BENGALURU: Around 1,200 part-time lecturers in 85 government polytechnics (GPT) and 15 government engineering colleges (GEC) fear for their jobs as the syllabus and number of hours of teaching has been reduced, as opposed to 40 hours of teaching per week mandated by AICTE.
The Karnataka GPT and GEC Part-time Lecturers’ Association has sought the government’s intervention for speedy approvals from the finance department in matters related to part-time lecturers. Association president Prashantha M said that Uttar Pradesh has more than 40 hours a week of teaching and Andra Pradesh 42 hours. But Karnataka has reduced it to 32 and 26 hours. This will reduce the number of faculty required from 1,200 to less than 600, while the present approved posts are 826.
The Department of Technical Education has knocked off physics and chemistry from the syllabus, causing job losses to 350 part-time lecturers in GPTs and GECs, he added. In districts, it is difficult to shift jobs and one cannot move to Bengaluru for a job as opportunities are scarce after Covid. Most lecturers are engineering professionals and depend on teaching as their source of income, he said.
Salary pending, syllabus compromised
“Salary stops time to time,” said another lecturer from a GPT in Chikkamagaluru. She said that after the association was formed, two years’ salary was given at one shot in November 2020. But salaries for online classes were not given in November and December.
Another part-time lecturer from Dakshina Kannada, said, “The second and fourth semesters I teach take four months per semester. But now we have been asked to complete it in one-and-a-half months and wrap up by October 11. We are paid just that much.”
Commissioner of Department of Collegiate Education Pradeep P said that science is still being taught but with some parts modified. He dismissed accusations that the number of posts approved and teaching hours have been reduced.