Bangalore University Task Force on teacher education (simply known as BU Task Force) is a high-power committee founded in May 2012 to inspect the quality and functioning of teacher education colleges under Bangalore University. The Task Force, chaired by the university's Academic Council Member H. Karan Kumar, submitted an interim report on the quality and functioning of seven M.Ed. colleges during August 2012, which was unanimously accepted by the Academic Council in its meeting held on 29 August 2012.
The Task Force recommended that the admission of students to all the seven M.Ed. colleges be suspended for the academic year 2012 - 2013. Also, a 205-page interim report on the quality & functioning of ninety-nine Bachelor in Education (B.Ed.) colleges was submitted by the Task Force during November 2012, which was unanimously approved by both the Academic Council and the Syndicate during their meetings held on 30 November 2012, and 12 & 17 December 2012 respectively. The report recommended disaffiliation of fifty-five B.Ed. colleges for gross irregularities in academic, administrative functioning and non-compliance with National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) norms. The Task Force was functional until 30 June 2013.
Status of Teacher Education that led to the Constitution of Task Force
Prior to the formation of Task Force, Mr. Karan Kumar H., the Academic Council Member of Bangalore University, submitted a report on the status of teacher education under Bangalore University to the Vice Chancellor during February 2012, based on a survey conducted between December 2011 and February 2012. Apart from infrastructure flaws, the survey recorded gross non-adherence to rules concerning the way academic programmes and admissions were conducted. Also, 80 per cent of the colleges were not conducting academic programs according to procedures. After interactions with Local Inquiry Committees (LICs), it was found that neither the students nor the staff were present during the LIC's visit.
In the survey period, Karan collated information from seven experts, including Dr Sameer K Simha (retired lecturer), Dr R Nagarajaiah and Dr Gururaj Karajagi (Chairperson of Academy of Creative Teaching).
Constitution
Former Vice-Chancellor Dr N Prabhu Dev ordered the constitution of the task force in May, following pressure from various academic quarters to fix the allegations of gross irregularities, malpractices and falling educational standards in teacher education colleges under the university. "The Task Force is authorised to undertake surprise inspection of the colleges to obtain first-hand information regarding the conduct of BEd and MEd courses. It may inspect admissions, attendance, appointments of teachers, internal assessment marks and other aspects," the Vice-Chancellor's order stated.
The academic council that met thrice in July 2012 deliberated, in detail, on LIC (Local Inquiry Committee) Reports of Academic Year 2012–13, including reports of B.Ed. Colleges. With due consent of each and every Chairperson of the LICs, the Academic Council unanimously resolved to set aside all LIC Reports of B.Ed. Colleges for deficiencies and lack of information to grant affiliation for the academic year 2012–13 (the LIC is an internal university committee that is constituted to inspect the academic viability of colleges before granting fresh/renewal of affiliations). The Academic Council also resolved unanimously to additionally request the BU Task Force to take up the responsibility of submitting its recommendations on grant of affiliation or disaffiliation to the university. For the same, it gave the Task Force 3 months time with a direction to submit its interim report on renewal of affiliation / disaffiliation of B.Ed. Colleges for the academic year 2012–13.
This was followed by Karan Kumar and his team paying surprise visits to various B.Ed. and Master of Education (M.Ed.) colleges. During the course of its surprise visits, the Task Force interacted with Principals, Faculty and students of most of the colleges and video recorded the proceedings to show the abject lack of standards in the colleges that were inspected. Several instances of colleges indulging in malpractices were also exposed before the media.
Interim Reports
The Task Force has submitted two reports so far. In August 2012, the first report was based on seven M.Ed. colleges under Bangalore University. The report was upheld in the academic council meeting, where it was decided to cancel management quota admissions in these colleges. NCTE issued show-cause notices to the colleges in September 2012.
The second report is the interim report on 99 B.Ed. colleges. The report, which has categorised colleges based on the level of compliance with National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) norms, has listed 23 colleges under the category of ‘colleges with gross irregularities’. Only 12 colleges are found to have satisfactory level of compliance with NCTE rules. Another 20 colleges have been recommended disaffiliation for not having NCTE recognition. The Task Force has also recommended the NCTE that it may initiate the process of withdrawal of recognition of these 55 colleges. As many as 18 colleges, on the peril in terms of compliance, have been given six months time to improve. Admissions for the year 2012-13 have been suspended in these 18 colleges.
M.Ed. Interim Report Pramble
The Academic Council unanimously resolved to accept and approve this report and it was decided to cancel the admission of students under management quota in these colleges. Six months was also given to these colleges to comply with the shortcomings as stated in the report.
