Shimla – The Himachal Pradesh government is set to initiate a major overhaul of teacher deployment in government colleges, following a model previously applied in schools. The Higher Education Department has begun gathering detailed data from colleges across the state to identify disparities in teacher-student ratios, intending to rationalize faculty allocation.
The directive, issued by the state government, mandates that colleges with surplus teachers will see some of their staff relocated to institutions facing shortages. This move is intended to balance the distribution of faculty, ensuring that students in all subjects receive adequate academic attention, while also reducing the financial burden on the state treasury.
Dr. Amarjeet Sharma, Director of the Higher Education Department, confirmed the initiative, stating, “We are collecting data from all state colleges to ascertain the current status of student numbers and faculty strength. This will allow us to implement a rationalization process similar to that in schools.”
The initiative comes in response to significant discrepancies observed in colleges, where some subjects, especially minor ones, have an appropriate number of students, but major subjects have seen a decline in enrollment. Despite this, a disproportionate number of teachers are assigned to these major subjects, often leading to inefficiencies in educational delivery.
“There are colleges where the number of students is minimal, yet the number of teachers remains high. In contrast, other institutions struggle with overcrowded classes and insufficient staff, which adversely affects the quality of education,” Dr. Sharma explained.
To streamline this process, the Higher Education Department has distributed a standard form to all colleges, requesting specific data. This includes the number of students enrolled in various undergraduate and postgraduate programs (BA, BSc, BCom, MA, MSc, MCom), the current faculty composition (assistant professors and associate professors), and the existing workload on teachers. The data collection process is thorough, requiring department heads to analyze the student numbers meticulously to prevent any inaccuracies.
According to established guidelines, a single teacher should be allocated per class of 40 students. However, in many instances, multiple teachers are assigned to classes with fewer students, contributing to staffing imbalances. The rationalization process is expected to address these issues, redistributing faculty to where they are most needed.
This initiative marks a significant step towards enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of higher education in Himachal Pradesh, ensuring that resources are allocated in a manner that best serves the student population across the state.
