Engineering teachers fear layoffs, move SC over faculty-student ratio revision
HYDERABAD: Fearing layoffs by college managements, teachers of affiliated engineering colleges in Telangana have moved the Supreme Courtagainst the All India Council of Technical Education’s (AICTE) move to reduce the faculty-student ratio from 1:15 to 1:20 in the ensuing academic year.
According to AICTE officials, the faculty-student ratio was relaxed following a long pending demand from the technical institutes.
The move drew flak from teachers not only from Telangana but also other states such as Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.
“Teachers from the three states have together moved court against the AICTE’s decision as it will lead to lay-offs in several professional colleges offering courses such as engineering and pharmacy. In Telangana alone, nearly 5,000-6,000 teachers fear losing their job due to the revised norm,” said Ramakrishna Reddy, president of the Telangana Affiliated Engineering Colleges Teachers Association, which is one among the key petitioners in the case. The case is slated to be heard on March 9.
Teachers argue that the council’s decision is arbitrary and is being implemented to reduce the financial burden on colleges without considering its impact on the quality of education. Teachers are hopeful of securing a stay, through their writ petition, on the decision, and feel eventual withdrawal of the new faculty-student ratio by AICTE. “The colleges intend to reduce the faculty-student ratio to save the amount being spent on teachers’ salaries. They intend to utilise the amount to improve the infrastructure through which they can jack up the fee structure. In such cases, teachers working on contract basis are most vulnerable to lay-offs,” said Reddy.
Teachers argue that quality infrastructure, high fee and lack of teachers will eventually gather resistance from the students community. An online petition has also been floated by the All India Private Colleges Employees Union seeking withdrawal of the AICTE norm. “Because of this new ratio, lakhs of students will face the consequences of staff deprivation, during their academic year. On the other hand, existing staff may be threatened to work for lesser salary, to avoid being removed just like their peers who are fired because of the change in faculty-cadre ratio,” said K M Karthik, founder of AIPCEU. The online petition has already gathered 13,027 signatures.
According to AICTE officials, the faculty-student ratio was relaxed following a long pending demand from the technical institutes.
The move drew flak from teachers not only from Telangana but also other states such as Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.
“Teachers from the three states have together moved court against the AICTE’s decision as it will lead to lay-offs in several professional colleges offering courses such as engineering and pharmacy. In Telangana alone, nearly 5,000-6,000 teachers fear losing their job due to the revised norm,” said Ramakrishna Reddy, president of the Telangana Affiliated Engineering Colleges Teachers Association, which is one among the key petitioners in the case. The case is slated to be heard on March 9.
Teachers argue that the council’s decision is arbitrary and is being implemented to reduce the financial burden on colleges without considering its impact on the quality of education. Teachers are hopeful of securing a stay, through their writ petition, on the decision, and feel eventual withdrawal of the new faculty-student ratio by AICTE. “The colleges intend to reduce the faculty-student ratio to save the amount being spent on teachers’ salaries. They intend to utilise the amount to improve the infrastructure through which they can jack up the fee structure. In such cases, teachers working on contract basis are most vulnerable to lay-offs,” said Reddy.
Teachers argue that quality infrastructure, high fee and lack of teachers will eventually gather resistance from the students community. An online petition has also been floated by the All India Private Colleges Employees Union seeking withdrawal of the AICTE norm. “Because of this new ratio, lakhs of students will face the consequences of staff deprivation, during their academic year. On the other hand, existing staff may be threatened to work for lesser salary, to avoid being removed just like their peers who are fired because of the change in faculty-cadre ratio,” said K M Karthik, founder of AIPCEU. The online petition has already gathered 13,027 signatures.
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