India drags behind numerous countries when it comes to university education student-teacher ratios. A report prepared by the government shows that the student-teacher ration of twenty-four to one (24:1) in India is the lowest compared to several other counties. Brazil and China have about nineteen students per one teacher (19:1), Britain has a ratio of sixteen to one (16:1), and Canada has managed to secure a teacher for every nine students.
These results show that the limited amount of teachers that are already in the system are overworked. This student to teacher ratio also raises questions about the quality of education and research teachers in India can provide.
The amount of students delegated per teacher in India at the moment is proof that there is a significant burden on faculty members who are taking up multiple pupils. This situation also means that every student gets less attention for their teachers as well.
Teacher recruitment in India
The shortage in the faculty has gone up over time because of a rise in enrolment applications and a decrease in teacher recruitment in tertiary education institutes. The ministry’s All India Survey on Higher Education statistics show that even though the student admission rates had gone up from about thirty-two million (32.3m) in 2013 to thirty-six million (36.6m) in 2017, available teachers become fewer each year.
Statistics show that India’s higher education sector is facing a deficit of more than half a million (0.5m) teachers. The report states that the country has more than six thousand (6,600) vacant posts and that such a deficiency harms the quality of teaching and research.
A lot of teachers positions are not filled up as there is a significant lack of funding across the educational system. In addition, many schools cannot afford to ensure that new faculty members will receive their long-term salaries. Just this summer, tertiary education institutions were required to fill up close to half a million (0.3m) positions in six months, which will pose a significant threat to university budgets. Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has accentuated the importance of filling up these teaching positions.
