Cabinet likely to lift moratorium on establishment of BEd colleges

Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 18: State Cabinet, which is meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah tomorrow evening at Civil Secretariat Srinagar, is likely to order lifting of moratorium on establishment of private sector BEd colleges in light of the State Universities strongly advocating making BEd mandatory for the school teachers.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that after detailed examination of all the aspects related to the BEd qualification in the present context and future requirement, the Higher Education Department has drafted a proposal regarding lifting of moratorium on the opening of new BEd colleges in the private sector and the same will be discussed in the Cabinet tomorrow at 4 pm.
“Though BEd is not an essential qualification for recruitment of teachers for imparting education from 9th to 12th standard yet in the changing situation J&K cannot afford to remain the only State not to have BEd as essential qualification for the teachers working in High and Higher Secondary Schools”, they said. Even the committee formed at the level of State Universities have strongly advocated making BEd mandatory for school teachers and once the recommendation is adopted the State will require additional good quality institutions running BEd courses, sources added.
While pointing towards the representations from Forum of Regional Colleges of Education (FORCE) against allowing further opening of private BEd colleges on the ground that present intake capacity of many existing colleges has not been fully utilized in the recent past, sources said, “in the proposal it has been mentioned that in case of existing colleges’ infrastructure remaining idle, the Higher Education Department will consider granting them permission for offering other courses at graduate and post graduate level  provided they conform to the prescribed norms”.
Finding no credible base in the representations of the FORCE members against lifting moratorium, sources said, “as per the figures obtained from two Universities, 51962 students had applied for admission in 140 private and two State run BEd colleges. However, the Universities could admit only 38649 students”, adding “if the number of 51962 applicants is taken into consideration the requirement of BEd colleges in the State would be 433 at the rate of 120 students per college by fixing the standard norms. Even if the present average of 241 students per college is taken into account 214 colleges would be required”.
“Keeping in view the requirement of introducing BEd for entry into the Government service for the post of teacher particularly in secondary standard, the Higher Education Department finds it imperative to open more colleges”, they said, adding “if the proposal receives Cabinet’s nod, the Higher Education Department would prescribe norms and allow opening of colleges only where it is felt necessary”.
About the unhealthy impression about the quality of education being imparted in the existing private BEd colleges, sources said, “the Universities have already been advised to ensure that these colleges strictly comply with the quality norms and de-affiliate any institution indulging in malpractices”.
It is pertinent to mention here that in the 12th Plan approach paper, the Planning Commission has endorsed the investment in private sector in the field of higher education even with profit motive but in Jammu and Kashmir the private sector has been playing a limited role in the field of higher education and is confined mostly to BEd programmes.
They disclosed that Cabinet would also clear some proposals regarding transfer of forest land for non-forestry purposes besides taking decision on other administrative agenda.

Follow our WhatsApp channel