MUTA urges Centre to extend reservations in higher education

The 18th Conference of Madurai-Kamaraj and Manonmaniam Sundaranar University Teachers Association (MUTA), which concluded at Kovilpatti on Sunday, has passed a resolution urging the Government to stop commercialisation of education in the country.

The colloquium urged the Centre to withdraw GATS ( General Agreement on Trade-related Services) immediately, which, otherwise, would allow uncontrolled invasion of foreign educational managements and institutions in the higher education sector.

The association further asked the Centre to extend reservations in the higher education to unaided and private colleges too.

The other demands included raising the pay-scale of lecturers at self-financing colleges on a par with the University Grants Commission scale and withdrawal of proposed amendments to the Pension Regulation Act.

Delivering the keynote address at the valedictory, Vijender Sharma, ex-president of Federation of Central Universities' Teachers Association, said the Government should allocate at least six per cent of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to education.

"Now a meagre of 3.7 per cent of the GDP was spent on education, which was far from sufficient, if the potential in the higher education sector needed to be tapped," he added.

Mr Sharma said the State funding in the education sector should be increased and the private participation brought under the legislative control.

"The Government should bring in a legislation to regulate the admission, fees, examinations and contents of the course in the private educational sector," he added.

Geetha Jeevan, Minister for Animal Husbandry, P. Maruthamuthu, Vice-Chancellor, Madurai Kamaraj University, James William, secretary of All India Federation of University and College Teachers Organisation, and V Ponraj, general secretary of MUTA, spoke at the valedictory.

Source: The Hindu