WB govt to take a call on 4-year UG course next week: Education minister

Amid concerns among teachers and students over the delay in the proposed launch of the 4-year honours course at the undergraduate level in state-run and aided higher educational institutions, Education Minister Bratya Basu said the government will take the final call on the matter next week.

Basu told this to reporters on Friday on the sidelines of an event.

"I will meet the chief minister next week to hold detailed talks on the issue (4-year UG course). We will come up with the notice afterwards" he told reporters when asked about the introduction of four-year UG courses in state-run and aided higher educational institutions.

Meanwhile, some college authorities and teacher associations have expressed concern over the delay in official notice changing the period of honours studies in the state from three to four years.

Principal of government-run Lady Brabourne College, Siuli Sarkar told PTI, "We had participated in various workshops on New Education Policy till mid-May. We had even given our views to the advisory board of the higher education department but there has not been any such communique.

"We have to introduce the four-year honours course if we are asked. But there is no notification from the government on the matter as yet." Sarkar said.

West Bengal College and University Teachers Association President Subhoday Dasgupta told PTI that none actually knows when the notice on the UG honours course will reach the higher educational institutions.

"To our dismay, this state government had accepted the NEP 2020 draft recommendations early this year and announced it will have four-year honours courses instead of the hitherto studied three-year honours," he added.

He said WBCUTA will "oppose" any move by the state government to introduce four-year undergraduate courses in the state.

Principals of three other colleges, PTI talked to, also have no clue about the implementation of the NEP draft which entailed having 4-year honours from 2023.

Some key features of the National Education Policy, 2020, include four-year honours courses in UG courses in place of the existing three years.