Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Semester system in degree courses next year

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The semester and grading systems will be introduced for degree courses in the State only in the academic year 2009-10.

This decision was taken at a meeting of the governing council of the Kerala State Higher Education Council that met here on Wednesday. The meeting chaired by Education Minister M.A. Baby accepted the draft recommendations for the introduction of the grading system prepared by the council, but decided to defer its implementation by a year. The draft had recommended introduction of the grading system in 2008-09. The council had earlier recommended the introduction of the semester system for degree courses in 2009-10.

Mr. Baby said the next academic year would be used for conducting seminars in universities and training and orientation sessions for teachers. The grading system envisaged for degree courses was not comparable to the one in schools. “If students and teachers study this new system in detail and examine what is going on in universities around the world, they would ask why the council did not recommend these reforms earlier,” he said. All Vice-Chancellors in the State extended their support for the reforms but asked for more time to implement the system in a fault-free manner.

The council would also begin preparations to carry forward the reforms contemplated for degree courses to the PG courses and to the research sector. At present, continuous assessment would constitute 25 per cent of the total evaluation. Gradually, the percentage of continuous evaluation could be increased and even be made 100 per cent. However this should be done only after the concept and system of continuous evaluation found all-round acceptance.

The governing council also resolved to request all universities to constitute a standing committee to study the issues relating to universities not recognising each others’ courses. “We have asked them to study the problems and suggest solutions,” Mr. Baby said.

When asked whether there would be any safeguards against possible harassment of students as part of continuous evaluation, Mr. Baby said the governing council had decided to scrutinise scores of less than 30 per cent or greater than 90 per cent in continuous evaluation.

The council was carrying out its mandate in a praiseworthy manner, he said.

Council Vice-Chairman K.N. Panikkar and member secretary Thomas Joseph were present.

Earlier, activists of the AIDSO marched to the office of the council and staged a dharna against the move to introduce grading and semester systems for degree courses. They were later arrested. The police also arrested a group of KSU activists who were preparing to block Mr. Baby’s car from entering the premises of the Science and Technology Museum where the council offices are situated.

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