Delhi University was the only university to have its own integrated four-year program (Representational image)
B.El.Ed. The program at Delhi University, which was first established in 1994, will be replaced by the Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP).
The Academic Council of Delhi University has approved several proposals, including some controversial ones, such as implementing a four-year integrated teacher education program despite opposition from some members. Officials aware of the matter said that the council has also approved several curriculum changes, including the elimination of a chapter on Muhammad Iqbal from the BA Political Science course.
The meeting, which began on Friday, lasted till 1.30 pm on Saturday. The council approved a proposal to replace the Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed.) program with a four-year integrated teacher education program.
Six members of the Academic Council dissented against the proposal saying that no consultation was held with the teachers in this regard. “It is unfortunate that ITEP has been passed despite the disagreement of the members. We will continue our fight to protect the interests of the stakeholders.
Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP) will replace B.El.Ed. program, which was launched in 1994. Delhi University was the only university which had its own integrated four-year programme. In their dissent note, the members have argued that the syllabus committee and the Faculty of Education have been completely sidelined in bringing the NCTE’s notification on ITEP directly to the Academic Council. Another controversial proposal passed was related to capping class sizes for lectures and tutorials at 60 and 30 students for undergraduate programs respectively. A section of AC members also opposed the proposal saying that increase in group size of lectures, tutorials and practicals is going to negatively affect the teaching-learning process.
The syllabi for several semesters of various courses were presented and approved by the Council. The council also passed a resolution to remove a chapter on Pakistan’s national poet Muhammad Iqbal from the political science syllabus, members of the statutory body confirmed. Born in 1877 in Sialkot, undivided India, Iqbal wrote the famous song “Saare Jahan Se Accha”.
He is often credited with giving birth to the idea of Pakistan. Officials said that the chapter titled ‘Modern Indian Political Thought’ is part of the BA sixth semester paper, the matter will now be placed before the executive council of the university which will take a final call. The council also passed a resolution to set up two new centers – one on Partition Studies and the other on Tribal Studies.
Some members also issued dissent notes against both the proposals. He said the Center for Independence and Partition Studies would facilitate research on the ‘high voltage politics’ associated with the partition of the country and how the then central leadership failed to contain the ‘germs of separatism’.
According to the documents, it will also focus on the “non-insistence of the central leadership on having frontier provinces with India” and the way “the Congress Working Committee had agreed to the partition without consulting (Mahatma) Gandhi”. Meanwhile, the new Center on Tribal Studies will have seven major objectives, including understanding the term “tribe” from an India-centric perspective and studying the “social, cultural, linguistic, religious, economic and environmental diversities and commonalities” of different regions Is. Tribe.
During the Zero Hour, a section of members of the Academic Council raised several issues, including those relating to displaced temporary and ad hoc teachers. The members also protested the Delhi University’s notification asking colleges to remain open from 8 am to 8 pm without any discussion in the Academic Council and Executive Council. According to the statement, the members put up a strong struggle against the delay in salaries and the delay in disbursement of grants and funds to the 12 Delhi University colleges, which are fully funded by the Delhi government.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI,