‘Only 20% students opting for humanities stream in pre university’

High school teachers attend workshop to motivate their students take up humanities in PU level

Unlike in the past, only about 20% students are opting for humanities stream in the pre university level in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts now, said M. Chandranath, president of Association of Political Science Teachers of Pre University Colleges in Dakshina Kannada, here on Tuesday.

Mr. Chandranath said that in the past, 40% students chose humanities, while the remaining 60% opted for science and commerce streams in the two districts. “The gradual decline in the enrolment for humanities is due to the glorification of the other two prominent streams in the pre university level,” he told The Hindu on the sidelines of a workshop conducted by the association for high school teachers to motivate high school students also to opt for humanities in the pre university level.

According to statistics available with the Pre University Department, Dakshina Kannada had 7,020 first year pre university students in humanities during the academic year 2012-13. It gradually declined to 4,396 students in 2018-19, 4,754 students in 2019-20 and 4,665 students during the academic year 2021-22. It reveals that admissions to first year course in humanities has declined by 33.55% in the last nine years from 2012 to 2021.

“The increase in first PU admission in 2021-22 academic year is higher as all Class X students passed without any examination in 2020-21,” said Venkatesh Nayak, Principal of Nayaraya Guru PU College and a member of the association.

To arrest this trend, the association has taken up an initiative to make high school teachers aware about the career prospects for humanities students. “It is these teachers who play a pivotal role in shaping careers of students,” Mr. Chandranath said and added that the workshop is part of the initiative.

A booklet giving brief details about Law, Human Resource Development, Fine Arts, Language course that arts students can study was released on the occasion. It also gives details about KAS and IAS and other competitive examinations that students can aim for.

Emphasing on the role of high school teachers in shaping careers, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Kumara, in his inaugural speech, said that he chose art stream in PU. He did B.Ed and worked as a teacher before becoming an Assistant Commissioner after clearing KAS. He recently did his doctorate. “This is all because of guidance of teachers in secondary school and the inspiring words of writer D. Javare Gowda,” he said.