A good year for placement adversely affects admission to postgraduate courses — irrespective of specialisation. Not only had fewer candidates registered for the postgraduate common entrance exam but even the number of absentees was higher.
The data provided by TANCET shows 16.86 per cent absentees this year as against 10.05 per cent last year. There were more absentees for MCA. Of the 6,328 candidates who had registered, only 5,469 appeared for the exams.
Last year, only 540 students who had registered for the test did not take it.
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Teachers say higher degree is an option when the job market is dull.
“Ten years ago there was heavy demand for teachers with more colleges being opened. But that market is now saturated,” says V. Balusami, a professor of engineering with PSG College of Technology and a member of the Association of University Teachers.
Although pursuing PG reflects a desire for specialisation, a candidate with PG often finds it difficult to get a well-paying job. Even in premier institutions such as the IIT, PG candidates have fewer options.
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A culture that is missing and a possible remedy, according to Mr. Balusami, is to bring in industry executives to academic institutions to teach.
Teachers are often mere academicians without the ability to address the industry’s needs. In return, teachers could be offered sabbatical to work in the research and development wing of a industry, academics say. Interest in pursuing PG has fallen because colleges had reduced their student intake for some UG courses by half. This has resulted in a 20 per cent fall in the demand for teachers, says Anna University Dean P. Narayanasamy.
On the issue of quality, he says: “For all teachers of the university, its department and affiliated colleges, we provide continuous training programmes in all disciplines.
“In fact, we have a department for faculty development and it is mandatory that teachers participate in a two-week programme as part of their training every year,” he says.