JOIN USTeachers coerced to clear 4-yr graduation
The news of Delhi University administration trying to negotiate with the teachers’ body over increasing the tenure of graduation from three to four years from 2013 is being circulated in the teaching community.
In wake of opposition from the teacher’s body the administration is offering a ‘trade-off’ to the dissenting teachers.
The administration has suggested that the proposal of biometric attendance system for teachers will be scrapped and the teachers will continue to sign the attendance registers provided they allow the varsity to implement the proposal of four-year-graduation.
“There has been news of such talks going around. The biometric attendance system is like a punishment for teachers as was the semester system for resisting the so called academic reforms,” said Abha Dev Habib, professor of physics in Miranda House and DUTA member.
Proposal opposed
In 2009, discussions on biometric attendance system started and were opposed in the executive council of the university. A suggestion to set up a committee to bring out ways to look into the accountability of teachers was supposed to be formed.
“The committee was never formed. And we recently found out from the media that DU has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) without us being aware of it. DU argued in the PIL that the system should be implemented to check the accountability of teachers,” said a faculty member from Hindu College.
The PIL further stated that the teachers are only spending three hours in college while the University Grants Commission has directed to spend at least five hours a day.
Thus to keep a tab on teachers spending the said amount of time in the college, such a system is necessary. The teachers have been opposing the biometric attendance system calling it restrictive.
“We don’t have a 9-5 pm job. We take classes, go to the library, research, correct papers, go home and make notes for the next day’s classes. All the extra time we are contributing is not put in our teaching hours. We have seminars, workshops, so how can one expect that the teacher will come all the way back to the college in the evening to mark attendance,” said Habib.
“When we are taking attendance of the students, we are giving our attendance record too. If teachers are not taking classes, then students should protest. Calling every teacher corrupt is not the solution,” she added.
The vice chancellor Dinesh Singh has recently announced implementing four-year-graduation from next academic session.
All in haste
“It is already September end and there is no blue print, no discussions, no idea about the course structure and other mechanisms. No formal circular or notification has been sent to anyone.
One fine day, an emergency meeting will be called by the vice chancellor and this proposal will be passed in the Academic and Executive council by mere pressure
tactics. There is no room for dissent in this university anymore, it seems,” said a History
professor of Kirori Mal College.
A senior DU official said discussions are on with various stake holders for the implementation of four year graduation.