Ban on private tuition by college teachers

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

Guwahati, May 23: Lessons beyond classrooms will attract pelties for Assam’s college teachers with the State government banning private tuition by teachers and their engagement in private educatiol institutions.

The State Higher Education department on Tuesday imposed a ban on the practice of private tuition and engagement in private institutions by college teachers, arguing that such practices have inflicted manifold ills on higher education in the State.

An office memorandum issued by Principal Secretary to Higher Education department Ajay Tiwari on Tuesday categorically stated that “private organized tuitions by college teachers or participation in any such private coaching centres/tuition houses by any regular teacher of provincialised and government degree colleges is hereby banned.” It said departmental action will be initiated against any teacher found participating in any private tuition house/coaching centre at any time of the day.

According to the office memorandum, the Higher Education department has received information about college teachers who are substantively holding posts in provincialised and government degree colleges and yet participating in private tuition centres/coaching centres.

“Such participation in private tuitions hampers classroom teaching by teachers in institutes where they are substantively appointed. Further, this trend spreads a sense of insecurity amongst college students where they tend to believe that they would not be able to do well unless they too take private tuitions. This also results in disparity amongst students and impairs the goal of equity and access to higher studies. This trend has led to skipping of regular classes by many students and has resulted in decreasing attendance in regular classes,” the office memo stated.

The Higher Education department has, however, made it clear that the order will not attract punitive actions against a teacher if he or she calls students at home for special remedial teaching where number of such students in a batch is less than four.

The department has also banned association of college teachers with any private educatiol institution either in maging bodies and classroom teaching, since such practice has adversely hit academic atmosphere of provincialised and government colleges.

The development has come close on the heels of Education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s repeated appeals to college teachers to desist from private tuition and engagement in private institutions. Sources said many college teachers have utterly ignored the minister’s appeal and continued their involvement in private coaching centres and educatiol institutions despite drawing huge salaries from the State government. Under such circumstances, the government has been forced to impose a ban on such mece.

The Assam College Teachers’ Association (ACTA) has refused to react to the government order immediately. Many retired teachers have, however, welcomed the ban, saying that private tuition has brought a bad me to their noble profession.