Teachers seek inclusion in evaluation panel

Instructors of unaided courses say they are deprived of financial benefits

CHENNAI, 20/02/2019: Preparation of the Chennai Photo Biennale inside the Senate Hall at Madras University in Chennai on February 20, 2019. Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

Teachers of unaided courses in colleges affiliated to the University of Madras have made a plea to be included in a panel to evaluate answer papers. They say they are being bypassed and are rarely are given the position of ‘chief’ evaluator, depriving them of financial benefits.

In reply to a question under RTI on the number of teachers who evaluated answer scripts in central valuation centres from government autonomous colleges, the university put the figure at 3,331. The university has said that 6,394 teachers from aided autonomous colleges participated in the evaluation.

University officials said only teachers whose qualification has been approved are included in the panel. The office of the Controller of Examination has a list of eligible evaluators that is updated annually based on which invitations are sent to the teachers.

Vice-Chancellor P. Duraisamy said most of the evaluators were from affiliated colleges. “We don’t discriminate between autonomous and non-autonomous or self-financing institutions. We rely on autonomous colleges because they also have an aided section and their teachers are qualified,” he said, adding: “We are compelling the principals to send their teachers for valuation. Often, the teachers are not qualified or have not got qualification approval from the university.”

The V-C said the results were delayed for want of sufficient qualified evaluators. “For some subjects, the valuation camp lasts only a few days. But English valuation may go up to 15 days as there are not enough teachers,” he said.

‘Seeking details’

According to him, only 10% of teachers are qualified in B. Com programmes in a few self-financing colleges. “There is a writ petition in the High Court. We have sent a letter to all colleges seeking details of the qualified, unqualified teachers,” the V-C said.

A. Balu, president of Tamil Nadu Association of Intellectuals and Faculty, has written to the Higher Education Secretary that the department should direct universities and colleges to publish on their website the minimum qualification for recruitment as teachers/principals; copies of circulars/notifications/regulations/G.O. to be followed in recruitment and selection process; name and qualification of teachers employed; their achievements, research credentials and pay scale; number of vacancies; retirement age and details of retired teachers currently in service.