The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Colleges banking on temporary lecturers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 19, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Colleges banking on temporary lecturers

Staff Reporter

It is better to work as a part-timer because then we do not have to stay back in the college after our teaching hours. It is beneficial even for the colleges, as the salary we get is also low, says a part-time teacher

BANGALORE: With the State Government in no mood to fill up the teaching post vacancies in pre-university and general degree colleges, the institutions have found temporary lecturers a safe bet to keep their courses going.

At a reputed city college, part time lecturers are recruited as per requirements and workload. "Students suffer if a teacher has to teach with more than a hundred and fifty students in the class. Under such situations, we take in an additional part-time teacher and divide the class for the benefit of the students," explained a college official.

Low salaries

Part-time lecturers are paid a little more than Rs. 2,000 per month, a far cry from the payment for permanent lecturers, who earn about Rs. 6,000 per month plus increments.

A senior lecturer takes home no less than Rs. 10,000 per month.

A reputed city college, which was recently given autonomous status, has 80 temporary teachers out of a staff of 190.

A teacher from this college explained: "This could be due to the fact that temporary teachers draw lower salaries. However, permanent teachers have an upper hand because they are available throughout the day. So, students can approach them easily if they have to clarify doubts." Sometimes the managements accept part-time teachers as "permanent" after a few years of service.

Lack of enthusiasm

According to the Registrar of a Christian missionary college, temporary teachers will not have as much enthusiasm and dedication as permanent teachers. His college has six part-time teachers and 12 temporary teachers, as the posts for aided teachers were not filled by the Government.

A degree college in Rajajinagar had three part-time teachers last year.

They were paid on the basis of the number of hours of work.

Compulsions

With meagre salaries, temporary teachers probably have to work in two or three colleges to eke out a decent living.

Here's what a part-time lecturer of Sanskrit has to say about his profession, which requires him to work for four colleges: "It is better to work as a part-timer because then we do not have to stay back in the college after our teaching hours. It is beneficial even for the colleges, as the salary we get is also low. One can only expect work satisfaction while working a part time teacher."

Another part time teacher, Deepa, works in a college and an airline institute. She juggles both these jobs by attending one in the morning hours and the other in the evening. She said:

Work pressure

"Permanent teachers are under more work pressure. Part-time teachers are beneficial as the institute they work for does not have to provide them with regular pay or time slots. We can be called when required. It is easier being a part-time teacher, as you do not have to commit yourself for the entire year."

But what distinguishes a temporary teacher from a permanent one is the fact that a permanent lecturer would have appeared and cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET), as prescribed by the University Grants Commission.

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Karnataka