Private college staff in a quandary

THE EMPLOYEES of Karnataka's private aided colleges are on the mat. A clean punch in the form of a 15 per cent cut in Governmental grant to the aided colleges had done the trick. It is an irony that the State which was in the forefront in implementing the UGC scales for the teachers a couple of years ago has now resorted to a retrograde step. The confusion generated had virtually driven a majority of private college staff into penury, because of the non-release of their monthly salaries.

Being a teacher, my views regarding the issue is concentrated more on the causes/effects of the move on the teaching community. When the UGC scales were implemented in the State, college teachers were an envied lot. The scenario now is different, whatever monetary benefits the UGC scales had provided is totally wiped out. The Government says that the salaries are not reduced, instead, it is the grant-in-aid to the managements which is reduced and the managements will have to bear the 15 per cent reduction. It is another matter that the entire grant-in-aid provided to colleges are for meeting the salary bills. According to the Government, it is now the responsibility of the management to raise the required funds from all possible sources. What then are the sources? How many colleges are in a position to raise such large amounts every year?

Two disturbing questions arise. Let us seek answers for the first query. The immediate source no doubt will be a hike in tuition fee. But by how much? According to Dr. H. Narasimhaiah, former Vice Chancellor of Bangalore University and President of Bangalore University Private Colleges Managements' Association, each student has to be charged an annual tuition fee of something between Rs. 5,000 - 6,000, if the cut has to be compensated. In a society where education has to be one's birth right, students cannot be taxed to this extent. Any increase in tuition fee beyond a level is sure to invite protests from the students and parents - a justifiable reaction. The other source is heavy capitation fee from the students at the time of admission - a highly objectionable move. For arguments sake, let us imagine that these sources can be tapped. But, for this to succeed there must be sufficient number of students in colleges from whom money can be gathered. Proliferation in the number of professional colleges over the past few years has created a scarcity for students in almost all the degree courses. This necessitates taxing of pre-university students more heavily. Once PUC is removed from composite colleges - a move already in the offing - this source also dries up. The next alternative left for the colleges is to start new courses in tune with the ongoing IT craze. But how many colleges have the infrastructure and the capital to undertake such a venture? Even if such courses are started, barring very few city-based colleges, the rest will not be able to succeed and this is what experience tells us. The manner in which computer courses at the degree level are conducted by many colleges which ventured into diversification, is found wanting and suffers from plenty of shortfalls - paucity of qualified teachers, obsolete computers which are insufficient number wise also, nonavailability of proper reference books and absence of internet facility.

Coming to the second question raised earlier - even without an iota of doubt, it can be surmised that 99 per cent of the colleges of the State are not in a position to bear the financial burden thrown at them by the IT savvy administration. The reality which cannot be overlooked at this juncture is that the majority of private colleges are in the rural areas of Karnataka where money is not an easy commodity to be raised.

The ambiguity in the arbitrary order passed by the Government has left the private college staff in a quandary. What then is the way out? - direct action? But it is easier said than done. Many doubts crop up in front of the college teachers before resorting to this course of action. The primary one is - will protests succeed? We have witnessed in the recent years many well organised protests by salary earners and wage earners getting crushed or allowed to fizzle out by adopting `ignore them' strategy. Next doubt - do we have the strength and organisational capabilities to go on a strike? Number wise college teachers are an insignificant group of 8116 in the larger populace of the State. Yet another doubt is - whether a college teachers' strike will be supported by the general public? The exclusive lifestyle of the college teachers detached from issues of society, it has to be noted, has isolated them from society in which they live and hence any expectation of public support/sympathy is mere wishful thinking. Inspite of so many odds, private college teachers are forced to strike work and the success depends upon how well these odds are tackled.

Not long ago, teachers were a respected lot. They were looked upon as reservoirs of knowledge and harbingers of change. But now the whole scenario has changed and all of a sudden they have fallen from the high pedestal on which society had placed them to mere voice workers. Why did this happen? Unethical practices by some of the gullible members within the teaching community is responsible for the current plight. Further, consumerism and greed for quick money reduced many teachers to private tutors, real estate agents, stock brokers, water prospectors and money lenders. Instances are numerous where teachers involve in examination malpractice and mark scandals. No doubt there are a good number of teachers who are sincere and responsible but their apathy and silence towards the misdeeds of their colleagues who are a minority cannot absolve them (the sincere) from guilt.

Now, coming back to the government decision - at the outset it has to be condemned. An archaic design like this is certain to kill the regular colleges and the higher education they offer. It is interesting to note that the decision was taken in April 2000 and till December 2000 the treasuries were releasing the salaries in full. Further, the government is yet to intimate the managements of the institutions about the cut. However, private college managements, through their association had made it clear that they will not be able to compensate the cut if the government goes ahead with its education.

Now it is the turn of the government to act if the higher education scene of the State is to be saved from complete collapse. To begin with, the government must balance its priorities between normal colleges and professional colleges in a judicious manner. Its open bias towards risk-free, high-return, money-spinning engineering colleges is not forward looking. The cut imposed on grant-in-aid has to be withdrawn, if not, the law framers must say that the salary of private college teachers are only that figure which is 85 per cent of what they are drawing now.

A clear cut decision on these lines from the government will ensure that the salaries will not be held up indefinitely as is happening now. This will save the majority of the teachers from many an embarrassing situation like default in repayment of housing loans, payment of insurance premia and income tax. This will also save us from the drudgery of idling inside the college campuses for seven hours without any facility to pursue academic work. Let us gracefully resign to the fact that private college teachers who are equal to their counterparts on all counts are a discriminated group. Perhaps law may come to our aid if the legality of the order is contested in court.

VINOD KUMAR C.P.

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