TEACHER HERE, STUDENT THERE
Violating AICTE norms, many self-financed colleges hire degree course teachers who are still studying for master’s; this affects quality of education
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, April 25, 2013 http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2013042520130425023815109793f38e2/TEACHER-HERE-STUDENT-THERE.html
When Gujarat Technological University officials slapped a fine of Rs 35 lakh on a diploma engineering college a couple of days back, it was found to be just one of the many colleges which employed teachers who curiously are students in colleges in Jaipur. According to officials at GTU, 24 of the 35 teachers who were teaching diploma courses at that college in Rajkot were still pursuing ME. These teachers were disqualified and college was slapped with a fine of Rs 1 lakh per unerqualified teacher. Incidentally, a few colleges in Gujarat too violate the norms and allow such students to pursue ME without having to attend classes regularly.
Senior academicians say around 40 per cent of teachers in self-financed engineering colleges do not qualify to teach there as they are also studying for Master of Engineering at some other university. The two are full-time independent courses and cannot be simultaneously pursued by a student. Authorities cite different reasons for this anomaly. For a long time there has been a shortage of teachers in professional courses like engineering (degree and diploma), MBA, MCA and pharmacy. More than 40 per cent seats in self-financed colleges have effectively remained vacant. On the other hand, the government has been putting pressure on them to address the faculty crunch.
This and the pressure from parents have pushed them to hire underqualified teachers which, in turn, hamper the quality of education. To cite an example, a person who teaches at BE level, must have an ME or MTech (with first class and should have been a regular student). Similarly for teaching at engineering (diploma) level, he/she should be BE (with first class). But due to shortage of teachers, this criterion is often not met. Besides, there was a massive drive by education department recently to recruit teachers in government colleges. Many qualified teachers were lured by government offer and took up the job. This accentuated problem for self-financed colleges.
AICTE AWARE OF SHORTAGE
AICTE is aware of this shortage and has increased seats in ME programmes to augment supply of BE teachers. Said L D College of Engineering Principal M N Patel, “To my knowledge, 40-45% teachers in self-financed colleges are not qualified. The crux of the problem is many of them are teaching at BE level while pursuing ME course from different universities. This is completely wrong as teaching BE is full-time job and so is pursuing ME. Many varsities in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh promote such practices. These teachers do their ME from these states.” GTU Registrar Getesh Joshi admitted that such practices were rampant. He said, “We have come across several such cases when self-financed colleges come for endorsement. We don’t give them endorsement. Also, such colleges and institutes are instructed to take action against such faculty members.”
GUJARAT COLLEGES, TOO, GUILTY
He pointed out the example of the diploma college in Rajkot where 24 out of 35 teachers were teaching diploma and pursuing ME. These teachers were disqualified and the college was slapped with a fine of Rs 1 lakh per unqualified teacher. Some colleges in Gujarat are also illegally allowing such students to pursue ME without attending classes regularly, he said. Vice Chancellor Akshai Aggarwal said, “Yes such faculty members have come to our notice. This is a wrong practice. In colleges where ME is pursued genuinely, attendance is very regular and no one can take an off day so easily.“ Federation of SFI Technical Institutes of Gujarat is also aware of the problem.
“In Rajasthan, some institutes allow them ME. ME should be pursued regularly and not passed privately or through distance education,” federation Chairman L Patel said. Explaining the reason for the lapse, Janak Khandwala, president of Association of AICTE Approved Professional Institutes, said that there was a big gap between demand and supply of teachers. He put the percentage of underqualified teachers at around 50. “In about 80% colleges, teachers have bachelor’s degree in engineering and only 20 per cent have ME degree. Some institutes in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh provide master’s degree without checking attendance. This will lead to deteriorating in quality of education,“ he added.
Dr Aggarwal said that colleges also hire such teachers to save on wage bill. If they (the college authorities) show the teachers as qualified, they will have to get endorsement from GTU and once they get the endorsement they are supposed to pay these teachers as per the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations. To avoid this situation, colleges are managing with teachers who are underqualified as per AICTE norms, he pointed out. “This is a situation which we do not expect to change overnight. Though, we have been cracking down on such colleges and fining them,” he added.
