THE STATE capital’s teachers’ bodies, LUTA and LUACTA, reckon that UGC’s new missive will have its impact provided the regulating body create more teaching posts and encourage the state government to do the same. The UGC must also force the Central Government to allocate six pc of its GDP for education alone if it were keen to bring in qualitative improvement in higher education.
According to an estimate, 1.25 lakh students were getting higher education in the state while the total number of teaching posts was a little above 1,000. This meant the teacher taught ratio was far exceeding than the prescribed norms, which was between 1:40 and 1:45. However, at LU, some 200 teaching posts were vacant and there was no core faculty for most professional courses.
Also, all professional courses at the varisty will shut down if provision of guest faculty is done away with unless the varsity was given enough time to make alternate arrangements. If the UGC were really keen to reform the higher education system, it must force the state governments to allocate funds for better functioning of the varsities.
No wonder there has been a sharp decline in the field of higher education due to opening up of large-scale self-financing degree colleges. In those degree colleges mostly unqualified teachers teach. If the UGC wants to put a stop on part-time teachers and go for regular faculty, then it has to take measures like monitoring the college affairs as well.
{{/usCountry}}No wonder there has been a sharp decline in the field of higher education due to opening up of large-scale self-financing degree colleges. In those degree colleges mostly unqualified teachers teach. If the UGC wants to put a stop on part-time teachers and go for regular faculty, then it has to take measures like monitoring the college affairs as well.
{{/usCountry}}Says LUACTA president Moulendu Mishra, “UGC must first give enough posts to universities and degree colleges before they say anything in terms of brining in qualitative reforms. The UGC must also mount pressure on the HRD ministry and the Central Government to allocate at least six pc of the GDP as recommended by one of the committees a few years ago.”
He added, “There is no doubt that teacher taught ratio in higher education is not satisfactory. In some of the degree colleges it is over 1:100. This is very alarming and needs to be set right. More teaching posts should be created and qualified teachers be appointed in those posts.”
LUTA president DP Tewari reckons, “UGC and the Central Government must make some arrangements before dislodging any established practices. We too are not in favour of guest faculty. But then there is not much scope left with either. We hope that MHRD and UGC will come out with some thing concrete to bring in reforms in higher education.”
Varsity administration, however, was not willing to speak much on the issue. Says LU Pro V-C RS Yadav, “So far whatever we have gathered from the media reports it looks to be a pretty good move. But then we have not received any official communiqué yet. Once we get in writing, we could comment on the issue.”