Commissioner of Board of Intermediate Education J S V Prasad on Saturday refuted a news item that appeared in a section of print media that certain sections were being closed in Government Junior Colleges for want of students in such sections.
The commissioner has stated that certain mischievous elements were deliberately spreading wrong information by quoting the instructions of the Education department out of context. “There are a large number of colleges with more than prescribed student strength in one section. There is a need to create additional sections in such colleges. Secondly, there is demand for vocational courses in certain colleges. Here too new sections have to be created. Keeping the Government’s policy of providing proper training and employment to youth, new vocational courses are proposed to be launched in several Government Junior colleges. Simultaneously, there has also been a decline in students’ intake in certain courses due to changes in the country’s economy and changes in the people’s perceptions about such courses. In all such courses, Principals of all Government Junior Colleges have been told to organize a drive to enroll more students so that there is justification to continue such courses / sections. Rationalizing of courses and consequently sections is a routine process for which procedures have long back been prescribed by the Government. Such exercise is usually undertaken with great care based on merits, the needs of poor students, backwardness of an area and so on,” he added.
The commissioner also stated that specific instructions were given that all eligible contract faculty should be renewed immediately from June 1 so that they can also participate in the students enrolment drive. Also, Principals have been clearly instructed that there should be substantial improvement in the enrolment in the GJCs in the new academic year. He stated that six new Government Junior colleges have been opened on June 1, 2012 in the State as a result of which enrolment is expected to increase. Specific instructions have been issued that no poor student should be deprived of admission in any college under any circumstance. However, Principals have been instructed to counsel students as to the appropriate course they should take based on the students aptitude and performance in 10th class examination. In fact, the department appealed to all parents of children who are being admitted to Intermediate courses to join their wards in GJCs. They are specifically requested not to get misguided by certain mischievous reports appearing in the press. (NSS)