No more study tours, rural camps for MSW, MHRM students at MSU

Vadodara: MS University on Wednesday witnessed a fresh controversy on eliminating study tours and rural camps from the curriculum of students of master of social work (MSW) and master of human resource management (MHRM) programmes at the Faculty of Social Work.
The controversy surfaced when the proposal, which was earlier cleared by the board of studies, was brought for approval during the faculty board meeting.
Objecting to the proposal, senate member Kapil Joshi registered his dissent and walked out of the meeting.
Going by the current curriculum format, both the rural camp exposure and study tour exposure count for two credits each for students. While the first-year students of MSW and MHRM programmes can earn two credits through rural camps, second-year students can earn two credits through study tours.
The faculty officials, however, want to eliminate these components on the grounds that as the number of students has increased, they are finding it difficult to identify accommodations and make travel arrangements for both boys and girls.
The officials even argued that coordinators face challenges in seeking permissions from agencies to permit students for visits and the safety and security of all students especially girls have become a challenge.
“The rationale given by the faculty officials is shocking and laughable. For becoming a doctor, a student needs to undergo an internship. Similarly, a student earns a B Ed degree only after he or she conducts certain classes in schools. Likewise, rural camps and study tours are an integral part of the course curriculum of social work students through which they get practical exposure in the field,” said Joshi.
“Eliminating such essential and core components on the grounds of lack of staff, behavioural issues among students or tour expenses will deprive the future generations of the basic practical exposure which has been part of the curriculum since faculty’s inception,” said Joshi.