Affiliation
Norms & Procedure
Q: WHAT IS AN AFFILIATED SCHOOL/ACADEMIC CENTER?
A: Like any Open and Distance Learning System, although ODLC expects
the learners to be self-learners undergoing their learning from a package of materials
and are mostly separated from their peers and instructors, it does not completely
do away with human support. Learning packages are not enough … open learners need
help and support from other people not only to be successful in their endeavour
to continue learning but also in using the package effectively. With this view,
ODLC provides planned human support in different ways from the time a learner joins
the system till the end of his/her successful completion. To provide this support
along with the issue of easy access, ODLC considered utilisation of existing available
resources to provide better services by affiliating school/ACs to be partners.These
ACs are usually recognised formal schools or reputed agencies involved in social
or educational activities. These assist ODLC in its various functions to reach out
and to reach all.
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Q: WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE AFFILIATED SCHOOL/ACADEMIC CENTER
A: The Affiliated School/Academic Center are required to perform
following functions:
Academic Functions
- To act as School/Academic centers for the ODLC learners so that the access to study
through Open schooling using distance mode is easy and is provided as close as possible
to their place of residence or workplace
- To provide guidance to the learners particularly during the time of admission.
- To arrange orientation programmes for learners to apprise them of the unique features
of ODLC that they can avail of, fee schedule, important dates like last date of
submission of application forms without late fees and with late fees, registration
dates for appearing in the examinations etc.
- To arrange the orientation of teachers and other staff engaged in Open & Distance
Learning Council and Examination activities at the Affiliated School/Academic Center
in collaboration with ODLC.
- To prepare a timetable and organise classes of Personal Contact Programmes as per
the schedule on Sundays and holidays in accordance with the curriculum requirement
and as per guidelines provided by ODLC by involving available PGTs and TGTs of the
School/AC as far as possible. Experienced retired teachers, if required, can also
be engaged.
- To organise other types of face-to-face interactive situations on regular basis
to retain motivation of the learners.
- To arrange practical classes for subjects involving practical work like science
based subjects etc by making laboratory facilities available to the learners.
- To provide library facilities to the learners for referencing work.
- To make available the audio-visual facilaties available in the School/AC for learners
to use the media support materials supplied by ODLC.
- To ensure that the subject teachers of the Affiliated School/Academic Center undergo
continuous and comprehensive evaluation of the Tutor Marked Assignments (TMAs) regularly
on time to provide feedback to the learners attached to the School/AC and to send
the TMA awards to ODLC as per prescribed schedule.
- To provide correct guidance and motivation to learners.
- To prepare the learners for examinations.
- To act as an examination centre in order to conduct public examinations of ODLC
smoothly without allowing for any malpractices.
- To provide positive feedback to ODLC with respect to improvement of the learning
materials, learner performance and other related academic matters.
Administrative Functions
- To publicise the various courses/programs offered by the Open & Distance Learning
Council.
- To receive the Prospectus from ODLC, to sell the same to the prospective learners.
- To register/ enroll learners for ODLC courses as per the rules/guidelines for admission
laid down by ODLC.
- To receive prescribed fee for admission by way of cash/BD.
- To open a Joint Savings Bank Account in favour of Coordinator and 2nd signatory
of the Affiliated School/Academic Center in order to remit all receipts therein,
and send one BD in favour of ODLC on the close of admission session.
- To maintain complete record of registrants, their duplicate copies of admission
form etc.
- To receive study materials from ODLC keeping a full record of all receipt.
- To distribute the study materials to the learners, without any service charges and
to ensure that adequate and right type of materials are available at the Academic
center. Also, to keep full record of study materials issued to the learners.
- To receive and issue Identity Cards to the learners.
- To receive examination fees and send the same through one BD to ODLC.
- To issue receipts for all payments received from the learners.
- To maintain stock of materials, equipment and other items supplied by ODLC or purchased/acquired
by the Academic center out of funds authorised by ODLC.
- To issue date sheets, mark-sheets and certificates to the learners and maintain
their complete record.
