Finish all first-year exams by January 9: Varsity to Mumbai colleges

Teachers are struggling to complete the first year syllabus as classes started late due to the pandemic. Representation pic

Teachers of colleges affiliated to the Mumbai University (MU) are in a fix with the varsity granting just about a week's extension to finish the first year syllabus and conduct the examinations of all courses by January 9, 2021. The Bombay University and College Teachers' Union (BUCTU) had written to the varsity seeking a month's extension, even though that doesn't fulfil the 90-day requirement of completing the syllabus, as classes started late due to the pandemic.

Questioning the circular issued by the varsity on Monday, teachers said that none of the colleges had met the 90-day requirement of completing the syllabus before exams due to delayed admissions and classes.

Following confusion over the first year examinations, the BUCTU had written to MU seeking uniformity in the exam schedule. The union had also requested for an extension to complete the syllabus. But the university has granted just about a week's extension, which according to the teachers was not enough.

Dr G B Raje, president of BUCTU

"There has been a lot of confusion over the first year examination schedule. Some colleges were planning to conduct it in the first week of January, while some others had thought of having it towards the end of the same month. However, the varsity's circular puts an end to the confusion but hardly offers any resolution to the issues raised by us. If they want to balance the academic year by holding exams earlier than the actual schedule, then they should rework the curriculum to suit the new needs. How can we hold exams if the syllabus is not complete?" questioned Dr. G B Raje, president of BUCTU.

Also Read: Mumbai: MU asks colleges to wrap up practical exams by December 15

The union had requested the varsity to postpone the exams until the end of January. "Even that extension would not have been enough as it does not fulfil the 90-day requirement. But we could have managed with extra classes. When we had asked for a month's extension, they are just giving a week. It won't be of any help," added Raje and said that they would write to the varsity again.

The union had also raised concerns over inability to conduct practical exams with no access to laboratories as colleges are closed. According to teachers, practical assessment plays a very important role in courses such as Science and Engineering and there were no clear instructions regarding the same from the university.

A professor from RKT college in Ulhasnagar, Dr Sujju Gujar, said, "Teaching for first year effectively began after the Diwali break. With just one month of teaching it is not possible to hold exams as the curriculim requires more time. It is also important to note that this is a new batch who have just joined after Std XII and all of this is happening online. We as teachers have still not gauged the understanding levels of these new students or have any rapport with them yet.

"If I just finish the course for the sake of it, I know I will not be doing justice. Afterall first year is the foundation for their degree course." Gujar who teaches political science has four modules to complete wherein under each module there are two to three subtopics. Currently, she is on the second topic of the second module and knows well that completing it before the last week of December is impossible.

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