Thursday 14 August 2014

The HRD ministry/UGC has flexed its muscles and DU obeyed.
The original idea was that the first year of the UG program should be broad based. I agree that students need a broad based education. Students studying for a BCom degree do not know what diabetes is (the details of this story are rather hilarious, but perhaps left for another day).
Yes, some general education in the first year UG program is welcome. But they were taught quite a bit of biology, history, geography, civics in their schools. When asked "did you not learn this in school?" they just shrug it off........"who remembers?"
So when what was learnt in school is forgotten by the time they reach college, what is the guarantee that what is learnt in the first year will be remembered?

Most BSc students do not know anything about history, geography, or anything that's happening around them. Most BA students know no science. A broad based education is not given, and students are not experts in the subjects they study as their majors. So what do they know? Net result is that they are neither Jacks of all trades nor masters of any.
So perhaps three years or four years, just give them a general education such that they can at least read well and write well.
What used to be the goal of the middle school education should now be the goal of "higher education"

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