Shortage of teachers hampering quality education in Lucknow’s aided colleges
The aided colleges find themselves grappling with the daily demands of teaching in the absence of permanent faculty.
LUCKNOW Among the 1,395 teaching positions in 33 aided degree colleges affiliated with Lucknow University, a concerning 400 positions remain vacant. Moreover, 11 of these colleges are currently without regular principals. Consequently, these colleges find themselves grappling with the daily demands of teaching in the absence of permanent faculty.
For certain subjects, there are no regular teachers available at all. To address the workload, part-time teachers have been hired, but this has adversely impacted the quality of education provided. Several degree college principals have voiced their concerns, especially in light of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 coming into effect.
Shia PG College recently achieved an ‘A’ grade accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in its first attempt in October last year. Syed Shabihe Raza Baqri, the principal, revealed that out of the 114 sanctioned teaching posts, 23 remain unfilled. “The Higher Education Commission has made full-time teacher selections for 11 positions, pending final approval at Lucknow University,” he stated.
He added, “The approval has been pending with Lucknow University for eight months, and we have been diligently following up on the matter. Furthermore, we have advertised a few more teaching posts and are expecting a panel of experts from LU for the selection committee.”
Shia College’s principal highlighted the challenges they face in the absence of teachers. “This year, the college introduced MA programs in education, political science, and history. For each of these subjects, we have been granted permission to appoint part-time contractual teachers, two for each subject. Additionally, we are considering launching a Vocational course in B.Sc. in tourism and hospitality, supported by the state government, which includes an apprenticeship facility. The government is scheduled to conduct an inspection on October 6,” he said.
Similarly, at Jai Narain PG College, 32 out of 142 sanctioned teaching positions remain vacant. The college management has appointed part-time teachers for 8-10 of these posts. Principal Vinod Chandra expressed the challenges faced in implementing the NEP and appealed to the state government for seed money to enhance infrastructure. He emphasised that while the government provides salaries, no special grant has been allocated for NEP implementation.
Sanjay Mishra, principal of BSNV College, highlighted the dearth of teachers in specific subjects, such as Arab culture and physical education. “In Botany, the college has eight sanctioned positions, but only three permanent staff members. Five positions are vacant, and the management has recruited 23 part-time teachers, bearing their expenses.”
Manoj Pandey, chief of the LU Associated Teachers Association, pointed out, “We have consistently raised the issue of teacher shortages in colleges across various forums, but no substantial progress has been made. We urge the Uttar Pradesh government to intervene and consider extending the retirement age of teachers from the current 62 years to 65 years to alleviate the shortage of teachers.”