- To maintain attendance register of teachers and learners attending PCPs.
- To function as examination centre of ODLC for its examinations as an when required.
- To provide a separate Notice Board for learners where the timetable, date-sheet
and other important information pertaining to ODLC could be displayed.
- To put up a board outside the school/AC, displaying it as a academic center of the
ODLC with the Code Number of Affiliation for the information of public.
- To maintain liason between ODLC and learners necessary for the proper functioning
of the Academic center.
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Q: WHAT ESSENTIAL CRITERION IS NECESSARY TO BECOME AN AFFILIATED SCHOOL/ACADEMIC
CENTER
A: The Affiliated School/Academic Center are required to perform
following functions: School/ACs who have a sense of commitment and desires to contribute
in developing a learning society can become an Affiliated School/Academic Center
of ODLC provided they satisfy the following criteria: Status and Recognition of
the School/AC - The School/AC has to be a recognized Secondary/Senior Secondary
School affiliated to a recognized State Education Board / CBSE / ICSE, or - Other
recognized school/AC of higher learning under the department of education/ colleges
of universities of the concerned state, or - An NGO/ Registered Society of national
repute engaged in education and philanthropic activities getting grant from the
Government. Depending on the nature of the school/AC the following must be provided
Infrastructure facilities required Each of these School/ACs must have the following:
- Rooms to conduct contact sessions and examinations.
- Academic and non-academic Staff members.
- Laboratories to conduct practical work,
- Library facilities,
- Audio/ Video facilities
Depending upon the status of the school/AC, available facilities and its location,
the Affiliated School/Academic Center of ODLC are categorized into three types viz.
A, B and C as given below:
|
Infrastructure facilities
|
Type A
|
Type B
|
Type C
|
|
Max. No. of learners allowed to enroll
|
1000
|
600
|
300
|
|
No. of classrooms
|
20
|
12
|
6
|
|
Laboratories
|
|
For Secondary Level
|
1 multipurpose
|
1 multipurpose
|
1 multipurpose
|
|
For Sr. Secondary Level
|
1 each for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Home Science and Computer science
|
1 each for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Home Science and Computer science
|
1 each for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Home Science and Computer science
|
|
Library
|
Whatever is available to be made accessible for ODLC learners.
|
Whatever is available to be made accessible for ODLC learners.
|
Whatever is available to be made accessible for ODLC learners.
|
|
TV
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
Computer
|
1
|
1 at least
|
1 at least
|
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Q: WHAT NUMBER OF LEARNERS NEED TO BE THERE AT THE AC's
A: It is found that feasibility and viability of establishment
of an School/AC depend on the number of learners at the School/AC, which should
be neither too small nor too large. The following number has been fixed: " There
should be at least 50 learners in each session in each academic course permitted
by ODLC at the School/AC. " The ideal number, which ODLC expects in an school/AC,
is 300 to effectively serve the learners and to be economically viable. " At any
cost no School/AC will be allowed to enroll more than 1000 learners in each academic
session. However, the number of learners will depend on the category/type found
suitable for the School/AC. " The School/AC is liable to be terminated if the average
enrolment consistently remains below the minimum level for about 2 to 3 years. "
Decision about medium-wise, gender-wise and course-wise enrolment of learners at
the School/AC will be that of ODLC in consultation with the School/AC willing to
function as a Academic center.
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Q: WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR AFFILIATION
A: 1. A willing school/AC has to apply for affiliation to function
as an academic center of ODLC through a standardised Application Form to the Director
(Student Support Services), ODLC. The copy of the Application Form is enclosed as
Annexure -I. This form is also available in the ODLC website www.odlc.ac.in to be
downloaded for use. No photocopy of the Application form will be acceptable.
2. The Application Form has to be duly filled in, giving correct information and
substantiated by necessary documents wherever asked for, failing which the application
will be rejected.
3. The Application Form has to be endorsed and certified by the Management of the
Applying School/AC.
4. The processing fee has to be deposited in the form of two Bank Drafts, one Bank
Draft of amount Rs. 10,000/- and another Bank Draft of Rs. 5,000/- both drawn in
favour of Open & Distance Learning Council.
