Teachers’ promotions to be linked to student performance: HRD proposal

College and university teachers could soon be evaluated based on how they teach and the results their students produce, which would be among the criteria for their promotion, according to a proposal being considered by HRD minister Smriti Irani.

College and university teachers could soon be evaluated based on how they teach and the results their students produce, which would be among the criteria for their promotion, according to a proposal being considered by HRD minister Smriti Irani.

College and university teachers could soon be evaluated based on how they teach and the results their students produce. (REUTERS)

The idea is to link scores of the academic performance indicator (API) used by universities to promote faculty members with teachers’ classroom performance, ministry sources said. Officials said that the government was keen to make faculty members accountable to the “ultimate stakeholder” — the students — whose feedback will likely be taken into account to assess teachers’ performance.

To evaluate classroom performance, a peer review mechanism is also under consideration. Quality education has become a major issue for a number of higher educational institutions in the country with students often complaining about redundant teaching tools used by teachers with lesser emphasis on innovation.

API scores used for teachers’ promotion are calculated on the basis of teaching, co-curricular and evaluation-related activities, research, publication and academic contributions, among others. The ministry is planning to make classroom performance a component of the API.

As the proposal might face resistance from the teaching fraternity, the issue is being examined from all angles. It will require changes in existing UGC regulations. Sources said the issue was discussed in a UGC meeting on Tuesday and the ministry was likely to arrive at a decision soon.