IGNOU workshop for text-books, manuals of Community Colleges begins today

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New Delhi:IGNOU has convened a three-day national workshop on “Development of Text-Books and Training Manuals for Community Colleges” from Tuesday (15-17 September) in the campus.

The expected outcome of the workshop is a set of guidelines preparation of the Text-Books and Training Manuals for the Community Colleges. Many eminent personalities, who have significantly contributed to development of such Text-Books and Training Manuals have confirmed their participation in the workshop.

The Community College is a novel idea to help the millions of school and college drop-outs and those disadvantaged humanity who cannot pursue higher education because they find entry to a conventional system  difficult. These Colleges offer tailor-made educational programmes which address local needs. They use approaches most acceptable to workers in a given society.

The national workshop will look into areas of typical programmes at community colleges. These are :

  • Computer Literacy
  • Soft Skills
  • Tailoring
  • Fashion Design
  • Mobile Phone Servicing
  • Motor Cycle Repair
  • Desktop Publishing
  • Embroidery
  • Pre-primary Teachers’ Training
  • Clinical Laboratory Assistance

Says Dr CK Ghosh, who is coordinating for the workshop, “An important task on hand in respect of the scheme is to develop Text-books and Training Manuals for the Community Colleges. IGNOU, by way of being the number one Open and Distance Learning institution in the country, has phenomenal expertise in the area of development of Self Learning Materials (SLMs). As the programmes of the Community Colleges will be handled primarily in face-to-face mode, the colleges will be in need of Text-Books and Training Manuals. Keeping the autonomy factor in mind the role of preparation of the said documents will be entrusted with the colleges with suitable guidance from IGNOU.”

The conventional system of education always has been based on the concept of “Learning to know”. That did not help enough to democratize education in the country. This alternative mode of education through Community Colleges is an initiative to that direction.

Says Dr Latha Pillai, Pro-Vice Chancellor of IGNOU, “It is an alternative education system which aims to empower individuals through appropriate skills development leading to gainful employment. Certification by IGNOU will ensure them gainful employment. It encourages students who may want to attend a three-year degree but are not academically, personally or economically ready to begin study in the formal system. In a community college a student can choose to work towards a associate degree (two-year) in hundreds of academic and technical fields, which will enable them to get admitted to a regular college or university for completion of a degree. The students have choices to pursue continuing education in whatever format suitable to them, face-to-face, online, full-time, and part-time.”

According to the IGNOU Community College scheme, these colleges will have functional autonomy. They will set up three regulatory bodies :

  • Community College Board
  • Academic Committee
  • Examination Committee

Each body will have a representative from IGNOU. Every Community College will offer Associate Degree Programme of 64 credits of duration of two years. The Degree will be awarded by IGNOU.

For further details, visit: www.ignou.ac.in kindly contact : 98102 52954