Shillong, Aug 12: The North Eastern Hill University’s (NEHU) decision to promptly implement the National Education Policy (NEP) starting from the academic session 2023-24 has come under fire from the Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association (MCTA), which has labelled the move as both “illegitimate” and “dangerous” for students.

The MCTA is actively protesting against the hasty implementation of the NEP 2020 across all NEHU-affiliated colleges in Meghalaya.

Airpeace W. Rani, the General Secretary of MCTA, asserted that the NEHU administration’s decision raises questions about its legitimacy and potential risks for students. According to Rani, the decision to enforce the NEP from 2023-24 is “illegitimate” since it was not adopted by the Academic Council, the designated body for academic matters.

“It is illegitimate as it was not adopted by the Academic Council which is the body to take decisions on academic matters,” highlighted Rani in a statement.

Furthermore, the MCTA raised concerns about the motivation behind this hurried decision. Although the Academic Council leaned towards commencing NEP implementation in the 2024-25 session, the Vice-Chancellor and the Officer on Special Duty, College Development Council, issued an immediate implementation order, sparking speculation about their intentions.

The MCTA also expressed suspicion that the decision might be driven by a desire to impress political figures in New Delhi. Rani alleged, “The Vice-Chancellor, it appears, is in a hurry to impress upon the political masters in New Delhi. It may be noted that the Vice Chancellor was appointed by the Government of India without paying any regard to local hopes and aspirations.”

The hasty approach to NEP implementation raises practical concerns. NEHU educators’ attempts to question the authority of the Academic Council and the lack of preparedness on the part of teachers have caused apprehension. The MCTA argued that NEP’s positive goals could be jeopardized by inadequate preparation and rushed decisions.

The MCTA emphasized the lack of preparation, including incomplete syllabi for some undergraduate programs such as Music and Business Administration. This suggests NEHU’s unpreparedness for implementing the NEP 2020 and raises questions about the feasibility of partial implementation within the same institution.

While NEHU maintains that NEP implementation is in the students’ best interest, MCTA expressed concerns persist about the rushed approach. It argued that initial batch of students might face negative consequences due to the lack of readiness. The MCTA pointed out that NEHU’s delay in formulating NEP-related ordinances and syllabi played a role in this lack of preparation.

The MCTA further expressed reservations about the impact of uneven implementation across colleges, particularly in rural areas. Libraries, teacher readiness, and course syllabi remain unaddressed challenges. The workload on teachers is expected to increase significantly, without plans for additional hiring or proper planning.

The association also questioned NEHU’s silence on the financial aspects of NEP implementation. With no clear financial support from the central or state government, the MCTA expressed worries about increased college fees in private colleges, potentially affecting students from rural areas and leading to higher dropout rates.

The MCTA also raised questions about NEP’s emphasis on technology in teaching, given the lack of separate office rooms for teachers to conduct online classes. They highlighted the contradiction between the requirement for adequate infrastructure and NEHU’s lack of preparation.

The association condemned the hurried stance change of some college principals towards NEP implementation and criticized the Meghalaya College Principals’ Council for its shifting position.

In light of these concerns, the MCTA has been boycotting the First Semester Classes under the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) and launched a Non-Cooperation Movement against NEHU since August 01, 2023.

Also read: Assam: Woman BJP leader commits suicide in Guwahati after intimate photos leak online

WATCH:

Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.

Also, Follow us on-

Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub

Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020

Instagram- www.instagram.com/nemediahub