Higher Education
Colleges in South India
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Friday, January 04, 2008
“It will be good if the scope of universities is widened”
TOPPER: Governor Surjit Singh Barnala presenting the degree certificate to Amala Preethi, first ranker in BCA course, at the annual convocation of Tamil Nadu Open University in Chennai. Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy (right) and Vice-Chancellor M. S. Palanichamy (second from left), are in the picture.
CHENNAI: The Government is planning to bring community colleges under the open university system, Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy said on Thursday.
Speaking at the convocation of the Tamil Nadu Open University, he said it would be good if the scope of open universities was widened. Community colleges, which provided a valuable alternative education system, needed to be brought under one roof. They gave training and qualification, especially to school dropouts, offering bridging courses to those in need of vocational training, or those with technical skills who need some theoretical background.
He said some correspondence and distance education providers started commercialising education. Making it clear that he was not referring to any specific institution, he said even courses such as engineering and medicine were being offered under the distance education mode.
V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice-Chancellor of the Indira Gandhi National Open University, who was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by the TNOU, said the open university system was key to enhancing national productivity, since it provided capacity building and training opportunities needed to strengthen the quality of the workforce. Only five per cent of the Indian workforce had any kind of academic qualification or vocational certification, against 85 per cent in developing countries.
Pointing out that barely 10 per cent of the relevant age group in India had access to higher education, Asha Kanwar, vice-president of the Commonwealth of Learning and chief guest at the convocation, urged that open and distance education be expanded immediately. “It can no longer be a poor cousin of formal traditional higher education. It has to become an integral part of the total educational context.” University Chancellor and Governor Surjit Singh Barnala awarded the degrees to the candidates. In all, 14,384 students were awarded degrees, including 2,288 postgraduate degrees, and diplomas, although most received them in absentia.
Community colleges may come under open university system
“It will be good if the scope of universities is widened”
TOPPER: Governor Surjit Singh Barnala presenting the degree certificate to Amala Preethi, first ranker in BCA course, at the annual convocation of Tamil Nadu Open University in Chennai. Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy (right) and Vice-Chancellor M. S. Palanichamy (second from left), are in the picture.
CHENNAI: The Government is planning to bring community colleges under the open university system, Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy said on Thursday.
Speaking at the convocation of the Tamil Nadu Open University, he said it would be good if the scope of open universities was widened. Community colleges, which provided a valuable alternative education system, needed to be brought under one roof. They gave training and qualification, especially to school dropouts, offering bridging courses to those in need of vocational training, or those with technical skills who need some theoretical background.
He said some correspondence and distance education providers started commercialising education. Making it clear that he was not referring to any specific institution, he said even courses such as engineering and medicine were being offered under the distance education mode.
V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice-Chancellor of the Indira Gandhi National Open University, who was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by the TNOU, said the open university system was key to enhancing national productivity, since it provided capacity building and training opportunities needed to strengthen the quality of the workforce. Only five per cent of the Indian workforce had any kind of academic qualification or vocational certification, against 85 per cent in developing countries.
Pointing out that barely 10 per cent of the relevant age group in India had access to higher education, Asha Kanwar, vice-president of the Commonwealth of Learning and chief guest at the convocation, urged that open and distance education be expanded immediately. “It can no longer be a poor cousin of formal traditional higher education. It has to become an integral part of the total educational context.” University Chancellor and Governor Surjit Singh Barnala awarded the degrees to the candidates. In all, 14,384 students were awarded degrees, including 2,288 postgraduate degrees, and diplomas, although most received them in absentia.
Courtesy: The Hindu
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