'Punjab to hire college teachers after 11-year gap'

In a move aimed at improving the student-teacher ratio in state-run colleges, the government has decided to recruit 1,950 teachers in three phases, according to state higher education minister Surjit Singh Rakhra.

In a move aimed at improving the student-teacher ratio in state-run colleges, the government has decided to recruit 1,950 teachers in three phases, according to state higher education minister Surjit Singh Rakhra. Almost two-fifth of the positions for college teachers have remained vacant after the state government ordered a halt to recruitment of regular teaching staff eleven years ago.

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Speaking at the PU zonal youth & heritage festival at Government College for Girls, where he was the chief guest, on Friday, he observed: “If more college teachers are hired it’ll help in improving educational standards and achieving better student results.”

“At a meeting held last Tuesday in Chandigarh we decided it had become imperative to recruit more college teachers. A few things like whether we should go in for regular appointments or guest faculty members have still to be finalized. If the teachers are hired on contract basis then we’ll include a provision their jobs are made permanent within a specific time frame,” Singh said.

When asked if the new teachers would be paid by the government or parent teachers associations, he replied: “Since we don’t want to further burden students, as PTA funds are generated from their contributions, we’ve decided the government will pay the salaries.”