JOIN USProfs struggle to finish syllabus
With the October holidays around the corner, Delhi University students and teachers are complaining that the race to finish the ‘bulky’ syllabus for November-end semester exams has robbed them of any time for themselves. The semester system was implemented in all DU undergraduate programmes last year.
“When the session started, the first two months went without many classes taking place because of orientation sessions for freshers, auditions for various societies, and student union elections,” said Shivangi, a second year student at Gargi College.
“The syllabus is far from getting finished. All teachers are taking extra classes which will continue even in our so-called October holidays also,” she added.
The students complain about being overburdened with internal assessment which includes class tests, writing assignments and marks for attending classes. They say the syllabus is rushed through in class, and with teachers asking them to write three or four assignments per paper they don’t get any time for self study.
“When we tell this to the teachers, they blame the vice chancellor. They tell us that we have to follow it. There is no way out of this mess,” said Ayush, a first year student at
Hindu College Students involved in extracurricular activities find it difficult to juggle them with the strict attendance rules. “I am a part of four societies in the college. We had to miss the recent Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur festival because our syllabus is still not over and there has hardly been any preparation,” said Shivangi.
“All outstation fests start in October. And our teachers will take classes till November 17. There is no time for revision as the exams are starting from November 20,” added Shivangi.
The teachers said they are also struggling to finish the syllabus. “I am using powerpoint in my class to rush through the syllabus. Students from the Science streams will get even less time due to the practical classes starting during the last week of the session, and no lectures take place at that time,” said Naveen Gaur, a Physics professor at Dyal Singh College.
The teachers are of the view that the syllabus for the semester system — each semester is of six months — was changed from that of the annual mode without ‘putting any thought’.
“The entire syllabus which used to be taught in one full year, was mindlessly divided into two semesters,” said an English professor at Ramjas College.