DU maths teachers demand discussion on 4-yr undergrad programme syllabus

Over 50 maths teachers from various Delhi University colleges have written to the head of the department, seeking a general body meeting to discuss the proposed structure and syllabus of the new maths honours course under the four-year undergraduate programme.  In the petition to Ruchi Das, head and dean of the faculty of mathematical sciences, on June 11, the teachers expressed dismay that a general body meeting was not called to discuss the structure and syllabus of the maths honours course.  They also pointed out that the concerns raised by several college teachers in a meeting of a committee of select representatives called by the Department were “brushed aside”.  The petitioners include teachers from various colleges, including Daulat Ram, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Deshbandhu, Gargi, Hansraj, Hindu, Indraprastha College, Jesus and Mary College, Kirori Mal College, Lady Shri Ram, Miranda House and St.Stephens.

They have emphasised that the new structure and syllabus should be finalised only after a thorough discussion with all college teachers and should not be approved in parts.

In their petition, they have also expressed their concern about “serious lacunae” in the content and sequencing of papers, according to a statement.   In the proposed structure, the teachers contended that the lecture credits assigned to the core foundational courses of analysis and algebra have been “drastically” reduced from 25 each to 15 each and said that the change will adversely affect the conceptual base of Mathematics Honours students.  “We notice that in several papers the content that was covered in five lectures is now proposed to be covered in three! This is not at all feasible. Either the content should be reduced or the same content should be covered over two papers instead of one,” they said.  The petitioners have demanded that a general body meeting of all Mathematics teachers in Delhi University be convened at the earliest to discuss the proposal before finalising it for the Academic Council, the petition stated.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)