IT boom leaves institutes tottering

By Raviprasad Kamila

CHITRADURGA, JULY 8. Unable to withstand the Information Technology (IT) boom spreading to every nook and corner of the country, 700 Government-recognised commerce institutes (typewriting institutes) in the State closed down. And many are on the verge of closure.

According to sources in the Commerce Institutes' Association of Karnataka, principals of many institutes now left in the lurch. About 70 per cent of the students who were seeking admission in these institutes have now switched over to private institutes offering computer courses.

There has been a considerable decrease in the number of students taking typewriting examination. About 2.5 lakh students used to write the examination per annum till 1992. The number has decreased to 40,000. This has forced many principals to find an alternative job for their livelihood. The State has about 1,400 government-recognised commerce institutes.

In 1975, the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) that conducts the commerce examination barred the SSLC failed candidates from taking the examination. As a result, these institutes lost many candidates. With the new generation students wanting to learn computers, many institutes are facing closure. Some of the institutes that used to attract 50 to 100 students now get about 10 six or seven students. The principals were selling the typewriting machines at throw away prices, the sources said.

In 1996, the Government constituted a 13-member committee to study the feasibility of introducing computers in these institutes. Besides the officials, the panel included four representatives from the institutes. The committee headed by the then Commissioner of the Public Instruction had submitted a report to the Government in this regard before it was dissolved in 1999.

The panel had recommended to the Government to introduce computers in these institutes after framing a syllabus. It had felt that the task of conducting the examination could be given to a private firm under the supervision of the KSEEB. In 1998, the Commerce Board, under the KSEEB, had prepared an IT syllabus and submitted to the Government.

The sources alleged that many computer institutes that charged exorbitant fee were giving bogus certificates without holding proper examination. The Government could fix a fee of Rs. 300 a month for a 10-month course after preparing an IT syllabus. The KSEEB could fix a reasonable examination fee that would directly go to the Government exchequer. The certificates could be issued by the KSEEB as was the practise now. This would help all sections of students to become computer literate. It is not possible for all students now to take up the course in private firms because of the high fee. The principals could appoint trained teachers in their institutes after introducing computers at their own cost.

What was needed now that the courses should be streamlined and the Government should accord recognition to such courses. This would help the commerce institutes to adapt themselves to the new IT scenario instead of closing down, the sources said.

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