By Express News Service
BENGALURU: G T Devegowda, who took over as Karnataka Higher Education Minister last week, had his first National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting with college lecturers and principals on Sunday. The meeting discussed acute shortage of college teachers in the state’s colleges.
“There has been no recruitment of higher education faculty members for several years. There is a shortage of NET (National Eligibility Test) qualified teachers. Only 5 per cent of teachers have this qualification in colleges and universities at present,” Dr N B Sangapur, president of FUCTAK, said at the NEC meeting held at Maharani Science College in the city.
The meeting addressed the shortage of principals, professors and supporting staff in government colleges and universities. Government colleges are facing several issues regarding the appointment of teachers because of differences between the teachers’ organisations and the state government.
The organisations have given a proposal regarding the allotment of qualified teachers to the higher education ministry.
Gowda, who is still familiarising himself with the portfolio which he had initially rejected, told the committee: “We are working on improving job opportunities and skill development for youths. Only when we get the count of graduates and postgraduates can we find a solution to their problems. We are also working on fulfilling basic amenities for students such as proper toilets, canteens and labs.”
N Manjula, Commissioner of Collegiate Education, said, “The gross enrolment of higher education faculty members in India is less at 25 per cent when compares to the global figure of 48 per cent. We have now introduced tele-education where we can address larger audiences sitting at a studio. So we assure that students will receive quality education and the faculty members will get enough facilities to teach.”
The NEC was organised by Karnataka Government College Teachers Association (KGCTA) in association with Federation of University and College Teachers Association In Karnataka (FUKTAK) and Association of Bangalore Central University College Teachers (ABCUCT).
