The Mangalore University History Teachers Association says that if the history of Coastal Karnataka and Kodagu is not included in the curriculum, the students of the region will be deprived of learning it.
The Mangalore University History Teachers Association says that if the history of Coastal Karnataka and Kodagu is not included in the curriculum, the students of the region will be deprived of learning it.
History teachers of degree colleges of Mangalore University are upset that the history of the coastal region and Kodagu has not been included in the syllabus prepared for the third semester students of Bachelor of Arts under the New Education Policy-2020.
Students who are currently pursuing BA course (1st year with 1st and 2nd semester) under NEP-2020 will be entering third semester in the academic year 2023-24.
Seeking the intervention of the Karnataka State Council of Higher Education (KSHEC) on the same, the Mangalore University History Teachers Association (MANUSHA) in a letter to the Executive Director of the Council on 17 September said that if the history of Coastal Karnataka and Kodagu is prepared by the Council Students of the region will be deprived of learning it if not brought within the framework of the curriculum. He said that they would be forced to learn the history of other regions of Karnataka.
The association said that in the third semester, students will have to compulsorily study regional history as ‘DSC 6’ has been prescribed as a compulsory paper for the semester. The history of five regional regions, including the Coastal Karnataka-Kodagu region, have been identified for teaching regional history. But the regional history of ‘Coastal Karnataka and Kodagu’ (belonging to Mangalore University area) is missing in the curriculum structure prepared by the Council. The Council will have to ensure that such lapses that create “regional imbalances” do not happen in future.
“In such matters relating to the history of Mangalore University, the association will have to be taken into confidence in future,” the letter signed by the association’s secretary Naveen, who is also a member of the Board of Studies (History – UG), said the university.
Other signatories to the letter include T. Murugeshi, President, Board of Examiners (History – UG), who is also the Vice President of the Association, and Jayaram Shettigar, Member, Board of Studies (History – UG).
“When ‘regional history’ is included in the curriculum, Kodagu, the rich history of coastal Karnataka, should have been included. There is no point in teaching the history of other regions to the students of Mangalore University,” said Mr. Murugeshi. Told Hindu,
Meanwhile, in a separate letter to the chairman of the university’s Board of Studies (History-UG), two of its members – Mr Shettigar and Mr Naveen – said they wanted to know who was responsible for not including history on the coast. Why Karnataka and Kodagu have not been included in the curriculum framework prepared by the council. Teachers said they oppose teaching the regional history of any of the four other regions to Mangalore University students. And, he said, the regional history prepared by Manush should be included and taught in the curriculum framework of the council.