Application form without the processing fee will be rejected.
5. All applications for affiliation are scrutinised by ODLC as per the laid down
criteria for affiliation.
6. The School/ACs found suitable by a committee are short listed for inspection
by an Inspection Team constituted by the competent authority of ODLC.
7. The Inspection Team submits a report after inspecting the school/AC along with
their recommendations.
8. The recommendation of the Inspection Report is considered by a committee in ODLC
and if the recommendations are found suitable, approves and grants affiliation to
the applicant school/AC. The School/AC is granted a special code number, which is
used for all correspondence with ODLC and this is informed accordingly.
9. If affiliation is granted, the School/AC is requested to enter into Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) with ODLC. The Memorandum of Understanding spells out the
conditions for working as an Affiliated School/Academic Center on the part of the
school/AC and the ODLC. These are not poise covenants but are obligations on the
part of the Affiliated School/Academic Center of ODLC to follow the functions and
activities stated in accordance to the mission of ODLC.
10. If affiliation is granted, the School/AC is also requested to provide signatories
who would operate a Bank Account that has to be opened by the school/AC to undergo
all financial transactions in order to function on behalf of ODLC.
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Q: WHAT ARE THE PROCEEDINGS FOR WITHDRAWAL OF AFFILIATION?
A: ODLC may initiate proceedings for withdrawal of affiliation
in case, an Affiliated School/Academic Center is found indulging in any of the following
improprieties. Failure to provide the necessary academic and administrative support
to the learners as per schedule/norms fixed by ODLC, Over charging the learners
beyond the amount prescribed for fees by ODLC, Accepting extra money towards service
charges or for any other reasons, Non-distribution of study materials supplied by
ODLC to learners, Charging additional money for distribution of ODLC study materials
to the learners. Non-maintenance of proper records of financial transactions and
stocks issued by ODLC, Financial irregularities relating to ODLC funds for purposes
other than those laid down by ODLC. Furthering interests of any sector, cast, religious
group or political party or subscribe to objectives that go counter to the solidarity
or unity of the country, Deterioration of physical facilities and unwillingness
to improve them to meet minimum requirements in terms of satisfactory classrooms,
laboratory and library facilities, Refusal to provide building and staff for the
conduct of ODLC Examinations, Inadequate supervision of the Examination Centre enabling
learners to use unfair means/ mass copying during the examination at the center,
Admission of less than 50 learners for three consecutive years, Non-fulfilment of
conditions of partnership as spelled out in Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) executed
with ODLC, Poor academic performance of the School/AC functioning as a study center
for three consecutive years and not being able to keep the performance. Any other
misconduct in connection with the admission/ Examination/ any other area, which
in the opinion of ODLC warrants immediate withdrawal of affiliation of the School/AC.
ODLC shall provide adequate time and opportunity to the Affiliated School/Academic
Center served with a "Show Cause Notice" up to a maximum period of three months
for adequate compliance/removal of defects failing which ODLC will declare the School/AC
disaccredited. Such a decision by ODLC shall be final and binding.
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Q: WHAT ASSISTANCE ARE PROVIDED TO AN AFFILIATED SCHOOL/ACADEMIC CENTER
A: The Affiliated School/Academic Center will associate the following
personal for administrative and academic work on behalf of ODLC.
1) Principal/ Vice-Principal - As Coordinator
2) Office Assistant - As Assistant
3) Peon - As Helper
4) Respective Subject teachers - As PCP Teachers
ODLC will provide assistance in the following way: Academic assistance will be provided
through:
>> Training of the Coordinators
>> Training of PCP teachers
>> Attachment of an Academic facilitator who is an educationist with sufficient
experiences in the field.
For conducting Personal Contact Programme (PCP) classes, payment as per ODLC criteria
will be made to be School/AC which includes honorarium for core staff, PCP teacher
and contingency expenditure. Once a School/AC is accredited, it is obliged to follow
the norms and criterion laid down by ODLC for utilising this.
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