‘Attempt to reduce workload, end jobs’: Delhi University teachers on increase in batch size

NEW DELHI: Delhi University teachers are strongly opposing the increase in batch size for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at DU and are demanding the withdrawal of the notification. The adhoc teachers find it an attempt to reduce the workload and their removal from the university while others see it as overcrowding leading to degradation of quality education. The university issued a notification to colleges notifying the number of students in each batch for lecture classes, tutorials, and practical classes.

According to the notification, DU has fixed 60 students per batch for lectures, 30 for tutorials and 25 for practical classes in undergraduate programmes. For postgraduate courses, the numbers per batch are 50, 25 and 15-20, respectively.

Terming the notification "completely ridiculous", Democratic Teachers Front (DTF) said it defies the norms adopted by the Delhi University's academic council as part of the Learning Outcome Based Curriculum Framework (LoCF).

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Action and Development Delhi Teachers' Association (AADTA), the Aam Aadmi Party's national teachers' organisation, has demanded that the notification be withdrawn. "The tutorials size has increased by around 300 per cent and thus become very much classroom-like.

Rajesh Jha, former member executive council, AADTA, tweeted, “On this University of Delhi notification, an adhoc teacher said, "Now the tutorial class becomes a lecture class, and the lecture class has become a conference." When I was a student in DU, the class size was around 30. Crowded classrooms can't make worldclass.”

On this @UnivofDelhi notification, an adhoc teacher said
"Now the tutorial class becomes a lecture class, and the lecture class has become a conference."
When I was a student in DU, the class size was around 30.
Crowded classrooms cant make worldclass pic.twitter.com/hooFd6E7PY

— Rajesh Jha (@jharajesh) November 17, 2022

Alok Pandey, DU Academic Council (AC) member, ex vice-president and joint secretary of Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) and associate professor, Ramanujan College said in a tweet, “This is just the beginning.... Right now the workload is half, after the online course, it will be half more... This is how employment will increase. Congratulate us. This is the truth of NEP.”

अभी तो यह शुरुआत है....
अभी वर्कलोड आधा, ऑनलाइन कोर्स के बाद और आधा... ऐसे बढ़ेगा रोजगार....आप बधाई दीजिए... यही है NEP का सच....@agamdubey12 @Sanjeev_aap @jharajesh @DU_Teacher @adityamisradu @anand11_aap @ipathak25 @dilipkpandey pic.twitter.com/W6JaaeYRVk

— Dr. Alok Pandey (@alokrpandey) November 17, 2022

Taking to social media, Vishal Pandey, assistant professor at Ramjas College said, “When it comes to the issue of adhoc teachers, authorities become very adamant with rules and regulations. They tell us that this cannot happen or it can only happen through EC or AC. But when it comes to the implementation of NEP then these authorities are not bound by any rule and regulations.”

The professor went on to ask that the matter of numbers of students in class, lab, tutorial comes under the jurisdiction of AC then under which rule or regulation, registrar is deciding the number of students for lectures, practical classes through a notification. “This notification does not have any sanctity of law behind it and therefore it cannot be taken seriously. And secondly this is one of several attempts to reduce workload so colleges are forced to open new GE,SEC, AEC, VAC options. Highly hilarious and arbitrary manner to implement NEP,” he added.

“Delhi University Administration is trying to issue irresponsible notices to end jobs. Leadership may be weak but a Delhi University teacher is not weak. If you can't create a future then there is no right to spoil. Teachers and education. This notice will not work against,” said Anil Kumar Meena, national president candidate at National Students Union of India (NSUI).

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“It was said that NEP will not affect the workload but here the whole workload is being digested. This is what they say and do..... Whose gap is clear If DU's nation-friendly Adhoc and permanent teachers remain silent, then no one can save you from the disgrace of the nation because education is ruined, the coming generations will be ruined and the future generations will be destroyed, the nation will be destroyed. It is our responsibility to save what we all have, if you are really national friendly and want to save the nation from ruining then save education and vocal to save and come forward,” a professor argued.

“As we are living in times to exchange wishes and congratulations (instead of discussing academic issues) let's congratulate that DU has resolved many of the long-standing problems with the notification enclosed below. In addition, if anyone disagrees with the notification he/she doesn't want that the long standing problems are to be resolved,” said Naveen Kumar who works at the Department of Physics.

Kumar said that everyone knows that no additional seats for EWS expansion are to be given and an additional 4th year is coming without any additional support from the government. This additional 4th year is an imposition from the government which is being done on a system that is in bad shape. To this, the solution that DU provides is an increase in the student's intake in a section so that one need not demand additional support.

“This proposal (that excludes supernumerary seats) could be a disaster for many of the departments and many of even the permanent colleagues will be without any workload. For sciences, this means almost doubling the practical group strength (huge implications for workload), for tutorials also it is nearly tripling the section strength. Do they understand that there is a difference between theory lectures and tutorials/practicals? What does one mean by a tutorial with a strength of 30 students?,” he further asked.