Friday, August 1, 2008

Better faculty, the belittled issue

'India, a great country' considering everything. I am saying this with all my honesty and pride, but not satisfaction. Can be greater, much greater than expected. Realizing that, forever the master role privileged are the students of this country, I want to bring to you an issue of improving the faculty, the real vital designers of the country. Please presume that I am not into years of research in this.

Year by year, ......... no it should be...

Semester by semester, we are observing that most of the students are running for their interests or for more money/satisfaction when they choose a job. This is not a debatable one. I support this. I cant ask students reading this to just leave all the rewards they get by opting such jobs. And yes I can never ask students to go for teaching at the same time, for improving the standards of the faculty. HOW CAN I? HOW can students go for teaching? Why ?

Those who have interest will always choose such professions. And we must encourage them, than any other.
Simple answer can be, faculty amenities are not tempting the students to take up that profession. Most of the students initiate their interest basing on the financial status of their 'would be profession'. To be clear,
what if I am a doctor, I can come up with a hospital, I can live like this, etc etc
what if a comp sci student, I should join that company for the best pay and satisfaction, this language has the highest demand at this point.. I can learn this and grab the job, etc

So what we observe is students are just turning towards good offers (leaving out those with real interest). So what are the universities doing to attract students to take up the esteemed, but unheeded "Faculty" profession. I don't say, they do nothing but it has to do much more than just giving free education to the faculty children.

What should it do?...... that is too direct to answer, depends on the university and its innovation like the companies follow now a days. ONLY WHEN THERE IS A BOUNTIFUL TOUGH COMPETITION< RESULTS WILL BE WONDERFUL. THATS THE REASON BITS, PILANI, IITs, NITs stand aloof. Improvement in such universities will be a good benchmark
for the next realizers. We have to go back to the days when a pedagogue is envied the most, unlike any profession. When such a quality and comfort in the faculty profession is achieved, students stick to such hives.

And I am a student of BITS, Pilani ( where the promotion of faculty is much ahead of others but MUSSSTTTTTTTT be improved and spread(underlined).) Various campuses / colleges under each university can promote the faculty system, much like a corporate system of employees.
BITS succeeded in this. But not to mention, some disciplines are having their main courses' heads(CDCs - Compulsory Disciplinary Courses) as some M.Eites who just pass out, with not more than 2-3 years experience.( such cases exist in all universities ). Not over 50 % of faculty knowledge(including text book knowledge, generally nothing else... a point which must be improved) gets transferred to students. In such cases, an outgoing student has not more than 50 % of the knowledge of the tutor. So what is the level of a just passed out M.E ite with a little experience. What is the batch that passes out under his/her teaching. what next and WHAt NEXT !? This is so important that you can never neglect.

I know that I am talking this as a 20 yr old student. But experience is better than research in case of social aspects like this. More knowledgeable persons can actually start thinking about this for better results....A NEVER ENDING IMPROVEMENT HAS TO BE INITIATED.
Just a try from my side.

A child miseducated is a child lost.
By John F. Kennedy

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