THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Is the state government adopting double standards regarding staff fixation in state-run and aided colleges? The teachers of aided colleges say yes, and allege that the Higher Education Department is blatantly carrying out such a ‘discrimination’. The government has done away with the norm of considering one hour of workload in post-graduate classes as 1.5 hours. This had led to around 2,500 teachers in aided colleges becoming ‘excess’ staff. However, the PG workload of 1:1.5 has been retained in government colleges, it is alleged.
The Higher Education Department had come out with the revised order regarding the workload of aided college teachers earlier this week, with the objective of reducing the “huge financial burden” to the state. According to the government, a number of regular teaching posts have been created against a “lesser workload” of nine hours a week.
According to P N Harikumar, general secretary of the Left-affiliated All Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association (AKPCTA), the norm of considering one hour of PG class as 1.5 hours was followed for the appointment of 149 government teachers recently. Meanwhile, Higher Education Minster K T Jaleel dismissed allegations of such discrimination.
“The workload of 1:1.5 was applied as a temporary arrangement to protect teachers during the de-linking of the pre-degree course from colleges. The UGC norms do not specify such a workload,” Jaleel told TNIE. According to U N Abdul Khalam, general secretary of Congress-affiliated Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association, the state is deliberately misinterpreting UGC norms. “Th earlier UGC regulations did prescribe such a norm. The fact that subsequent regulations were silent on it does not mean it no longer exists,” he said. The associations affiliated to both LDF and UDF have decided to boycott exam duty and valuation camps to protest the alleged discrimination.
DOUBLE STANDARDS?
lGovt does away with 1:1.5 hours workload norm for PG classes
lRevised norm not applied when appointing govt teachers
lAided college teachers cry foul, cite discrimination
lMinister says UGC norms do not prescribe such workload