No takers for Mathematics and Physics courses in colleges, say teachers
In the first round of counselling several colleges had single digit admission in the two disciplines
Unlike the rush for B. Com seats, very few students show interest in Physics and Mathematics, say teachers in government colleges. In the first round of single window counselling that ended on June 15, several colleges across the State have seen single digit admission in both the disciplines.
It is not just colleges in smaller towns. Even city colleges are struggling to fill seats in these disciplines. A Physics faculty in a city government college said, “Usually students who come to government colleges struggle with Mathematics and English. Only if the student has taken Mathematics in Class XII can we admit them in Physics,” she explained.
The faculty said schools are not paying adequate attention to teaching Math. “Students prefer Chemistry as it does not require Mathematics,” said the faculty in whose college only four seats have been filled in the first round of counselling. “We are expecting more students as the cut-off reduces in the second round,” she added.
Faculty in government colleges in Ranipet and Arakkonam said teachers canvas outside the institution, appealing to students to take Mathematics. “When they hear the word Mathematics, they scamper,” said a lecturer in Arakkonam. In a college in Ranipet, there was no admission in the first round for Physics, the lecturer said.
At the start of the academic year 2023-24, the Directorate of Collegiate Education issued a circular citing low admission in Mathematics department in 10 government colleges: Senthamangalam; Lalgudi; Vepanthatai; Kadaladi; Sathyamangalam; Paramakudi; Madhanur; Gudalur; and Kovilpatti. While in other colleges, an alternative discipline was launched, such as Tamil, B Com, Business Administration, Biotechnology, Botany, Economics or BCA, in Kovilpatti no such option was mentioned. In the Modakurichi college, the Physics department had few takers and the DCE proposed starting Zoology.
“In the long term, there will be a generation of students who have stayed away from Mathematics. If the trend continues for a few more years, there will not be teachers to teach the subject,” said V. Thangaraj, president of Tamil Nadu All government college UGC-qualified guest lecturer association.
A Mathematics lecturer from Arakkonam said he had seen the situation for the past three years. He recalled that a private college in Ranipet used to admit over 100 students to Physics course until three years ago.
Faculty in Physics and Mathematics, all pointed fingers at inadequate teaching in Mathematics at school-level. “Students don’t have basic Maths knowledge. At college-level we cannot teach them the basics. In school, students are told Mathematics is difficult and are discouraged from taking the discipline,” said one faculty.
The COVID pandemic had hurt students’ ability to learn the subject in school, the faculty say. “We gave awareness talks about Mathematics in all government schools and tried to encourage the students to opt for the subject but in vain,” said the faculty from Arakkonam.
“The government should take initiative to encourage students to study Mathematics just as they have incentivised college education,” Mr. Thangaraj suggested.
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