Maharashtra: Institutes grapple with time crunch to finish syllabus
Delay in admissions to professional courses this year has led to serious trouble not only for students, but also colleges. Colleges have been grappling with separate class and exam schedules for their first-year batches as compared to rest of the batches.
However, most regulating bodies have clarified that there will be no condensing of curriculum for the first-year batches, despite most colleges commencing regular lectures only in February, leaving colleges and students with little academic time to complete the prescribed curriculum.
“Colleges started online classes for their existing students in September-October 2020 whereas classes for first-year batches started only in February. Our teachers have been working non-stop. Now, our concern is that classes for batches other than first-year will end by April, but first-year classes will go on till June-July at least. There’ll be no breather,” said the vice-principal of a city-based engineering college.
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the regulating body for engineering, pharmacy and management colleges, has clarified that colleges will have to adjust holidays and conduct extra lectures to ensure that the entire portion is covered for first-year batches.
“Condensing curriculum is not the solution. Colleges can instead cut-down on vacations as well as try to finish the portion by end of May or June,” said Anil Sahasrabuddhe, director, AICTE. He added that the next academic year might also witness a delayed start because of delays in this academic year.
Colleges, however were not impressed. “There are two semesters to cover for the first-year, and with classes beginning only in February, we will be in a position to finish the first semester only by April or May. We don’t know how to finish the curriculum for the entire academic year by June,” said Dr RK Srivastava, professor and head of department at Sydenham Institute of Management Studies, Research and Entrepreneurship Education.