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, April 25, 2013 http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2013042520130425023815109793f38e2/TEACHER-HERE-STUDENT-THERE.html
When Gujarat Technological University officials slapped a fine of Rs 35 lakh on a diploma engineering college a couple of days back, it was found to be just one of the many colleges which employed teachers who curiously are students in colleges in Jaipur. According to officials at GTU, 24 of the 35 teachers who were teaching diploma courses at that college in Rajkot were still pursuing ME. These teachers were disqualified and college was slapped with a fine of Rs 1 lakh per unerqualified teacher. Incidentally, a few colleges in Gujarat too violate the norms and allow such students to pursue ME without having to attend classes regularly.
Senior academicians say around 40 per cent of teachers in self-financed engineering colleges do not qualify to teach there as they are also studying for Master of Engineering at some other university. The two are full-time independent courses and cannot be simultaneously pursued by a student. Authorities cite different reasons for this anomaly. For a long time there has been a shortage of teachers in professional courses like engineering (degree and diploma), MBA, MCA and pharmacy. More than 40 per cent seats in self-financed colleges have effectively remained vacant. On the other hand, the government has been putting pressure on them to address the faculty crunch.
This and the pressure from parents have pushed them to hire underqualified teachers which, in turn, hamper the quality of education. To cite an example, a person who teaches at BE level, must have an ME or MTech (with first class and should have been a regular student). Similarly for teaching at engineering (diploma) level, he/she should be BE (with first class). But due to shortage of teachers, this criterion is often not met. Besides, there was a massive drive by education department recently to recruit teachers in government colleges. Many qualified teachers were lured by government offer and took up the job. This accentuated problem for self-financed colleges.
AICTE AWARE OF SHORTAGE
AICTE is aware of this shortage and has increased seats in ME programmes to augment supply of BE teachers. Said L D College of Engineering Principal M N Patel, “To my knowledge, 40-45% teachers in self-financed colleges are not qualified. The crux of the problem is many of them are teaching at BE level while pursuing ME course from different universities. This is completely wrong as teaching BE is full-time job and so is pursuing ME. Many varsities in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh promote such practices. These teachers do their ME from these states.” GTU Registrar Getesh Joshi admitted that such practices were rampant. He said, “We have come across several such cases when self-financed colleges come for endorsement. We don’t give them endorsement. Also, such colleges and institutes are instructed to take action against such faculty members.”
GUJARAT COLLEGES, TOO, GUILTY
He pointed out the example of the diploma college in Rajkot where 24 out of 35 teachers were teaching diploma and pursuing ME. These teachers were disqualified and the college was slapped with a fine of Rs 1 lakh per unqualified teacher. Some colleges in Gujarat are also illegally allowing such students to pursue ME without attending classes regularly, he said. Vice Chancellor Akshai Aggarwal said, “Yes such faculty members have come to our notice. This is a wrong practice. In colleges where ME is pursued genuinely, attendance is very regular and no one can take an off day so easily.“ Federation of SFI Technical Institutes of Gujarat is also aware of the problem.
“In Rajasthan, some institutes allow them ME. ME should be pursued regularly and not passed privately or through distance education,” federation Chairman L Patel said. Explaining the reason for the lapse, Janak Khandwala, president of Association of AICTE Approved Professional Institutes, said that there was a big gap between demand and supply of teachers. He put the percentage of underqualified teachers at around 50. “In about 80% colleges, teachers have bachelor’s degree in engineering and only 20 per cent have ME degree. Some institutes in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh provide master’s degree without checking attendance. This will lead to deteriorating in quality of education,“ he added.
Dr Aggarwal said that colleges also hire such teachers to save on wage bill. If they (the college authorities) show the teachers as qualified, they will have to get endorsement from GTU and once they get the endorsement they are supposed to pay these teachers as per the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations. To avoid this situation, colleges are managing with teachers who are underqualified as per AICTE norms, he pointed out. “This is a situation which we do not expect to change overnight. Though, we have been cracking down on such colleges and fining them,” he added.
