Guwahati: Assam education minister Ranoj Pegu on Monday backed the re-engagement of retired teachers in govt model colleges amid opposition from educated youths and aspiring candidates.Pegu said young and retired faculty members teaching together will help in better management and educational outcomes in the newly built model colleges, where classes are going to start from August, after summer break. He added that some of the new model colleges in the state could not perform up to the mark due to the appointment of mostly new and inexperienced young teachers.“We have started several new colleges and also conducted research on the problems these colleges are facing. Most of the new colleges have not been able to pick up on expected lines. During analysis, we found that this happened because we engaged totally new faculty members and bestowed the responsibility of college management on those who just passed out of university,” Pegu said. Thus, he stated that in the new model colleges, there will be a combination of new and experienced teachers.Pegu backed the decision to intake 50% of faculty from retired teachers, while the remaining from young candidates saying, “The service of retired teachers will be allowed till 65 years of age. After retiring from their previous job, if they join the model colleges one or two years later, these faculty members will be able to serve for three or four years.”“These three to four years of engagement will be crucial as the model colleges are in a nascent stage,” he added. Pegu hoped that with their vast experience in teaching, managing departments and internal quality, and ensuring the implementation of UGC guidelines and earning NAAC accreditation, the experienced teachers will lead the new colleges.Pugu said govt may consider implementing the same policy in engineering colleges if the model of re-engaging retired faculty members is successful in model colleges. However, this has raised concerns among young candidates. “In a situation where thousands of educated unemployed people remain jobless, the decision to pay retired teachers Rs 1 lakh monthly remuneration, over and above the pensions they already receive, is neglecting merit and mocking the plight of unemployed youth,” All Assam Students’ Union president Utpal Sarma.
