By: G.S.Oinam
So far our poor are remains, literacy rate is low, government spending on education will remained high. In Dubai (UAE), there is no government school, collages and University. All are private says Prof. A. Hommadi, former Chief Technical Advisor to UNESCO and UNEDO. Prof. Ahamed Hommadi, is Harvard University graduate (Double doctorate degree in Industrial Engineering and Management) and he was serving as Academic advisor to Ajman University, UAE and Advisor to Education Minister, UAE. Our HRD, Minister Mr Kapil Sibal is same Harvard graduate alumni. So, here we mention the name of Prof. Hommadi to draw HRD minister’s attention.
Big or small, rich or poor, people are willing to give anything to their affordable range for their children education. Even we can compromise for advance 7th pay commission for teachers if our children have the confidence of becoming topper in national and international competition. Our people want goal oriented quality education. In Manipur, we have find out two classes of teacher — One, high-tech (skills) –low take (salary); two, high take (salary) – low tech (skills). Categorically, government institutions have both skill teacher, non skill teacher and non performing teacher. Which category you belongs to?
Government teachers are getting higher salary than that of private school teachers—there shall be scaling of average gap pay scales between private school and government school. In big cities, private, public and government teachers’ pay scales gaps are minimum. Tuition fee structure for private school is range from Rs1750/- to 2650 per month in big cities. Here in Manipur, tuition fee of private school is an average of Rs 400/- per month. In a government school, we will find different type of characters—getting government school salary and sending their children to private schools. Professional ethic less teachers like teachers engaged in contract work, businesses etc. are working in government school. Earning is necessary, higher income is necessary for every individuals needs, however, working against moral and professional ethics is unacceptable. Teachers must get good salary—but teaches shall not compare their income to businessmen. If you are money oriented- please stop teaching profession and join to elite business world. Immoral teachers—drunken teachers taking class, smoking and chewing betel nut in the school /collages premises and partying with senior students are found in our neighbours. In hills, 50:50 salary sharing between the teacher and the substitute teacher; what a wonderful idea, Sirji? Skill teachers, non skill teachers and non performing teachers are getting same grade salary in government institutions. Government can not take action against them because the procedure of punishment is long and in the middle, evident are tampered.
Institution/ collages must have goal oriented. Alumni of the institution are calculated in measuring grades of institution. Past record, present record, future projected and performances must be clear cut. One government senior lecturer will get Rs 20-25 thousand salary (5th pay scale), part time lecturers will get Rs 4000/-. How the education department is measuring the grade? Well, performance of senior lecturers may have 5:1 in work load, qualifications and experiences according to pay scale. Institution should not be administered, it shall be well manage and fair teaching.
Most of the people say we can not bear additional burden of taxes and price rises because of incumbent teacher’s salary—our children are sending to private institutions and outside states because of bad performance of government schools and collages. Additional burden of taxes means price rise and rise of private school fee structure. Unless the efficiency is improved, management and infra structure is improved, only salary increases will not solved the problems of education in Manipur. Poor will be suffer more and will not get quality education in the state. Rising prices of the commodities push to raise the salary of staff employees to meet the demands. Ministry of Human Resources has to provide extra fund for the development of education in the state. Teachers will have to clear the State Teaching Eligibility Test (STET) for recruitment in schools that come under RTE Act. Manipur state government must introduce teacher’s eligibility testing as mandatory very soon. Teacher’s eligibility test to be in 3 parts— Child development and pedagogy, language I (medium of instruction) and language II (chosen from a list other than language I), mathematics and environmental studies. Each section will have 30 questions of one mark each. Questions on child development and pedagogy will focus on educational psychology of teaching. Emphasis will be laid on understanding the characteristics and needs of diverse learners. Question on language I and II will focus on proficiency, elements of language, communication and comprehension abilities. MCQs on mathematics and environmental studies will focus on concepts and problem solving abilities. Part II will have three compulsory sections on child development and pedagogy, Language I and II. For mathematics and science teachers, there will be 60 MCQs of one mark each. For social studies teachers, there will be 60 MCQs of one mark each.
For higher education teachers, there is one Supreme Court judgment. A bench of Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice BS Chawhan passed a judgment in regard to an appeal filed by Orissa Government challenging a state High Court order directing payment of revised UGC scales to some lectures hired illegally and not fulfilling eligibility norms for revise salary structure. The judgment says- A person employed in violating requirement of article 14 and article 16 (equality clause) of the constitution as it deprives the candidates who are eligible for the post. If any appointment is made by merely inviting names from the employment exchange or putting a note on the Notice Board, that will not meet the requirement of Article 14 and 16 of the constitution.
We are suggesting to constitute “the Manipur Educational Society” to look into the management affairs and infrastructural development of sick government schools and collages under Public Private Partnership. Schools and collages must be specialized in some subjects so that management of the institutions may be proper and attractive perks and incentives must be given for those performing teachers and institutions.