Teacher organisations in Kerala have opposed the decision by the University Grants Commission to go for blended learning by allowing higher education institutes to teach up to 40% of each course online and the remaining 60% offline.
The commission had asked the stakeholders to submit their feedback on the concept note prepared by an expert committee on blended mode of teaching on or before June 6. The new provision of offering a blended mode of learning will be in addition to the 40 per cent course that universities are allowed to offer through Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM).
Terming the initiative as ‘anti-people’, Jogy Alex, president of All Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association, said that the new policy adversely affects the poor and rural students in the country, where the digital divide is a terrible reality.
“The proposed blended learning is against the very spirit of higher education because it keeps the students, the primary stakeholders, away from the campuses for a significant span of their academic life,” he said.
Explaining that hundreds of students, especially those belonging to economically and socially backward communities were yet to get access to digital education in this pandemic period, K. Anilkumar, president of the Government College Teachers’ Organisation, said that blended learning will further divide the digital gap being experienced by these students.
“The decision to opt for 40% online teaching would also drastically affect the prospects of thousands of young aspirants, waiting to get into universities and colleges as teachers. The switch to the digital mode will reduce the number of teaching posts,” he said.
Premachandran Keezhoth, general secretary of the Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association, said that blended learning was a follow-up of the National Education Policy approved by the Union government.
“We fear that the intent was to place technocrats above the teachers by promoting the digital mode in such a big way. The decision would also impact the appointment of new faculty members in colleges in view of the 40% digital mode of teaching and evaluation,” he said.
N. Manoj, president of the Association of Kerala Government College Teachers, said that the Centre was trying to push proposals like the National Education Policy and blended learning without the required discussions amidst the pandemic crisis.
“We fear that blended learning would further widen the digital divide among the learners. It would eventually disrupt the advantages earned through the face-to-face mode of teaching on the campuses,” he said.
