CHENNAI: Engineering colleges have turned into call centres this time of the year, and faculty members have become sales executives. With the demand for engineering admissions dwindling, and lockdown adding to the pain, some colleges in the State have asked their faculty members to start canvassing activities.
This, at a time when several Class-XII students have not even written their board exams. Admissions have been delayed this year due to the lockdown, and colleges are unlikely to reopen till August or September. The confusion has not stopped engineering colleges from going ahead with the admission process. Some have been promising enrolment for students based on their quarterly and half-yearly results.
A teacher working with an engineering college in Chennai says the management has been forcing the faculty living in other districts to come back to help with the admission processes. “The employees are being asked to bear the expense of their travel in private cabs, despite the fact that the management has not paid complete salaries.”
“My colleagues staying 250 km away from Chennai were forced to come back by a private cab. He had to shell out Rs 8,000 from his pocket. Another 10-15 teachers have returned from Madurai and other parts of the State by cars.”
How do they work?
An associate professor with an engineering college in Tiruvallur, says his college has ‘bought’ the data of Class-XII students from government officials and local schools. Teachers have been given excel sheets with names and contact details of students, and have been asked to call and secure admissions.
“We are given a list every day, and our job is to identify prospective candidates and fill up the seats,” says the associate professor. A former faculty member working with a college in Karur says his colleagues had to go door to door, selling seats. “I resigned due to the pressure to participate in admission works. Also, the salaries were not paid on time.”
“This year, the teachers have had to go door to door in their own vehicles, as the college did not want to get into trouble if caught.” Utilising the lockdown period, big educational institutions have spent several lakhs on advertisements. Speaking to Express, KM Karthik, president of the All India Private Engineering College Employees Union says, the business is ‘dull’ for engineering colleges in the State.
“This has resulted in large-scale bogus advertising in the media, luring parents. Faculty in rural engineering colleges located in districts are being sent out to find prospective students as part of their job. The All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) norms clearly state that the criteria for admissions for engineering is 10+2. However, it is being violated.”