There has been strong opposition from lecturers to the student-teacher ratio (STR) used by the Department of School Education (Pre-University) to depute lecturers with a low workload in government pre-university (PU) colleges to other colleges.

The department has identified a total of 4,718 lecturers with low workload and has fixed a maximum student-teacher ratio of 320:1 for these lecturers.

The Karnataka State PU College Lecturers’ Association has objected to the move and stated that the department has proposed the STR unscientifically. It has argued for the STR to be fixed at 40:1 on the Kendriya Vidyalaya model instead.

The department, which has taken steps to recruit the required guest lecturers for 2026-27 at the beginning of the year, has taken measures to depute lecturers with lower workload to colleges with more workload.

After the deputation is completed, steps have been taken to appoint subject-wise guest lecturers for the posts that remain vacant.

The department has asked all Deputy Directors of Pre-University (DDPUs) to submit a list of required guest lecturers by May 16.

Ningegowda A.H., president of Karnataka State PU College Lecturers’ Association, said: “The STR fixation is unscientific. This was fixed in 1995 when the number of colleges were less. Now, the number of colleges and students have increased. The STR of 320:1 is a maximum. There is no rule for minimum of STR in the department. No matter how many students there are, it is mandatory for one lecturer to be appointed for a subject — permanent or guest.”

“Currently, there are 1,340 government PU colleges in the State. The total number of posts sanctioned for government pre-university colleges is 12,913, but the number of lecturers working is only 7,644, leaving 5,269 posts vacant. About 50% of these lecturers are working as in-charge principals. Despite the lack of basic facilities and the vacancies of Group C and D, our lecturers have made efforts to handle them and conduct classes and achieve good results this year. However, Director of Department of School Education (Pre-University) has instructed the DDPUs to depute more than 4,000 lecturers to another college for three days a week. Parents won’t be interested to getting their children admitted to government colleges,” he added.

Moreover, the department has limited the duties of lecturers only to teaching and has taken steps to depute them by calculating the hours. But PU college lecturers have to handle other tasks, including training, remedy classes, evaluation work, visiting students’ home, contact students through phone, admission work, examination work and others along with teaching, the association argued.

Meanwhile, guest lecturers are fearing losing jobs. “As the department is deputing lecturers to another college, then it is understood that guest lecturers working in those colleges will lose jobs. The department should immediately withdraw the order,” said Rajesh Bhat, secretary of state government PU College Guest lecturers association.

Bharath S., Director of Department of School Education (Pre-University), said, “It is a routine department affair. It will be easier to recruit the required guest faculty only when lecturers with low workload are deputed to colleges with high workload. Deputation is being done this year like last year. In addition, steps have been taken to depute lecturers to nearby colleges within the respective district.”