Highly qualified teachers are getting very meagre salary, says MUTA

The Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa and Alagappa University Teachers' Association (MUTA) is organising a convention here on April 1 to draw public attention to the ‘plight of teachers working in self-financing colleges.'

Teaching and non-teaching staff of nearly 130 self-financing/Government aided colleges in southern districts have been invited for the conference to express solidarity with the staff of self-financing colleges who are working in “poor service conditions.”

Convention on April 1

Speaking to reporters on Friday, MUTA president S. Vivekanandan has said that the convention will focus on various issues pertaining to staff and students of self-financing colleges as well as university constituent colleges.

No job security

“This is a special convention for us and we will explain how highly qualified teachers are being paid meagre salary in self-financing colleges. About 50,000 teachers are under self-financing stream and their condition is alarming,” he said.

Demanding job security, leave benefits and maternity leave for staff in self-financing courses, MUTA has chalked out an action plan to sensitise political parties also on their plight.

“We are roping in political leaders of all parties to voice our concerns inside and outside the State Assembly.

Already, a representation was made to the Chief Minister's Cell for which we also got a reply that the collegiate education officials will seek opinions on how to improve the service conditions of self-financing teachers,” Mr. Vivekanandan said.

The association has also expressed concern over the mushrooming growth of self-financing colleges in Tamil Nadu. While the State has about 600 arts and science colleges under self-financing stream, there are only 200 Government and aided colleges, he added.

No reservation system

“Staff in self-financing colleges are being exploited. Also, there is no reservation system followed both for staff appointments and student admissions,” the Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa and Alagappa University Teachers' Association president observed. He also urged the State Government to do more for the students of self-financing courses and extend the same facilities such as tuition fee waiver besides free bus pass.

The association requested the Government to bring in parity in salary structure by giving UGC pay scale for staff in self-financing colleges.

Amend Colleges Regulation Act 1976

Mr. Vivekanandan also called for amending the Tamil Nadu Private Colleges Regulation Act 1976 and give equal opportunity for self-financing staff. The convention will be held at Leelavathi Arangam in Villapuram here for which MLAs and representatives of various political parties have been invited.

A. T. Senthamarai Kannan, Zone-1 secretary of MUTA and S. Kalyanaraman, Zone-2 secretary, have also made a plea that self-financing colleges must provide the same benefits as enjoyed by the teachers of aided and Government colleges.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article3264809.ece