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Faculty crunch affects teaching standards

Teaching standards have to be improved throughout the country (editorial, “Faculty crunch”, Nov 13). No doubt, India’s top institutions like the IITS and IIMs are producing globally competitive graduates. But in primary and secondary schools, particularly in rural areas, it is difficult to find dedicated staff.

Quality teaching is possible only with dedicated teachers and not by increasing the number of teachers. Merely expressing concern over the faculty crunch is not going to bring about any improvement. The key challenge is to improve access and quality at all levels of education. The editorial is right in asserting that with the mushrooming of educational institutions, the quality of education has been lost. In fact, education has become an industry.

Sarva Siksha Abhiyan’s progress is only on papers. Right to Education can be successfully implem ented only if expenditure on education is increased.

HARISH K MONGA, Ferozepore City




II

Indeed, reforms are meaningless without more teachers. Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh has expressed his anxiety over the deficiency of quality teachers. But the million-dollar question is, who is responsible for the mess in education at all levels?

With the power of moneybags, several institutions have come up with utter disregard to requirements of infrastructure and teaching faculty. These institutions have become teaching shops where degrees and diplomas are available for a price.

Dr TIRATH GARG, Ferozepore City

III

A major chunk of educated job seekers, hailing from urban areas, are more interested in becoming a part of the corporate sector that offers highly lucrative emoluments. It is this segment of educated youth who is best qualified to man the faculty positions in universities and colleges. However, under the influence of the global market, brilliant and qualified young men and women do not consider teaching as an attractive career. Thus faculty crunch continues to ail universities and colleges.

To attract new talent, the entry point incentives must be substantially increased and service conditions should be improved. More funds for education in general and higher education in particular, would go a long way in ensuring quality education.

Dr MANDEEP SINGH, Yamunanagar

IV

There is an urgent need for providing quality education to our children. The standard of education  in India is not up to the mark and there is undue emphasis on rote learning. Better teachers are required to give quality education.

R K KAPOOR, Chandigarh

V

The editorial has rightly opined that even premier institutions like the IITs are facing a faculty crunch that is likely to become more acute in the coming years if efforts are not made to bridge the gap.

No doubt, better emoluments can attract talented teachers but to sustain the growth of quality education, more initiatives are needed.

RAJESH SHARMA, Jalandhar Cantt

Curb hooliganism

The MNS whose elected members indulged in the worst type of hooliganism in the Maharashstra assembly on the issue of the SP MLA Abu Azmi taking oath in Hindi should be banned (editorial, “Goonda Raj”, Nov 11). The four-year suspension of the four MLAs does not correspond to the seriousness of the crime committed by them.

While Raj Thackeray is becoming a law unto himself, the Congress and the NCP are not confronting him for political reasons. They see him as an electoral asset because he eats into their adversary Shiv Sena’s votes. The shortsighted politicians do not realise that Machiavellian politics boomerangs and harms society in the long run.

The people of Maharashtra should not be misled by Raj Thackeray. He is not a crusader who can solve their problems. Even otherwise, demagogy and parochialism have no place in a pluralistic society. 

SATWANT KAUR, Mahilpur





Koda’s importance 

Uttam Sengupta’s article “Importance of Madhu Koda” (Nov 12) was analytical and interesting. The illustrious socialist leader, Ram Manohar Lohia, had delivered a speech in Chandigarh in the sixties stating that the big danger to the Indian democracy was the unholy alliance between the politicians and the businessmen.

Now, things have gone from bad to worse as all the Mephistophelean forces have joined hands to thwart the rule of law. The law-abiding common man finds that the law grinds the weak and the poor, while the rich and powerful often misuse it.

Looking at cases like that of Madhu Koda, the words of Jonathan Swift: “Laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through” become prophetic. Mr Koda appears to be mocking at the law.

It is intriguing that the law enforcing agencies could not detect this money-laundering scandal. Indeed, some sections in the revenue intelligence and the enforcement directorate either colluded with Koda and cronies or turned a blind eye to their brazen financial dealings. Now, the law must take it course and the guilty, howsoever powerful, should not be spared.

GUR RATTAN PAL SINGH, Chandigarh

 






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