly on account of the fact that the educated youth here were rather reluctant to go for an ordinary job. "Securing a salaried job is all their concern and they are just not prepared to put in any hard work to earn a living, even though jobs, mainly of the unskilled type, are available here. Providing a job that will fetch them a regular monthly income is beyond the capacity of the Government," he said.

It is the desire of the Government to make the State an international destination for higher education. The Global Education Meet being held in the State in January 2006 is expected to provide a new sense of direction to higher education. Diversified courses

In his presidential address, V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice-Chairman, University Grants Commission, suggested that the colleges in Kerala go in for innovative and diversified courses. At the same time, there is the need for providing more emphasis on subjects in basic sciences, humanities and languages.

The universities in Kerala should be prepared to launch honours programmes in their affiliated colleges in line with a proposal of the UGC. Such ventures will be promoted at all costs by the UGC, which also proposes to introduce integrated courses of five-year duration, he said.

In his keynote address, M.K. Ramachandran Nair, Vice-Chancellor, University of Kerala, hinted at foreign universities setting up campuses in India. Whether the teaching community will approve of it or not, students and parents will certainly welcome such a move, he said.

He emphasised the need for a more effective institution-industry linkage and introduction of innovative courses.

Over 180 Principals of arts and science colleges in Kerala are attending the conference.

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