Withdraw order on deputing lecturers to other colleges: PU teachers

Bengaluru: The recent order by the Department of Pre University Education on deputing lecturers, who have less workload, to another college for three days in a week has met with opposition from both regular and guest faculties.

Guest lecturers fear losing their jobs, while regular faculties feel that this would lead to closure of government colleges. According to the lecturers, the department has calculated the student-teacher ratio unscientifically.

As per the order and instructions given to the principals, the department is calculating workload based on a 320:1 (student-teacher) ratio . “This is very unscientific. This ratio was fixed in 1995 when the number of colleges was less. Now, the number of colleges has increased and student strength has spread across the colleges,” pointed out a lecturer working with a government PU college in Bengaluru.

“What will they do in case of single-lecturer colleges where the strength is less than 100?” the lecturers questioned the department.

“There are colleges with student strength of less than 100, as per the department’s order lecturers working in those colleges will not have workload and will be shifted to another college. In such a case, what is the fate of those colleges?” asked another lecturer.

However, the guest lecturers are afraid of losing jobs. “As the department is deputing lecturers for three days to another college where there is workload, then it is understood that guest lecturers working in those colleges will lose jobs,” said Rajesh Bhat, secretary of Government PU Colleges Guest Lecturers’ Association.

The Association even demanded withdrawal of the order on deputation of lecturers based on workload. According to the association, at least 4,000 guest lecturers will lose jobs in this process.

Meanwhile, the director of the department held a meeting with the Karnataka State Pre University College Lecturers’ Association on this on Monday and tried to clarify. But the association representatives said they were not convinced. “The student-teacher ratio should be calculated as per the present number of colleges and enrollment. 40:1 is the ideal ratio and we demand the government to consider it,” said Ninge Gowda, president of the association.