Kupwara, Sep 23: The shortage of teaching staff in Government Degree College Kupwara is adversely affecting the studies of over 3500 students enrolled in the educational institution.
The college according to the locals was established in the year 1988 to cater to the students of far-flung areas like, Kupwara, Ramhal, Chowkibal, Lolab, Machil, Keran and Karnah.
“The college has only five permanent faculty members against a requirement of at least 40 teachers in Arts, Science and Commerce streams. Most of the streams are run by the teaching staff appointed by the government on the academic arrangement every year,” the students told Greater Kashmir. They said the College doesn’t have any permanent faculty member in at least 11 key disciplines, which includes Physics, Chemistry, Political Science, Mathematics, Economics, Sociology, Urdu, and Persian.
“We are a bit apprehensive about our performance in the annual examination as none of the senior faculty member has taught us,” said a B.A second year student.
“Four professors of Physics and Chemistry were transferred at the beginning of the academic session this year by the authorities, but they failed to send any replacement for them as a result of which our academic season got wasted,” the students rued.
“We took up the matter with higher authorities, but all in vain as no permanent lecturer was appointed,” the students added. According to the students, it was due to the intervention of senior faculty members that a Physics teacher was arranged from another educational institution. “We requested the Chief
Education Officer Kupwara to depute a teacher from Girls Higher Secondary School Kupwara who can teach Physics in the college and he was kind enough to depute the teacher who is now taking classes in the college,” said a faculty member wishing not to be named.
“Practical classes for Chemistry and Physics are seldom held. Just few classes were held during past months,” claimed a group of students.
“For English, there is a sole lecturer to teach 3500 students. Off late, the college has arranged three more contractual lecturers,” the students told Greater Kashmir.
“English students of all the three years are combined for the class. This makes the classroom noisy. Many students seated in the last rows fail to understand the lectures,” BSC IIIrd year student said.
The problems don’t end here. The college established in the year 1988 has a lone non-teaching employee against the sanctioned five posts. “Key posts of Chief Librarian, Director Physical Education, Section officer and Accountant are lying vacant. Ironically, the teaching staff has to do the clerical job as well,” rued a senior professor wishing not to be named.
The college administration is also unable to introduce fresh subjects including Psychology, Philosophy and English Literature due to the non-availability of staff in concerned disciplines.
The students urged the Higher Education Department to fill all the vacant posts in the teaching and non-teaching categories on the permanent basis at an earliest.
The students also complained that there is no playground in the college due to which they are unable to undertake extracurricular activities. “There are many students in the College who have performed well at the school level in various sports. But their talent is getting waste as no sports activity is being carried out in the College,” said a student who has bagged many awards at the district level cricket tournaments.
The locals and parents of the students have appealed to the Minister for Higher Education, Abdul Gani Malik to take immediate measures for the development of College.
“We appeal to the Minster to look into the problems and direct the concerned authorities to get them redressed at an earliest” said Bashir Ahmed a parent.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 23 Sep 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 IST