Bifocal subjects: opposition from all quarters at board meeting
Indian Express: The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) plan to reduce the marks allotted to bifocal subjects from 200 to 100 met with strong opposition from teachers’ representatives, principals and officers of directorate of vocational education and training (DVET).
No decision could be taken as the teachers’ representatives on Thursday handed over a memorandum opposing the plan to the board. A decision will be taken after the formation of the state Cabinet, officials said.
The MSBSHSE had called a meeting on Thursday to decide on the action plan about the implementation of the government’s decision to reduce the marks of bifocal subjects (technical electives such as computer science/ electronics/scooter-motor servicing). The MSBSHSE wanted an action plan by the teachers to reduce the spread of the bifocal subjects worth 100 marks for the next academic year, 2010-11.
But many of the teachers’ representatives were not even aware of the decision. A report on the issue was carried by The Indian Express today. Though it was a joint meeting of all the stakeholders, anticipating the mood of dissent, the board officers called college principals separately to convince them about the move. However, it is understood that the principals also opposed the move.
According to R D Supekar, president of Pune district bifocal vocational courses organisation, the teachers of bi-focal subjects opposed the proposal to reduce the marks. “We were not aware of the decision. Our views too had to be considered when a proposal was sent to the government,” he said. “Students opt for bifocal subjects as they provide foundation for engineering courses. Moreover, they can score high in HSC exams as they don’t have to take biology or an additional language subject. Bifocal subjects are there since 1978 and their popularity is growing day-by-day. We cannot understand why the board all of a sudden wants to minimise its value,” Supekar said.
A P Kulkarni, a senior adviser to the organisation, said if the move was implemented, many teachers of bifocal subjects would become surplus. “There are 6,000 teachers across the state. When various institutes across the state are given permission to increase seats for bifocal subjects, why does the board want to reduce the marks,” he said. Not only teachers’ representatives but DVET officers also opposed the move. The director of DVET said he had conveyed his reservations about it to the state government.
According to sources, the logic behind the proposal to reduce marks of bifocal subjects was to push language as a subject, especially Marathi.
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