The High Court asked the Academic Council to take a call on the resolution passed in the council in the absence of a quorum. The order was made concerning the Academic Council meeting on 11 July where it was resolved to place all the local inquiry committee (LIC) reports dealing with BEd colleges under the purview of the task force. This meeting was attended by 32 members, short of three members for the quorum.
In his defense, Task Force Chairman H Karan Kumar said that both Academic Council and Syndicate, in their meetings in March 2006, had resolved to set the quorum for Academic Council meetings as 21 members instead of 35 members according to the existing statutes. "The meeting in question was attended by 32 of the 42 total number members. All 32 have unanimously passed a resolution," he said adding that the High Court has to be apprised of these facts.
Report on Practical Examination of AY 2011-12 held from 3 September to 5 October 2012
To verify the work related to practice teaching and the conduct of practical examination, three (3) B.Ed. special squads were constituted by the Registrar (Evaluation) on 28 August 2012. As per the guidance of the Task Force, these special squads visited various B.Ed. colleges & schools attached to them for conducting practical examination between 3 September & 22 September 2012. The Task Force had two meetings with all the three squads on 15 September 2012 & 22 September 2012 and in those meetings, the squad members reported to the Task Force, several irregularities, which they found during the inspection of colleges/schools of practical examination.
As a result, the Task Force decided to video record the ongoing B.Ed. practical examination & asked all three squads to have the video recording of irregularities. All three squads have video recorded many of the irregularities found in conducting practical examination (the video clippings are available with the Task Force). The squads also submitted an interim report/s to the Chairman of the Task Force. The Task Force also video recorded the opinion of the squad members. During the practical examination, on its own, the Task Force also visited a few B.Ed. colleges and recorded irregularities of B.Ed. practical examination. Based on the video evidence of the irregularities found by three special squads, the Task Force has listed 53 colleges with ‘gross irregularities’.
Below are the irregularities that were reported by the squads of Bangalore University:
1. By and large, students from outside Karnataka State have not attended the required academic program to be eligible for B.Ed. practical examination. In fact, none of them were aware of the academic program/requirements of B.Ed. education. 2. Practical examinations were conducted without collecting examination fees from students. Even, the examination/hall tickets were not issued to the students. 3. A lot of irregularities were found in the submission of a lesson plan by students, as nearly 75% of the students have not followed the norms of practical examination. 4. Practical Examinations, involving students from the States like Orissa, Jharkhand, West Bengal & Bihar, have gross irregularities. 5. Students from outside Karnataka State are attending only the practical examinations (without undergoing practice teaching & criticism lesson planning of nearly 2 months) and are heading back to their respective states, immediately after the practical examinations. Earlier, they were in Bengaluru to just attend their first semester exams during May 2012 and are coming again only to attend the second-semester theory exams during November 2012. 6. The majority of outside Karnataka students had no communication skills to explain their lessons & none of them could speak English (although the medium of instruction is English in all B.Ed. colleges). 7. There were cases of some B.Ed. Colleges engaging teachers, that too from other irregular colleges, as internal examiners to conduct practical examinations. 8. Without having external examiners, practical examinations were conducted at various schools (identified for practical examinations by B.Ed. colleges & approved by BU) 9. Very shockingly, many repeaters (of the previous years) have attended the practical examination without even paying their fee to the university and/or having the approval of the university. 10. In all, academic records like ‘Lessons Observation Record’ of students, Teacher's Observation Diary, Lesson Plans written by the students for Methods of Teaching, Copy of the Rough Lesson Plans written by the students, Practice Teaching Time-table maintained by the college, List of Practice Teaching Schools & their address, Student Seminar Files, Criticism Lesson Plan Records, Unit Test Records, etc. were neither found nor maintained by most of the B.Ed. colleges and their students. 11. Ultimately, outstation students are asked to come, time & again, only for theory or practical examination for a week or so every semester, and thereby, the so-called off-campus program is continued without any hesitation from many of the management of B.Ed. colleges.
Now, keeping all the above observations, the BU Task Force recommends the following “Further Needful Action (FNA):
1. Those who were absent for practical examination (as per the reports of the special squads) shall be given a chance to take-up their practical examination only during the coming academic year (AY 2012-13). Their results may be declared as ‘Failed’ for the AY 2011–12. 2. Wherever gross irregularities are noted (in all the above listed 53 B.Ed. colleges), practical examinations shall be re-conducted, in such colleges, by appointing a panel of examiners drawn from other colleges. If needed, the authorities shall consult the Task Force in appointing a “Panel of Examiners”. 3. The chairperson, BOE (B.Ed.) has approved the time-table of practical examination & panel of examiners on the day of the examination itself, which is a major irregularity & the Chairperson of BOE shall be asked to explain on such approvals.