Mangalore: KSOU offers 7 handicraft courses
Mangalorean.com, India
MANGALORE Feb 25: In its continued efforts to introduce more need-based courses, the Mysore-based Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) will introduce seven certificate courses related to handicrafts. It will offer a degree course in special education to produce resource persons to teach children having physical and neurological disorders. The KSOU is also planning to offer a course to farmers, in association with the University of Agriculture Sciences (UAS), Bangalore, according to B.A. Vivek Rai, Vice-Chancellor, KSOU.
Mobility issue
The vice-chancellors of 13 State open universities in the country will meet in Chennai on March 1 to discuss aspects related to reducing the distinction between conventional universities and open universities. The mobility of students between conventional universities and open universities and sharing of infrastructure and knowledge would also be discussed. According to one proposal, a student pursuing a course in a conventional university can switch over to an open university to continue the particular course, and vice-versa. Two earlier meetings have been held at Hyderabad and Delhi.
Speaking to The Hindu here on Sunday, Prof. Rai said that the university will offer the seven certificate courses of six-month duration each in association with the Pilikula Nisargadhama Society, Mangalore.
The courses will be in pottery, weaving, wood carving, carpentry, oil pressing, basket weaving and stone carving, which is likely to begin from June this year. “Any candidate interested to learn these skills can avail of these courses. There will be no basic qualification. No tuition fee will be collected from students,†Prof. Rai said.
Prof. Rai said that the university will offer a two-year Bachelor of Arts degree in special education from this academic year. The study material for this course has been prepared in consultation with the experts of Rehabilitation Council of India, which has recognised the KSOU to offer this course.
This course deals with how to teach slow learners, and students having physical and neurological disorders. In all, 500 candidates have enrolled for the course this year. The course will be formally inaugurated in March.
Hindu