Overview
In undergraduate curriculum, general education is often contrasted with specialised education. It provides exposure to the whole range of disciplines and areas of knowledge associated by tradition or by institutional convention as the arts and science, and general education also develops a set of general critical competencies (i.e. in writing, speaking, quantitative analysis) expected of all educated men and women.
The importance of highly specialised scientific and technical education is well recognised. But general education is also equally important, since it aims at imparting general knowledge, communication skills, soft skills, economy, governance, environment, moral values, etc. for overall development of an individual, apart from his occupational training. An individual, who has been imparted general education, is expected to think and write clearly, effectively and critically. General education also enhances the understanding of students in thinking systematically about moral and ethical problems.
The School of General Education does not offer Degree Courses of its own, but caters to the needs of all the schools of BSDU by offering various courses for holistic development of the students’ personality. General education has a clear practical on a society. It can promote responsible citizenship, ethical behaviour, educational ambition, professional development in broad range of fields and even global integration. General education prevents students from becoming “balkanized” in narrowly focussed disciplines. Industry needs people who can think and write clearly and critically and can communicate with precision, cogency and force. Students who have studied general education will certainly be able to make decisions based on reference to the wider world and to the historical forces that have shaped it.
In view of these, the University Grants Commission has launched a scheme on skill development based on higher education as part of College/ University education, leading to Bachelor of Vocation (B. Voc.) degree. The B. Voc. program is focussed on University and colleges providing undergraduate studies which would also incorporate specific job roles along with broad based GENERAL EDUCATION. As per U.G.C. norms, General Education component should adhere to the normal University STANDARD. It should emphasise and offer courses which provide holistic development up to 40% of the total curriculum. The U.G.C. also mandates that adequate attention should be given to the Language and Communication Skills, so that at the end of the course students should have good logical and mathematical skill, understanding of social, political, economic and natural environment, good in collecting and organising information, communication and presentation skills.
