Teachers’ assns across UP join hands against common minimum syllabus

LUCKNOW : While teachers of Lucknow University and affiliated colleges continue their opposition to common minimum syllabus (CMS), a part of national education policy (NEP)2020, other teachers’ organisations have also extended their support to them.

After teachers’ associations of Lucknow, now state-level teachers’ organisations have openly opposed the CMS and have decided to write to the state government against its adoption.

Virendra Chauhan, president, Federation of University College Teachers’ Association, one of the biggest groups of college teachers in the state, said, “The order to approve the CMS reflects the intention of the state government to take away the autonomy of the universities. The state government must reconsider its decision and allow teachers to give their opinion on the issue.”

The trouble over the common minimum syllabus began after the state higher education department, which drafted it earlier this year, directed the universities to get it approved. As per the order, the departments of the universities will have to adopt minimum of 70% content of the CMS with a liberty to choose 30% of the content of their own.

BD Pande of Kanpur University Teachers’ Association claimed, “More than 90 % of teachers of the state universities are not satisfied with the CMS. Despite this, there is a hurry at the part of the university administration to get the CMS approved.”