The Hindu : Karnataka News : Cut in grant-in-aid opposed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 28, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Cut in grant-in-aid opposed

By Our Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE, JUNE 27. College teachers, at an annual convention of the Association of Mangalore University College Teachers (AMUCT) here on Sunday, expressed concern over the State Government's proposal to cut grant-in-aid for higher education. The Education sector would be affected if the Government went ahead with the proposal, they said.

The general secretary of the Federation of University and College Teachers' Associations in Karnataka, A.M. Narahari, said that any cut in the grant-in-aid would affect the quality of higher education. If the proposal was implemented, it would come in the way of many poor students' who wish to pursue higher education.

He said that the collegiate education in the State was facing a crisis. Political, bureaucratic and social systems were attempting to play down the role of college teachers, he alleged. "They are trying to put us down.'' An attempt was being made to demoralise college teachers, he said.

Prof. Narahari said that college teachers were not getting their salaries on time. They were not sure whether they could get their salaries promptly in future.

He said that a UNESCO declaration stated that after secondary education, governments had to fund higher (collegiate) education. A World Bank document stressed on public funded education system. But the World Trade Organisation Agreement, Prof. Narahari said, had taken away the concept of government funding of higher education. Provisions in the WTO Agreement had affected the education sector, he said.

Prof. Narahari expressed concern over the reported statement of the Union Human Resource Development Minister, Arjun Singh, that even primary education could be opened up for foreign investment.

In the State, he said that "economic philosophy" had overtaken teachers, on account of which some have started referring to teachers as "facilitators." Teachers and students had been separated by the introduction of distance education. He said that 75 per cent of the college students in the State were pursuing general education.

Prof. Narahari opposed the concept of grading colleges by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) of the University Grants Commission. In some cases "subjective elements" in the NAAC decided the status of colleges.The principal of St. Agnes College, Carmel Rita, said that teachers should contribute for the emotional, intellectual and behavioural growth of students. The president of AMUCT, G. N. Bhat and its general secretary, Hayavadana Upadhya, spoke.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka