FACULTY
6.01. In the reorganisation of any educational system to make it more meaningful and purposeful, we teacher who is the key element in We system, deserves important consideration. The success of any educational system depends upon the supply of properly trained, experienced and devoted teachers in adequate numbers. In the field of polytechnic education another essential qualification required of a teacher is adequate industrial experience. According to a survey conducted in 1969, a majority of the teachers of polytechnics have very little or no industrial experience. This lack of industrial experience in the teachers is one of the main reasons why polytechnic education, at present, is not sufficiently application-oriented.
6.02. In an ideal situation, the teachers in technical institutions at all levels should be able to guide or advise industry in the matter of the adoption of new techniques and new processes. To that end. the polytechnic teacher must be in constant contact with industry and should have a first hand knowledge of the processes, techniques. etc. used by industry as also an idea of the problems faced by it. Familiarity with current practices, problems and development trends in industry would help teachers bring in a better approach and orientation to teaching.
6.03. In improving the faculty position in polytechnics, one has to consider its several integral aspects such as staff structure, qualifications, industrial experience, conditions of service, salaries and faculty development. Factors such as the type of teachers available, the methodology of teaching adopted. the staff-student ratio, and the facilities available for upgrading the knowledge of the teachers and for providing industrial exposure, influence, the building up of a proper faculty. All these aspects are considered in this chapter.
6.1. Present Staff Structure and Qualifications 6.11. The staffing pattern as laid down by the All India Council for Technical Education for a polytechnic conducting diploma courses in Civil, Eletrical and Mechanical Engineering with an annual intake of 120 students or a total student strength of the order of 300 to 400 is given below:
Designation Qualifications
1 2
1 Principal (i) Bachelor's Degree in Engi-
neering or Technology
(or equivalent)
Or
AMIE (By Examination)
Or
TTTI Diploma
(ii) 8 years professional
and/or teaching experience.
(iii) Industrial experience preferable
2 Head of the Department (i) Bachelor's Degree in Engineering
or Technology (o equivalent)
Or
AMIE (By Examination)
Or
TTTI Diploma
(ii) 5 years' professional and/or
teaching experience.
(iii)Industrial experience preferable.
3 Lecturer (Technical) First Class Diploma in Engineer-
ing and TTTI Diploma
Or
Bachelor's Degree in } with 2 years
Engineering/ Tech- } industrial
nology or equivalent } experience
Or
AMIE (By examination)
4. Lecturer (non-technical) Master's Degree in the subject
with 2 years' teaching experience.
5. Workshop Superintendent. First Class Diploma in Enginee-
ring with 8 years' workshop experience.
NOTE : In the absence of candidates
with the above qualifications,
candidates with a Bachelor's degree
in Engineering with 5 years' experience
may be considered.
6. Senior Instructors/ First-class diploma in engineering
Assistant Lecturers. with at least two year's indus-
trial and/or teaching experience
Or
Degree of Bachelor of Technology/
Education of the Regional Colleges
of Education at Mysore, Bhopal
Bhubaneswar and Ajmer with at
least two years' industrial and/or
teaching experience.
7. Junior Instructors/Demon- First-class diploma in Engineering
strators. or degree of Bachelor of
Technology/Education of the Regional
colleges of Education
at Mysore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar and
Ajmer.
31
32
The above qualifications for Senior Instructors and Junior Instructors are applicable only when these posts are on the teaching side and not for Instructors in Workshops. As for Workshop Instructors, the qualifications and -experience should be specified in term of ITI certificates or Junior Technical School Certificates or appropriate competence in the concerned trades.
6.12. If all the categories of staff mentioned above are taken. into consideration, the present staff-student ratio comes to about 1:12. In calculating the staffstudent ratio, normally the teaching staff only is considered which, in this case. would comprise the Heads of Departments, the Lecturers and the Instructors for Science and Mathematics. Even if the Demonstrators are considered as teaching staff the actual staff-student ratio works out to about 1:20.
6.2. Salary Structure 6.21. The salary scales for teachers in polytechnics as recommended by, the All India Council for Technical Education and normally adopted in various polytechnics are given below:
Designation of Post Salary Scale
Principal Rs. 800-40-1000-50-1250.
Head of the Deptt. Rs. 600-40-1000.
(Lecturer-in-charge)
Lecturer Rs. 350-350-380-380-30-590-EB
-30-770-40-850.
Workshop Superintendent Rs. 350-350-380-380-30-590-EB-
30-770-40-850.
Senior Instructor Rs. 260-20-300-15-450-25/2-500.
junior Instructor Rs. 160-10-300.
6.22. In comparison with the salary structures in engineering colleges and other sectors of employment, the salary structure of the polytechnic teachers is rather poor. The Committee recommends that the present disparity in salary structure between polytechnics and engineering colleges should, be, removed. It is therefore recommended that the salary scales and designations of teachers in Polytechnics should be the same as those prevailing in the engineering colleges.
6.3. Recommended Staff Structure 6.31. The Committee recommends that the normal pattern of teaching, staff categories in a polytechnic should be as follows:
Professor or Head of the Department;
Assistant Professor; and
Lecturer/Associate Lecturer.
The ratio between senior positions and junior position, i.e., Professors/Assistant Professors and Lecturers/Associate Lecturers, should be of the order of 1 : 2.
6.32. To improve the quality of polytechnic education, it is recommended that as far as possible the strength in lecture classes should not be more than 30 -students. In laboratories and workshops, the number of students per teacher should be restricted to 10. The same may be the case with the tutorial classes_ As far as possible, not more than two students should be put, in a batch,for conducting experiments.
6.33. Teachers of theory. classes, in a subject should also be made responsible for organising and conducting the laboratory courses in the subject. Theory classes should not. normally be handled by teachers lower in rank than. lecturers.
6.34. In order that the tutorial system, laboratory teaching, and project work may be effective, the present teacher-student ratio should be raised to not less than 1:10. In counting this ratio, only teaching posts of Associate Lecturers and above should be taken into account.
6.35. It is recommended that for every diversified, course in an institutional least one Professor assisted by an Assistant Professor or Lecturer be provided, supplemented by part-time lecturers from industry.
6.36. Coordination of courses in polytechnics in close. proximity - could help the use of highly qualified staff in the -most efficient, manner.
6.37. Principal and Heads of Departments of polytechnics should be provided with Suitable administrative staff so that educational efficiency could be increased. More generous provision should be made of clerical and laboratory assistance to teachers.
6.4. Stag Qualifications 6.41. Considering the various aspects of polytechnic education and the reforms suggested in this report, the Committee recommends, that teachers of technical subjects should have the following minimum qualifications:
(a) Associate Lecturer: A degree in engineering or technology with at least two years, of industrial experience. However, a diploma holder with not less than. five. years' industrial experience in the field may also be considered. subject to his suitability to teaching and improving his academic background through teacher-training programmes and/ or extension/summer school courses.
(b) Lecturer and above : A degree in engineering or technology or equivalent, with three years of industrial experience, or Diploma of TTTI training with five years of industrial experience.
6.42. For teachers of professional courses like Commerce, etc. the minimum qualification should be a degree, in the appropriate field with two years of professional experience in the field.
33
6.43. For teachers of other subjects like the Sciences, Humanities etc. the minimum qualification should be a post-graduate degree, preference being given to persons with industrial experience.
6.44. For all polytechnic teachers, training of at least one year in the art and technique of teaching technical subjects is desirable.
6.5.Essential Conditions of Service 6.51. It is recommended that all teachers of similar categories', irrespective, of their subject-field, should be given the same scales of pay and benefits.
6.52. With a view to attracting better type of staff in polytechnics and retaining them, it is recommended that a composite scale, with suitable stages of entry for each category, should be prescribed for all teachers starting from the Associate Lecturer to the Assistant Professor.
6.53. In order to make the teaching of sciences, mathematics, languages, etc. more effective and applioation-oriented, the practice of transferring staff between polytechnics and arts and science colleges, wherever It exists; should be discontinued.
6.54. Provision should be made for suitable incentives to encourage serving. teachers to augment their academic qualification and experience.
6.55. The Committee is of the view that, there should be adequate provision in the service conditions of teachers for obligatory periodic in-service -training so that the authorities may send any teacher for inservice or industrial training as and when needed. When. teachers are deputed for such training, they should be paid' their full salary in addition, Io travelling allowances and stipends.
6.56. Teachers should be given the freedom to take up consultancy work. Constultancy and research work will provide opportunity for the self-development of teachers. To regulate- such work, proper code of conduct should be drawn up by the institutions.
6.57. There should be provision for sabbatical leave for teachers to pursue research or write books or work in industry. Liberal grants should be made to polytechnics to enable teachers to pursue research work in their own spheres of specialisation.
6.58 In planning new accommodation, due attention should be given to the provision of amenities and residential quarters for staff.
6.6.Part-time Teachers from Industry 6.61 The use of part-time teachers drawn from industry, commerce and the professions constitutes a major means of maintaining the essential contact between education and industry and of ensuring that teaching takes account of day to day industrial and commercial experience and of the latest development.
6.62. It is in the more highly specialised and advanced fields like industrial, design and studies involving production techniques and practices and in guiding project work that the services of part- time teachers are especially valuable. In order to attract senior staff of the calibre required, it would be necessary to offer them a special place in the polytechnic life besides adequate remuneration.
6.63. Industry must be willing to accept, encourage and assist the transfer of experienced staff to part-time and full-time teaching work., There must be a much greater interchange of staff between industry and polytechnics.
6.7. Faculty Training 6.71. Opportunities should be made available to teachers for acquiring the needed industrial experience, pedagogic training and higher academic qualifications, through seminars. short-term courses of various kinds, summer institutes, in-service training prograrnmes, deputation to Technical Teacher Training. Institutes during vacation or during the, academic year and secondment to industries. Teachers must be required to attend such, courses and. acquire such training several times during their career to facilitate continuous development and updating.
6.72. Specially designed short-term courses should be organised for providing industrial training to workshop instructors. The co- operation of Central Training Institutes should be secured- for providing training in respect -of skill appreciation.
6.73. A crash programme for re-training at least 25 Per cent of the existing polytechnic teachers (particularly the experienced teachers) within a period of two years, should be formulated by each State authority in association with the Technical Teachers Training Institute or other appropriate agencies. This will consist of several courses of short duration on such subjects as examination and evaluation system. teaching methodology and techniques, curriculum development and organising laboratory work, as well as courses for providing industrial orientation.
This crash programme should be followed by a second stage of comprehensive industrial training especially for teachers in certain subjects which are highly practice or industry-oriented.
6.74. A crash programme should be orgnised, at selected centres in India, for principals of polytechnics to familiarise them with the different aspects of the reorganisation of polytechnic education and management as recommended in this report relating to sandwich courses, diversified courses and special courses and new techniques in imparting education and implementing training programmes, new systems of evaluation and grading, teaching aids, subjects for new courses to meet the latest technologi-
34
cal needs, administration and management of institutions etc. This programme will help the principals of polytechnics to translate, the suggested reforms and new developments into actual practice in their institutions.
6.75. Teachers of Language, Mathematics and Physical Sciences should be given special orientation courses to make their teaching more effective.
6.76. Each State may:
(a) assess the total number of teachers to be trained annually say in the first ten years,
(b) indicate the type of training programmes relevant to Instructors, Associate Lecturers and Heads of Departments to be planned for, and
(c) work out financial estimates.
These measures will enable the implementing authorities to plan phased programmes. In this regard, the appropriate advisory machinery should advise the Government on the supply and training of teachers for polytechnics.. This machinery should continually review the arrangements and provisions for training and keep in touch with polytechnics about supply and demand for teachers and demand for different types of training courses.
6.77. Closer participation and exchange of ideas on the pattern and content of teacher training is essential between the world of technical education. industry and commerce and universities.
6.8. Role of Technical Teacher Training Institutes 6.81. The courses at the Technical Teacher Training Institutes should emphasise the training of teachers in the several aspects of polytechnic education and training rather than advanced subject studies.
The main functions of Technical Teachers Training Institutes should be:
(a) Organisation of courses on the art and techniques of teaching and special subject-teaching courses;
(b) Research on methods of assessment, evaluation and grading and the training of teachers in these techniques;
(c) Research and training in teaching methods and development and production of teach. ing aids, charts and publication;
(d) Collection and dissemination of information on curricula, examination system, equipment, teaching aids, technical literature. teaching methods etc. to all polytechnics in the country.