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Friday, July 18, 2008

Compulsory computer courses for degree students

HYDERABAD: Students joining the non-computer streams at the degree level from this year will be exposed to computer courses and the Universities have to ensure that such students get at least two classes per week in the first two years.

This is made mandatory for all Arts, Humanities, Biology and even Mathematics students and the exposure would be more than making them familiar with computers. They will learn enough to study the courses further. “The inclusion of computers will help students keep pace with the developments in the employment sector and capitalise on it,” said P. Jayaprakash Rao, Vice-Chairman, A.P. State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE).

He said the changed curriculum would come into effect from this academic year and the changes range from 20 per cent to 50 per cent in 26 subjects. Unlike the previous attempts this time the exercise was on to present a model curriculum and giving enough space for the Universities to incorporate changes according to their needs. Earlier, it used to be a common curriculum with little freedom for the universities to effect changes and make them more relevant to their students. “This will help in respecting the autonomy of the universities,” Prof. Rao said.
The focus of the model curriculum was to ensure that recent changes were incorporated for effective learning and also doing away with repetition. The changes in technology, economics and administration fields warranted that students get updated themselves on a regular basis. The changed curriculum will guide them in that direction. Prof. Rao said the syllabus and practices of the universities with potential for excellence were closely observed and some of them were incorporated.

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