Education Minister R Bindu wants blended learning in phases

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The University Grants Commission’s (UGC) suggestion to implement blended learning in the higher education sector should be implemented only in a phased manner, Higher Education Minister R Bindu has said. The minister was inaugurating a consultative meeting organised by the Kerala State Higher Education Council to discuss the UGC proposal, to blend traditional classroom-based as well as online mode of instruction, on Thursday. 

“The UGC’s directive to carry out at least 40 per cent of the instruction in online mode will only serve to widen the digital divide. This will lead to a large section of students being deprived of higher education,” Bindu said. 

The directive will be implemented only after ensuring social justice, she said. KSHEC vice-chairperson Rajan Gurukkal, additional chief secretary (Higher Education) V Venu, additional secretary Veena Madhavan, vice-chancellors of various state universities and representatives of various teachers and students unions participated in the conference. Rajan Gurukkal said KSHEC will form its opinion on the UGC proposal on the basis of consensus evolved in the conference.