The University of Delhi is set to resume its first-year classes from July 20, under the new Undergraduate curriculum framework (UGCF). But as this new four-year programme kicks in, it has put several ad hoc teachers, especially from the English department in a tough spot.
The situation erupted after the Academic council body decided to remove English as a part of the Ability Enhancement Compulsory Credit Course and General elective courses. With this, the workload or hours of lectures in different colleges have been affected drastically.
Sources have told News18 that in many colleges the workload has already reduced. In Ramjas College, it has gone down by over 60 lectures, in Kirorimal College the work load has gone by 60 lectures while in Hans Raj College it’s 50 lectures.
Rudrashish Chakraborty, associate professor at the Kirori Mal College said, “This decision is both anti-teacher and anti-student: along with threatening the livelihood of teachers, it is adverse to the interests of students. While the NEP underlines unlimited options for students, taking away English even as an option in the Ability Enhancement Course will force students to study languages which they have not studied till Class XII. ”
He added, “The English AECC in language and communication is customised to address the requirements of students across disciplines: it is both skill-oriented and geared for employment. While the decision to teach Indian languages is welcome, it should not be done by removing English altogether. In a globalised world where we talk of integrating our education to a knowledge economy, doing away English as a language for students, especially in Science and Commerce amounts to denying them a very basic skill to prepare themselves for the challenges in the employment sector.”
As many as 400 teachers of the Delhi University have written to the university body to reconsider this removal. Academic council member, Mithuraaj Dhusiya who also teaches at Hans Raj College says “We are demanding a reconsideration of this decision. But as per the UGCF-NEP structure only those languages are to be taught in AEC that fall under 8th schedule, and English does not fall under the schedule.”
On June 22, the University of Delhi issued a notification, stating that all professors, associate professors, and assistant professors of colleges under the university must teach as per the UGC regulation 2018. The circular further states, that after the division of the workload amid permanent professors, if there is still is a requirement for ad hoc, the colleges need to certify in order to hire more teachers.
Mithuraaj Dhusiya added that as per the circular then, the hiring/continuation of the ad hoc will happen on the basis of available workload and timetable. He says “This means that many teachers, who have been teaching as ad hoc for several years now, are on the brink of losing their jobs unless DU administration intervenes”
The Delhi University Teachers’ Association has been protesting against the same, meanwhile, the Academic Council has called for a meeting on August 3, however, there is no clarity on the intention of the meeting.
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