Proposed state-level accreditation body ruffles teachers’ feathers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The setting up of the State Assessment and Accreditation Council (SAAC) has not gone down well with a section of the university teachers who have called it an ‘unnecessary duplication’ of an existing national body and an extra burden on the state’s higher educational institutions. 
Teachers, under the banner of Kerala University Teachers’ Union (KUTO), have brought out a comprehensive report which points out the drawbacks in SAAC which has been constituted on the lines of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). 

Stating that there was a clear indication that NAAC and SAAC will co-exist, the report says the two bodies will “overburden higher educational institutions and eat away precious time of teachers, administrators and even students.” It also criticises SAAC’s “lofty ideals” which is not at all reflected in the actual programmes and plans of the newly-constituted body.

The report points out that in addition to the seven parameters prescribed for NAAC for ranking and accrediting institutions, SAAC has brought out three ‘Kerala-specific’ parameters. These include social inclusiveness among institutions, equality and excellence and scientific temper and secular outlook. It adds that key indicators on the new criteria seem to have been drawn up in an unrealistic manner.