Lobbying by teachers
A recent article in your daily titled "Hectic lobbying for university posts" (DS Jan 21)reflects how politics has deeply entered into the public universities of our country. The report says that some pro-AL teachers of different public universities are now trying to get the posts of VC, pro-VC and other important posts by lobbying with the government high-ups. Unfortunately though, this has been the usual story of public universities where VCs, pro-VCs etc are appointed on the basis of their partisanship rather than on the basis of teaching experience, seniority and quality.
When teachers so blatantly involve themselves with political parties, just for securing the lucrative posts of the university, it does not bode well for educational institutions. We have seen how a former VC of RU(during the rule of the 4-party alliance) recruited teachers and staffs belonging to the ruling party of that time. We have seen how teachers have at times refrained from taking classes to be busy with the activities of political parties (with the ultimate sufferers being the general students).We also see how divisions have been created in the universities by forming certain coloured "panels."
If the teachers, who should be the ones guiding students in the right direction; the ones who should be giving moral lessons to students and building them up as responsible citizens, themselves indulge in immoral practices, then it is ultimately higher education that gets adversely affected. I am not saying that teachers cannot support any political party. They may support a particular party but that does not mean that they will try to use the influence of that political party to become VCs or pro-VCs. And they should not blindly speak for that particular political party and should rather try to portray the truth. They must not bring politics into educational institutions. As for the education ministry, it must not appoint VCs on the basis of the teachers' support for the ruling party.
They should at first look for senior and good quality teachers who can act neutrally and keep themselves above the interests of the ruling party.
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