Changes to lower quality of education, say students

Polytechnic Students stage dhar on Directorate of Technical Education premises

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 25: Directorate of Technical Education, Assam is going to turn a new leaf which, according to All Assam Polytechnic Students’ Union (AAPTSU), is set to spell doom for their future. AAPTSU members staged a dhar on the premises the directorate at Kahilipara in Guwahati on Wednesday needing deployment of security personnel to thwart untoward incidents, if any.

The students’ union says that measures like Gutsav and reforms in holding examitions in HSLC and HS are positive steps that are set to boost quality of education in the State. “On the contrary, Directorate of Technical Education has adopted some measures that are set to lower the quality of technical education in the State. Technical education was under All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) course structure, syllabus, curriculum, examition evaluation system etc. Under the AICTE standard a student had to secure at least 30 per cent marks in any practical examition and practical sessions, besides securing the pass marks in the theory examitions in any semester. This apart, a student had to secure 40 per cent in third, fourth, fifth and sixth semesters. A student had to secure at least 50 per cent marks in theory sessiol practical and practical sessiol examitions in the last four semesters. However, on September 20, 2017 a workshop on ‘Aligning Polytechnic toward Skill and Competency-based Learning’ was conducted wherein a decision for a total revamp of the examition system was taken. It was followed by a notification spelling out the ‘reforms’ the very next day. The new notification has, however, relaxed the cut-off marks of both theory and practical examitions without following the AICTE standard at a time when efforts are on for inclusion of inclusion of the 21 polytechnics in the State to tiol Board of Accreditation (NBA). Thus there’s every possibility of the State polytechnics being robbed of AICTE approval,” the notification said.

The notification further rued the fact that any changes should have been followed from first semester. “Why the changes are being introduced in the middle of the course now?” the students’ body questioned.