The All Assam Contractual College Teachers’ Association (AACCTA) has demanded regularization of the jobs of the contractual teachers in the colleges across the State.
AACCTA president Anjan Kumar Bora and secretary Dr Ranjit Bhattacharya said though the contractual teachers have been working since long in different colleges of the State, the government is planning to sideline them.
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They also alleged that the government has planned to recruit new teachers to the posts in which they have been serving for long years on contractual basis.
“The number of students has increased in the colleges in the last few years, but new posts of teachers have not been created for a long period,” said Bora.
“This resulted in college authorities to appoint teachers on contractual basis whose work and duty hours are the same as regular teachers but they are worst paid,” Bora added.
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He also said, “After serving for 5 to 15 years, the contractual college teachers cannot apply for the regular posts in the colleges where they are serving due to the government order,” Bora further said.
Bora also stated that recently the process of appointing regular teachers in hundreds of posts in different colleges was initiated by the State government.
But many of the contractual teachers may not be able to fulfil the new recruitment criteria even if they apply, he said.
Moreover, the Director of Higher Education, Assam has taken an undertaking from the principals of the colleges that no temporary teachers work against the vacant posts, said Bora.
He said even if a serving contractual teacher applies for a post in the college in which he or she is working, there is little chance of the teacher to be selected for the same.
This is because the new selection process for the post of Assistant Professors’ selection has allegedly created hurdles for the contractual teachers.
According to the new selection process, candidates on the ground of academic career only will be selected as Assistant Professors.
In this process, 82 marks out of 100 marks in interview are fixed for academic career, said Bora.
The new education system gives opportunity to the fresh candidates to get more marks than those who had completed their education 15 to 20 years back.
According to the government order, the service of temporary college teachers will end immediately after the appointment of regular teachers.
This will lead to contractual teachers losing their jobs and putting them and their families on the streets.
The office-bearers of AACCTA said to prevent the contractual teachers from losing their jobs, the Association has demanded direct appointment of the eligible existing contractual teachers against regular posts.