DU students support their teachers against Semester System

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Shikha Nehra

11 May, 2011

There is negative sentiment amongst teachers against the semester system in Delhi University. Now, even students are expressing their dissatisfaction with the new system.

THE SEMESTER system presently implemented is a system of bi-annual exams, and the departments have the choice to make as many subject major and minor as they like, diluting the already existing Honours and major-minor system. The teachers’ body ridicule the system as they find no logic in simply dividing the annual studies and examinations into two.

The teachers feel that the semester system is undemocratic and would make higher education a business, affordable only for a few people. The reforms suggested by the authorities aim at privatisation of education, and the teachers fear that if the government funding gets reduced, then many colleges would face lack of resources.

The teachers pointed out that the larger framework in which the Semester System is being introduced is to pave way for foreign institutions in India for which several bills such as Foreign Educational Bill, the Universities of Innovation Bill, and National Accreditation to Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill are already present in the Parliament. They also alleged in their statement that, “the various reports and recommendations of the National Knowledge Commission, the UGC, five year plans etc. are the assorted means through which reforms suggested in the Birla-Ambani report are being implemented”.

The teachers are unhappy with the VC because, despite their constant demand for policy document, he has remained silent, and that the policy wasn’t discussed with them at time of its formulation and now, it is just being forced on to them.

In a recent turn of events 2650 students across DU colleges filed a petition against Semester System to the VC saying, “We express are unequivocal support to our teachers opposing the Semester System in the form envisaged by the university”.

Students’ argument were that the Honours System gives them the time and space for understanding basic concepts and methodologies different from the limited exposure they had school, for in-depth learning and for pursuing co-curricular activities. Abhishek, a student present in the press conference from Khalsa College said, “The semester system is completely functional in approach and doesn’t offer the time for theoretical understanding”.

The joint Action Body (JAB) of teachers of Delhi University called a press conference on Tuesday, 19^th April, 2011 to express their dissent over the Semester System and its implementations.. The body felt that the way this process is being hurried, we may witness a breaking up Delhi University. One of their main concern was that the university lacks proper infrastructure required for Semester System. A member of JAB said, “the way the semester system is implemented it is bound to fail and will bring an ‘academic disaster”.