Take steps to restructure existing curriculum, says Scholar

Sociology Scholar Prof Sripathi Tantri said immediate measures ought to be taken to improve the quality of the study curriculum, which demands innovation according to the needs of changing society.

Delivering the keynote address at the UGC sponsored national seminar on the topic ‘Restructuring of Social Science Courses in the Present Context’ organized by Poorna Prajna College (PPC), he ridiculed that universities these days are evaluating the knowledge capacity and personality of the individual based on the caste.

He said, instead the universities should seriously deliberate on restructuring the existing curriculum, frequently to improve the quality of education. It is especially required for the subjects of social sciences. He added that the survival of the social science solely depends on the innovative steps taken to improve the text materials. He added the social science should be coupled with science subjects while teaching in Arts course.

He said the arts related subjects are loosing its prominence in the universities. The number of students opting for art subjects is decreasing and the students are not coming forward to take arts course. The Colleges are dropping the art courses and the teachers who teach art subjects. He opined that an engineering student should also have the knowledge of social sciences.

Emphasising on the education pattern in the western countries, especially in the US, he said that US educational institutions give utmost prominence for the restructuring of the curriculum at every phase of the course. 

He said since the inception of three universities in 1857, most of the universities stick to similar curriculum that existed since the time of the inception, he lamented.  In India, the art student will be ignorant over the science subjects, while the student in US will have ample opportunities to learn additional subjects besides the subjects of his or her choice.

There is a need to incorporate the US style of education that facilitates the students to learn the skills of many subjects simultaneously, he said.

Stating that curriculum focusing the present day needs is the need of the hour, Prof Tantri opined that education quality should be improved keeping in mind the contemporary society and the livelihood needs. He opined that the contributions of Indians in the field of sociology is nil, instead the sociology in India is immensely influenced by the personalities who adorned the positions with money and muscle power.

He urged the education boards in the Universities, to concentrate seriously on the need to upgrade the quality of the education, instead of involving in the unwanted controversies.  Students should demand for the quality text materials, he said and added that the law issues should be studied in depth.

Speaking after inaugurating the seminar, PPC Evening College former principal Prof Radhakrishna Acharya said the books in social science are as old as three decades. There is massive difference in the educational pattern in the western countries and in India.

Indians are hesitating to incorporate the novel innovative ideas in the teaching substance, unlike western countries.  However, the hindrance to accept the changes would result in the end of art courses in colleges. This may add up to the additional woes, owing to the shortage of knowledge on social sciences, he said.