Date:23/01/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/01/23/stories/2006012318990400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Policy sought for teacher recruitment

Staff Reporter

Workshop for college principals begins

BANGALORE: The Chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC), V.N. Rajashekharan Pillai, on Sunday advocated the need for a national policy for teacher recruitment in view of the drastic reduction in recruitment in higher education.

He was speaking after inaugurating a four-day national workshop for college principals on "Dynamics of leading the institution" organised by the UGC-Academic Staff College of Bangalore University here.

Stating that the university and collegiate education system in the country was the most productive sector among all other sectors of higher education, Dr. Pillai regretted that the sector has failed to create a brand equity just as the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), the Indian Institute of Managements (IIMs), the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) for engineering, management, medicine and law, respectively.

"The average age of teachers in universities and collegiate education sector in the country is 50 whereas the ideal situation would have been 40," Dr. Pillai said. He pointed out that the ban on recruitment in higher and collegiate education being enforced by many State Governments has prevented many a youngster from joining the teaching profession. Apart from the ban on recruitment, lack of attractive salary and absence of academic and professional mobility in higher education have been dissuading youngsters to opt for teaching, he added.

Qualification framework

To offer flexibility and mobility in higher education, the UGC was thinking of introducing a national qualification framework, Dr. Pillai said. Under the proposed framework, different qualifications being possessed by a person would be quantified and he would be offered one basic degree, making him eligible to pursue higher education of his choice, he said.

The four-day workshop would concentrate on the challenges of attaining autonomous status; new wave of administrative reforms; recent trends in educational technology; coordination with other stake-holders in the institution; and impact of accreditation and assessment.

The UGC-ASC Director P. Sivagnana Murthy and the Registrar of Bangalore University R.M.N. Sahai were present. Vice-Chancellor M.S. Thimmappa presided.