Opposing “the manner in which the Delhi University has introduced” the proposal to bring in a new course called the Integrated Teacher’s Education Programme (ITEP), teachers – present and former – said the due procedure had not been followed.

In a press conference Wednesday, teachers alleged that it was not clear whether the decision to replace the existing Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed) programme in eight colleges with the new course over the next two years, as is listed in the agenda of the Academic Council meeting, was approved by the college governing bodies, the Committee of Courses and the Faculty of Education, as per the procedure.

“The University of Delhi’s Academic Council has listed the proposal to introduce ITEP on its agenda for the meeting on May 26 without following due procedure,” alleged Poonam Batra, retired faculty member and co-creator of the B.El.Ed programme.

DU registrar Vikas Gupta did not respond to calls and messages regarding the allegations.

Teachers questioned why the new programme had to replace the existing B. El. Ed course. “If ITEP is to be commenced in pilot mode, it can be offered in any college of the University of Delhi. Why is it being imposed in colleges that are conducting the B.El.Ed?” a press statement said.

Professor Sushmita Ram, a faculty of the B.El.Ed programme at Jesus and Mary College, one of the three colleges that has adopted ITEP programme from this academic session, said there was a “tremendous hurry” to implement the new programme without spending the much-needed time to curate the curriculum.

While B.El.Ed is a four-year professional degree programme that prepares teachers for elementary classes, the ITEP programme has been envisaged with one-year professional training following three years of general education (BA/BSc/BCom), the teachers said.

“A key issue is that the ITEP curriculum is not in the public domain; no one knows what the programme will teach,” Batra added.