According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2016-17, the number of college teachers in Maharashtra has dropped by around 15,000 in the past one year while the student enrolment has been increased marginally.
WHAT SURVEY SUGGESTS:
–As per the survey by AISHE, the state now has one teacher for every 27 students as opposed to 24 students per teacher in 2015-16
–The national pupil teacher ratio (PTR) has also increased from 23 to 26 in the past one year
–The state had 1.66 lakh teachers at various positions such as professor, assistant professor, associate professor, tutor and temporary teacher
–During 2016-17, the enrolment in various higher education courses increased from 39.87 lakh to 40.6 lakh and there was nine per cent reduction for 1.51 lakh teachers
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DIP
1.According to academicians, the stagnant allocation for education by the central and the state governments are responsible for decreasing the number of teachers for students
- As per their statement, the state government is held responsible for freezing the recruitment of teachers resulting in the worsening of the pupil-teacher ratio, as the colleges and universities are unable to make fresh appointments in the place of retired teachers
- The grants allotted to colleges have been reduced. Many schemes run by University Grants Commission (UGC) have been stopped.
- The government wants quality, but won’t allocate money for it,” Rohni Sivabalan, President, Bombay University and College Teachers’ Union (BUCTU) told Hindustan Times.
FREEZING RECRUITMENT OF TEACHERS
The state in 2015 put a freeze on creating new posts and filling existing posts in order to bring financial stability to the state by curbing the expenditure on the government employees. According to another government resolution issued in May last year, the allotment freeze will continue for respective departments until they take a stock of their existing posts and finalize a new administrative framework for the department.
