Demand for bifocal courses, especially in commerce and science streams
A revised curriculum will help revive the demand for bifocal
courses, especially in commerce and science streams, say academicians.
Principals attribute the fall in the number of students opting for bifocal courses
to out of date syllabi, and have asked the government to upgrade them to hold students
interest.
This year, the number of students applying for bifocal s has dropped drastically
from nearly 3, 858 to about 1,800, which has impacted cut-offs. "There was a time
when vocational education was considered to be a fast-track to the engineering field
since the syllabus was attuned to the needs of the industry. But over the past few
years, the syllabus has remained the same. Instead of becoming challenging, it has
become a set pattern," said Tushar Desai, principal of DG Ruparel College, Matunga.
Naresh Chandra, principal of Birla College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Kalyan,
felt that while the syllabus is in need of an update, the fall in number of online
applications could be due to a majority of students having applied offline in the
minority and management quotas.
A senior education official said that the vocational education department is considering
a proposal for upgrading of the syllabus. "It will be implemented for the academic
year 2012-13," said the officer.
In bifocal courses, students can opt for any of the six vocational subjects in lieu
of the second language and biology or geography. The course is preferred by students,
who want to go in for engineering and allied fields.
Courtesy: DNA India
