II

Teachers should be recruited purely on merit and not on the basis of nepotism, favouritism, communalism or political ideology. Academies don’t seem to have adequate awareness of their obligation not only to choose the right men and women for the high tasks of teaching and research, but to set a model for other agencies in the state to follow.

Vice-Chancellors are now chosen by committees consisting of distinguished but remote individuals who have scarcely any knowledge of the needs and problems of the universities concerned. The profession should draw a code of conduct for teachers to mutually guarantee their competence and honour.

The new pay structure should be used for introducing at the higher stage a national (rather than regional) search for talent. In theory, there is no regionalism in the universities and colleges. In practice, our wandering scholars have to stop at state frontiers.

CHHAVI, Panchkula

III

I endorse the view in the editorial that “there is even stronger case extending the salary hike to teachers in schools, which are on the threshold of the education but remain neglected when it comes to question of better pay, facilities and job protection”.

Interestingly, teachers in schools have fewer facilities as compared to their counterparts in colleges and universities, lesser pay, more stagnation but greater responsibility towards the knowledge power. However, they are paid less with no promotional opportunities. In Haryana, for example, a clerk retires as a superintendent but a junior basic teacher retires in the same post.

HAWA SINGH, Karnal

IV

School teaching is one of the most challenging jobs because the teachers prepare the foundation of the students for college education. They teach the basic tenets of education, society and nation, through they are counted less than college teachers.

It is the state governments’ responsibility to provide better pay, more opportunities for promotion and reasonably good facilities for school teachers. In return, teachers also will have to provide more qualitative education to India’s future citizens.

GURDEV DHANDA, Chandigarh

V

Low pay scales prevent talented youth from taking the teaching profession, especially in schools. There is a need to constitute a National School Grants Commission (NSGC) to provide a semblance of respect and prestige to schoolteachers.

The NCTE has, perhaps, failed to rejuvenate teacher education. Pre-service and in-service training, qualifications and recruitment of teachers are the worst hit areas.