Editor’s note – This article comes from our correspondent inside the Delhi University where the recent effort to introduce the semester system took place. The author argues against the efficiency and benefits of the semester system.
Author’s note – Through this article, I plan to bring out the clear disadvantages of the recently imposed semester system in the Delhi University, along with showing the apparent short sightedness on the part of the Academic Council in imposing it.
As the new academic year of the Delhi University begins, thousands of new students will be entering into one of Asia’s leading universities, as is the norm every year. But this year will see a significant change in the functioning of the University, one that will have a deep impact on the lives of every person associated with it. This is the advent of the semester system.
For most people, the introduction of the semester system would remind one of the widespread teacher protests that took place last year, which came to an end only after the Delhi High Court intervened and put a stop to the strikes by declaring them to be illegal. True to the fact, the intervention was something that was necessary, even if it led to the questioning of the right to free speech of certain leaders, both inside and outside the system. Nevertheless, the teachers argued that the quality of the education imparted to the students would be compromised in such a setting and instead of decreasing the load of studies; it would only be increased by a substantial margin. The people arguing in favour of the authorities (not the new system of education) maintained that the implementation of such a curriculum would increase the workload on the teaching staff. They cited this as the reason for the protests and rejected the counterclaims as baseless. Though the claims are certainly not baseless, they do have a little amount of truth in them, which will be examined later on. Along with which will be examined the person whose opinion matters the most, but which, sadly, hasn’t been taken into account – the student.
The Delhi University introduced the semester system in eighteen science courses last year, after the Academic Council, headed by the outgoing Vice Chancellor Prof. Deepak Pental, passed the motion. They did so apparently without consulting either the teachers, or the principals of the concerned colleges that come under the University. This was met with outrage from the Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA), which protested that the new academic system had been imposed in an undemocratic fashion, i.e., without consulting them or even letting them know. Although the Academic Council of the University isn’t under oath to ask the teachers before passing an order, it is taken as an unwritten rule, and thus the teacher strikes that were to continue for another six months were made to look justified. Initially, DUTA’s beef with the Vice Chancellor was not that the system was itself flawed or that they felt so, it was because they weren’t told about the changes in the system, which apparently hurt their pride. Realising that such a move was ineffective, they decided to look into the finer points of the system that could be used to the advantage of stalling the purported change. All this while, the student community remained silent. Whether it was due to their unawareness (which is highly unlikely) or whether the Delhi University Student’s Union (DUSU) was taken into confidence (read: told to keep mum by their respective political backers) remains unknown.
This is as far as the history goes. Now for the facts- the semester system divides the curriculum into two equal parts, each taught in a span of six months, after which a University level examination is held on the concerned amount of subjects taught within those six months, and likewise for the latter half of the year. The number of subjects is the same, the only difference being that while in the current annual mode there would be one examination that would take place at the end of the year, the same examination is divided into two parts.
On the surface of it, this might really seem to decrease the academic pressure on the students, as they are required to study less for a required examination. But take into account the fact that before each examination, an internal examination is held by the college, along with certain number of assignments or presentations or practicals, there is hardly any time left for the students to themselves. Note that after the grind of school, in which one gets academically ‘manufactured’, college is considered to be all about exposure and learning new things or following your passions, be it any sport, dramatics, music, dance, arts or public speaking. Therefore, the implementation of the semester system hits the Extra Curricular Activities (ECA) and restricts, to a certain extent, the creative evolution of a student.
Even from a purely academic point of view, the jam-packed schedule hits the retention capacity of the student. After one semester worth of studies, there will hardly be any time left for the students to look back upon what they have learnt before the next semester begins. Moreover, introduction of the semester system in a science course might seem viable as the subjects in a science course are more or less disjointed from one another and can exist as separate subjects to be taught at different times. On the other hand, application of the new curriculum in an arts or a commerce course, where the subjects or novels are dependent on one another in order for the student to understand or interpret the working or the meaning of the given text, seems to make no sense. Such a system will result in a disjointed picture being formed in front of the students, thereby hampering the quality of education they receive.
Finally, a point that needs to be put across to the concerned authorities and the Academic Council is that the current education system in Delhi University is not tedious. It has been in use since time immemorial and there have not been many instances of either students committing suicides or going into depression on the basis of academic stress. The question that needs to be asked is – Why the sudden implementation of the semester system without even waiting to hear what the teachers, and more importantly, the students think about it? After all, this University is for the students and only for their education. They need to have a say in how they should be taught.
Please leave your comments and questions below for the author to respond.