Govt. Arts and Science colleges starting more courses look for yearly increase of faculty strength

Government colleges of arts and science in the Western region, as elsewhere in the State, that have applied for start of new courses from the 202425 session are apparently looking for augmentation of faculty on a yearly basis.

The Higher Education Department, it is learnt, has been sanctioning 17 teaching posts for the newlystarted colleges at the time of launch, in recent years, for offering five UG programmes.

Appointment

The difficulty for the colleges arise from the second year onwards when the strength of students get doubled necessitating the appointment of more faculty.

Due to the delay in appointment of faculty, the colleges, in general, have been pushed into a situation of hiring teachers with financial support mobilised from the parentteacher organisations.

According to a government college head, though the Directorate of Collegiate Education has been sanctioned ₹ 3,883.18 crore, out of the allocation of ₹6,966.76 crore for higher education in the 2024 Budget, the bulk of the expenditure is incurred towards tuition fee waiver for both UG and PG students in government and governmentaided colleges, augmentation of infrastructure, and free bus passes.

For instance, 1,34,194 students had benefitted from the free bus passes during 202223, according to official data.

While start of new government arts and science colleges in rural parts for keeping up the gross enrolment ratio in higher education is appreciable, the inadequacy of teachers inevitably disrupts the teachinglearning momentum, a principal of a government arts and science college in a rural part in the Western region said.

Maintaining records

In most cases, despite the situation of faculty shortage, the teachers, mostly guest lecturers, in the government arts and science colleges are saddled with the additional task of maintaining the records of students availing the utility of the Pudhumai Penn scheme, which entitles the female students who had studied in Tamil Medium in government schools from levels VI to ◣II to ₹ 1,000 per month.

From the 202425 session, the timemanagement for the teachers is set to get tougher when the same benefit will be extended to the male students as well.