Opposing the State government’s move to make newly-appointed lecturers in pre-university colleges teach Classes 9 and 10 students, the Dakshina Kannada Pre-University Colleges Principals’ Association (DKPUCPA) on Wednesday urged the government to constitute an expert committee to study the repercussions before going ahead.

Addressing presspersons here, A. Vittal, joint secretary, Karnataka State Pre-University Lecturers’ Association, said the government had proposed that lecturers promoted from high schools to pre-university colleges, as well as those directly recruited as lecturers, should teach Classes 9 and 10 in high schools.

The government had amended the Karnataka General Services (Pre-University Education) (Recruitment) Rules, 2013, issued a draft notification and gave seven days for filing objections, which ended on June 24. Under the draft rules, lecturers appointed to pre-university colleges through direct recruitment and promotion will be required to teach Classes 9 and 10 in high schools.

“There is no clarity whether this will apply to lecturers appointed through direct recruitment and promotion in all pre-university colleges, or only in government and government-aided colleges,” he said.

Mr. Vittal said the teaching methodology differed in high schools and pre-university colleges. If the government went ahead with its decision, it would force lecturers to prepare students for two public examinations, Class 10 and II PUC. This would divert lecturers’ focus and prevent them from doing justice to students, he said.

Mr. Vittal said there was no meaning in making high school teachers, who have been promoted as lecturers in pre-university colleges, teach again in high school. “It will undermine the importance of promotion,” he said.

He also said there was no clarity on the cadre and recruitment rules applicable to lecturers who would teach in both high schools and pre-university colleges.

The government should have consulted education experts, parents, lecturers, and teachers before amending the rules, he said. It should seek the opinion of an expert committee before making the proposal a reality.

K. Naveen Shetty, president, DKPUCPA, said 80 per cent of lecturers in the district had opposed the move.

B. Hariprakash, president, Dakshina Kannada Pre-University Lecturers’ Association, and others were present.