Poor polytechnic faculty strength a risk for students
Govt Needs To Restructure Recruitment System To Restore Student-Teacher Balance
27.02.2019
Adarsh Jain
It is 6 pm on a Monday, and a class at a polytechnic in Tamil Nadu is nowhere near its end. With more than 2,000 students and 12 permanent faculty members, each teacher clocks nearly 12 hours a day. There are another 120 temporary staff members but only on a part-time basis.
This is the predicament of all the 46 government polytechnics across Tamil Nadu. Most institutions are handicapped when it comes to teaching resources, as they are functioning at an average of 20% of teacher strength. It has been nearly six years since a new teacher was appointed in a government polytechnic in the state. This, when the state needs at least 2,000 teachers to ensure smooth functioning of polytechnic institutions, a member of the directorate of technical education (DOTE) says.
In a manufacturing state like Tamil Nadu, which has sectors ranging from automobile to textiles, the crucial young workforce is being deprived of proper training due to government apathy.
The last effort to hire teachers through the state-run teacher recruitment board was made in 2017 for 1,058 vacancies. But when it came to light that 200 candidates had forged their results through agents, the entire recruitment process was scraped. Though the decision was challenged in the Madras high court, the case reached a deadlock since two contradictory judgments were passed. A senior official of the TRB said they are inquiring into the matter and will soon take a decision. The total number of permanent teachers has also dropped over the years as more of them retire.
Harried about faculty shortage, students in polyetchnic colleges say the standards of education have fallen. “Most of the classes are handled by temporary staff. There is no assurance that a teacher will turn up for the next class. In the absence of teachers, we are forced to consider peer-to-peer learning or depend on probable questions from previous years’ exams,” says a Chennai-based student.
Though polytechnics are considered the unglamorous, poorer cousins of engineering colleges, graduates of such institutions are more in demand than engineers in the manufacturing hub in the state. “Most parents force their children to take up engineering, as it has a better brand value, than polytechnic diploma. But in reality there are more job options for the latter,” says a principal of a government-aided polytechnic college. As there are more engineers than jobs, engineers are often seen choosing a different career after completing their degree. From automobile companies to real estate and textile sectors, skilled polytechnic graduates have a plethora of options. “Students with skill might also get opportunities to train abroad in countries like Germany,” says a professor, pointing out that worldwide the focused practical training of a polytechnic specialization is valued more than a engineering degree on a factory floor. Yet, the higher education department and the teacher recruitment board have not made efforts to maintain the standards of colleges.
Senior professors of government polytechnic colleges believe restructuring of the system towards achieving teacher-student balance is required. “After three decades, the government has done a restructuring and we feel this will initiate fresh faculty recruitment to meet the shortage. A step in that direction is awaited,” says principal of an institution.
When asked about the solution, a former senior official of the school education department says, “The state-operated TRB outsources a large volume of responsibilities. An independent recruitment body for higher education is needed to solve the issue,” said the officer. Another proposal suggests shortlisting candidates for assistant professors through Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission. “Universities or colleges can form a panel to choose the best suited candidates,” says an official. This system is followed by Andhra Pradesh. Both proposals have been tabled but not taken shape.
(The author is a freelancer)
Govt Needs To Restructure Recruitment System To Restore Student-Teacher Balance
27.02.2019
Adarsh Jain
It is 6 pm on a Monday, and a class at a polytechnic in Tamil Nadu is nowhere near its end. With more than 2,000 students and 12 permanent faculty members, each teacher clocks nearly 12 hours a day. There are another 120 temporary staff members but only on a part-time basis.
This is the predicament of all the 46 government polytechnics across Tamil Nadu. Most institutions are handicapped when it comes to teaching resources, as they are functioning at an average of 20% of teacher strength. It has been nearly six years since a new teacher was appointed in a government polytechnic in the state. This, when the state needs at least 2,000 teachers to ensure smooth functioning of polytechnic institutions, a member of the directorate of technical education (DOTE) says.
In a manufacturing state like Tamil Nadu, which has sectors ranging from automobile to textiles, the crucial young workforce is being deprived of proper training due to government apathy.
The last effort to hire teachers through the state-run teacher recruitment board was made in 2017 for 1,058 vacancies. But when it came to light that 200 candidates had forged their results through agents, the entire recruitment process was scraped. Though the decision was challenged in the Madras high court, the case reached a deadlock since two contradictory judgments were passed. A senior official of the TRB said they are inquiring into the matter and will soon take a decision. The total number of permanent teachers has also dropped over the years as more of them retire.
Harried about faculty shortage, students in polyetchnic colleges say the standards of education have fallen. “Most of the classes are handled by temporary staff. There is no assurance that a teacher will turn up for the next class. In the absence of teachers, we are forced to consider peer-to-peer learning or depend on probable questions from previous years’ exams,” says a Chennai-based student.
Though polytechnics are considered the unglamorous, poorer cousins of engineering colleges, graduates of such institutions are more in demand than engineers in the manufacturing hub in the state. “Most parents force their children to take up engineering, as it has a better brand value, than polytechnic diploma. But in reality there are more job options for the latter,” says a principal of a government-aided polytechnic college. As there are more engineers than jobs, engineers are often seen choosing a different career after completing their degree. From automobile companies to real estate and textile sectors, skilled polytechnic graduates have a plethora of options. “Students with skill might also get opportunities to train abroad in countries like Germany,” says a professor, pointing out that worldwide the focused practical training of a polytechnic specialization is valued more than a engineering degree on a factory floor. Yet, the higher education department and the teacher recruitment board have not made efforts to maintain the standards of colleges.
Senior professors of government polytechnic colleges believe restructuring of the system towards achieving teacher-student balance is required. “After three decades, the government has done a restructuring and we feel this will initiate fresh faculty recruitment to meet the shortage. A step in that direction is awaited,” says principal of an institution.
When asked about the solution, a former senior official of the school education department says, “The state-operated TRB outsources a large volume of responsibilities. An independent recruitment body for higher education is needed to solve the issue,” said the officer. Another proposal suggests shortlisting candidates for assistant professors through Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission. “Universities or colleges can form a panel to choose the best suited candidates,” says an official. This system is followed by Andhra Pradesh. Both proposals have been tabled but not taken shape.
(The author is a freelancer)
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