ARIYALUR: Even as the world celebrated Environment Day on Thursday (June 5) with calls to protect nature and raise awareness, Environmental Science students of the Government Arts and Science College in Ariyalur rued the lack of permanent faculty or basic amenities, even though the subject is gaining more importance than before.
The college, which has been functioning in Ariyalur town for more than 50 years, introduced the Environmental Science course over two decades ago. But since 2008, there has been no permanent appointments in the department.
The Environmental Science course was started at the college in 1998 under UGC norms. Today, more than 150 students are studying in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. However, out of the 12 sanctioned teaching posts, not even one is filled by a permanent staff member. Only two guest lecturers and two appointed by Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) lecturers are handling the classes. There is not even a head for the department. The HoD of another department is holding additional charge.
Due to the staffing crisis, students say they do not get regular classes. Instead, they are given only notes to study and prepare for exams. Practical classes are almost never held. Important lab equipment like the EC meter and spectrophotometer are not used, as there are no qualified staff to guide students.
Despite filing several petitions to the college administration and higher education department authorities, students said no permanent appointments have been made. The students are dependent on guest lecturers, some of whom are alumnus of the college. Guest lecturers appointed by the college are given a consolidated salary of Rs 25,000 while those recruited by the PTA are given Rs 5,000.
A guest lecturer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, " There have been no industrial visits or field trips for several years. Students are not interested in the subject because there are no proper classes. We are doing our best, but without permanent staff, we have no power to ask for lab materials or conduct fieldwork. If there were regular teachers, they could plan better lessons, take students on visits, and give them real experience. Environmental Science needs more than just notes. It needs hands-on learning."
A final year student said "We chose BSc Environmental Science to learn how to protect nature, but there are no regular classes or lab sessions. It feels like no one cares about us." A senior college official admitted the problems. "Yes, we know there are no regular staff in the department. We have informed the government and requested them to fill the vacancies. We will look into the issue seriously."
When contacted, Minister for Higher Education Govi. Chezhiyan told TNIE, "We are going to recruit guest lecturers for all departments and address the issue temporarily. Later, we will appoint 2,500 permanent staff across various departments in the state. In the first phase, seven to eight vacancies will be filled in the Environmental department in Ariyalur."