Indian Institute of Teacher Education - Multilingual Course

12. Multilingual Course:

In the relevant *Annexure XII,* it is suggested that provisions should be made in this Institute to empower every student to have competence in Gujarati and in English so that both can be used as media instruction.

It is further suggested that every student should have competence to read, write and understand Hindi, along with the capacity to translate Hindi into Gujarati and English and vice-versa.

It is also further suggested that every student should have knowledge of Sanskrit so that she can understand, read, speak, converse in Sanskrit at a minimum level and also be able to translate simple passages of Sanskrit into Gujarati or English.

Finally, it is also suggested that if the products of IITE are to be global, they should also have sufficient exposure in one additional foreign language such as French, which has large canvas in the world, and which is also accepted as a language of the United Nations and its agencies.

It is to be understood that most of the students have great linguistic deficiencies, and the committee may like to consider this problem and suggest some crash course for students to acquire capacities of eloquence both in Gujarat/Hindi and English.

III

In addition to the above, the Curriculum Committee may like to make recommendations on the following:

• Credit to be given for the various topics under the Foundational Course and under the Core Courses.

• Credit to be given to Core Courses in Arts, Science and Commerce and other interdisciplinary courses.

• Expected time hours that can be recommended for Core Courses, Foundational Courses and Optional Courses.

• A complete scheme of 4 or 5 years integrated courses.

• Acceptability of the proposed courses by the NCTE.

It may also be added that the Credit System should be made so flexible that interdisciplinary courses can be framed by students according to their inclinations and proficiency. In particular, it may be emphasized that we need to promote:

• Multilingualism

• Issue of Cultural History and the Future

• Interdisciplinarity of the themes such as the following:

a. Ideal of Human Unity

b. Evolution and Future of Human Species

c. History of Religions

d. Classics

e. Philosophy, Astronomy and Classical Languages, etc.

IV

Some thought needs to be devoted to the farming of Time-Tables and to the question of compulsory attendance at lectures.

If the Credit System has to succeed, and if students are to be encouraged to develop the capacity of self-learning (in the light of UNESCO’s thoughts in "Learning: Treasure Within"), we shall have to modify greatly the present Timetable system, and while students may be required to be present in Lecture Halls/Video-Libraries/Book Libraries/Portals Rooms/Libraries, etc., we have to allow students to study through self-learning rather than through attendance at Lectures, according to full-time fixed time-tables. New types of Time- Tables have been thought of.

V

We may also suggest several Specialised Courses, a tentative list of which is given at Annexure XIII.

The student may be required to offer any three specialized Courses. In the Annexure XIV, we present for consideration some detailed proposals for a specialized 5 years course for Personality Development, which includes lists of Life-Skills.

In Annexure XV, we present suggested details for a specialized course in Philosophy of Education And Life.

Annexure XVI suggests topics to be included in a 5 years course in Physical, Vital and Mental Education.

VI

Examination Reforms need to be revised in the light of the following:

• Examination on Demand (as in NIOS)

• Examination of Skills

• Examination of Personality Development

• Examination of Physical Fitness