Guest lecturers in government and aided colleges have formed a union, a first of its kind in the State, claiming that their grievances are not being properly addressed by the Education Department.
According to P. Rajith, president, All-Kerala College Guest Lecturers Union, which held its first convention here recently, there are around 2,500 guest lecturers in aided and government colleges across the State. A majority of them are in government colleges in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts. “While the salaries of guest lecturers in aided colleges often get delayed for up to three years, in government colleges, though the salaries are somewhat regular, there is heavy workload. In many colleges, there are more guest lecturers than permanent staff,” he said.
A guest lecturer working in an aided college in Kasaragod district, who did not wish to be named, said he got salaries for the previous academic year only this June. Those appointed in 2012, when new courses were introduced, had to wait for almost three years to get their salaries.
In government colleges, Mr. Rajith alleged, the government was reluctant to fill the vacancies. For example, in Government College, Kasaragod, there were 50-odd guest lecturers while the permanent staff were below 40. In Government College, Kuniya, there were only three permanent staff while 13 were guest lecturers. In Government College, Peringome, Kannur, there were three permanent staff and 15 guest lecturers.
“We get to work only seven to eight months in an academic year and are paid ₹500 per hour. As many working days are lost because of student strikes and public holidays, there have been months when we got less than ₹15,000 a month.” The proposal to give ₹1,470 a day was yet to be implemented, Mr. Rajith said.
March on October 28
V.M. Dileep Kumar, secretary of the union, said they would take out a protest march to the office of the Deputy Director of Collegiate Education, Kozhikode region, on October 28. Mr. Kumar said the union would boycott the upcoming semester exams in colleges affiliated to Kannur University and the valuation of answer scripts if there was no favourable decision from the government.
