NO PRINCIPAL IN 175 GU COLLEGES!
These are run by in-charge principals who do not have the power to make decisions on policy matters. While the colleges have sent requests to state education dept for fresh appointments, it is yet to issue NOCs
“As per the eligibility criteria, a principal has to have a PhD degree as well as 10 years of teaching experience. And that makes recruitment quite difficult,” said an academician. But the in-charge principal of a college said requesting anonymity, “Colleges have been seeking approval from the state education department to fill the vacancies for post of principals.
“The in-charge principal not only has to take lectures but also meet visitors, fill up applications requesting grants and attend to several other issues. Why should an in-charge principal trouble himself/herself by taking additional responsibility? But still, there are some in-charge principals who toil day and night, hoping that they will be appointed principals some day. If the government agrees to it, they can avail themselves of a host of benefits,” said a member of Gujarat University Affiliated College Principals Association.
Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi said, “We will request the state government to speed up the process of issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the colleges so that they can recruit full-time principals. BBA, BCA and BEd colleges face a lot of problems because they do not have full-time principals.”
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Saturday, November 12, 2011 (http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4262288374987173563#editor/target=post;postID=1062546356571867691)
The state government should talk about improving the quality of education only after it removes this roadblock. Of the 396 colleges affiliated to Gujarat University (GU), 175 do not have full-time principals. It is the in-charge principals who run the show in these colleges, reveals the newly published GU diary.
Since the power to make important decisions does not lie with them and neither are they allowed the benefits principals enjoy, development activities are put on the back burner.
Of the 86 BEd colleges, 72 do not have principals. Same is the case with 50 per cent of colleges that offer both arts and commerce courses. A total of 13 of the 53 commerce colleges and 13 of the 15 BBA colleges are also run by in-charge principals. Only 14 of the 27 medical and paramedical colleges have full-time principals.
“As per the eligibility criteria, a principal has to have a PhD degree as well as 10 years of teaching experience. And that makes recruitment quite difficult,” said an academician. But the in-charge principal of a college said requesting anonymity, “Colleges have been seeking approval from the state education department to fill the vacancies for post of principals.
But department has not responded yet. Last year, 10-15 per cent principals retired from grant-in-aid colleges. In the next two years, we will have many more vacancies to fill.” These are the same colleges that are grappling with faculty crunch. To add to their woes, now these don’t have principals, either.
A faculty member of a BBA college told Mirror, “No faculty member is keen on becoming an in-charge principal because then, the expenditure incurred is more than the income.
“The ones who agree to it, work very hard, hoping they will be promoted as principals. Firstly, they only get Rs 400-500 more than the salary offered to the faculty members. While the professors can go home after taking four lectures, the incharge principal has round-the-clock job.”“The in-charge principal not only has to take lectures but also meet visitors, fill up applications requesting grants and attend to several other issues. Why should an in-charge principal trouble himself/herself by taking additional responsibility? But still, there are some in-charge principals who toil day and night, hoping that they will be appointed principals some day. If the government agrees to it, they can avail themselves of a host of benefits,” said a member of Gujarat University Affiliated College Principals Association.
Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi said, “We will request the state government to speed up the process of issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the colleges so that they can recruit full-time principals. BBA, BCA and BEd colleges face a lot of problems because they do not have full-time principals.”
