Ready for role reversal-UGC

The University Grants Commission Pay (UGC) Review Committee’s proposal to introduce a multi evaluation process for teachers has ruffled more than a few feathers.According to the proposal, a three pronged assessment report of teachers— self assessment, evaluation by students and academic head/s would be required at the time of their promotion.Some of the suggested parameters taken into consideration while assessing a teacher’s accountability include regularity in holding classes or tutorials, guiding in research and availability to students for consultation.This may seem like a whiff of fresh air in an academia plagued by a never-do-today attitude. But clearly, it has not at all gone down well with the teaching community.The most prominent grouse brandished about is that in campuses dominated by intolerance and rustic politics, this would become a tool for victimisation of teachers. “In a society entrenched with caste and communal biases, students will not judge teachers simply on their teaching abilities,” says Aditya Narayan Misra, president of the Federation of Central Universities Teachers’ Association and Delhi University Teachers’ Association. He also fears that those teachers who mark generously in internal assessment exams would ultimately win more favourites who would then feel compelled to return the favour. “This power coupled with craving for better marks and petty politics might have a negative impact on a teacher’s career,” says Misra. UGC Chairman, S.K. Thorat is quick to offer assurance, “Universities will have to develop necessary safeguards so that they can minimise the negative aspects.” The main agenda behind such an evaluation is to provide healthy feedback from students. “During promotion, this would be a very minuscule criterion,” adds Thorat. However, this has not managed to assuage the anxiety among many teachers.UGC is not the first to implement such an evaluation. At St Xavier’s College, all new teachers have to pass through this assessment procedure. At the IITs and the Hyderabad Central University, this is compulsory for all teachers. Interestingly, at these institutions, some students do treat this evaluation rather frivolously. “Teachers assessment generally meant a free period,” explains Nitin Pahwa, an IIT-Madras alumnus. It seems that seemingly inconsequential factors did ultimately play a big role in these evaluations. For instance, a Delhite at IIT often ends up giving a better report for a teacher with a north Indian accent. And then again it is hard to harshly evaluate teachers known for their leniency. “The form checked various element such as communication skills or punctuality. But if we liked a teacher we gave her or him a thumbs up in all factors,” says Pahwa. But according to a senior faculty member at IIT Delhi, the evaluation format is continuously improved.“The main purpose is self improvement. I know there are students who dismiss this excercise but by and large we do get helpful suggestions from them,” he says.There are several teachers in the central universities too who would gladly empower students with such an agency. “If our students are mature enough to vote, I am sure they can evaluate a teacher as well,” says Ujjwal Kumar Singh, professor, Department of Political Science, Delhi University. He has been conducting such an assessment at an individual level for the past 20 years. But he has some reservations regarding the new proposal. “If you have to use such an assessment while evaluating teachers, one needs to first improve the current working conditions,” he explains. This improvement entails upgraded infrastructure, better libraries and laboratories which are all prerequisites to good quality teaching.Additionally, in most colleges, a class comprises 200 students and merely 30 to 40 students account for the regular student population. Most teachers recommend only the latter should be allowed to sit for teacher evaluation.Such a mechanism has the potential to benefit both the students and teachers immensely. It brings to light several hitherto ignored grievances such as a Hindi medium student’s plight in a political science class. But its nebulous status has engendered anxiety and even hostility among certain sections of the academia. One could assuage this by initially making such as assessment voluntary rather than compulsory in nature. Wider publicity in campuses would also lay a firmer foundation for such a culture where even teachers can learn to take criticism positively.