Shortage of fresh post-graduates prompts institutes to hire their services

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“They are more professional and don’t mind lesser pay package”

‘Colleges need them because they can train young minds patiently’

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HYDERABAD: Strands of grey hair have come of age, literally. Though cause of great frustration, they are also much sought-after these days, especially in the field of education. Teachers of a few subjects such as Mathematics, physics theory, Chemistry and English are finding takers even after they have been officially retired by their previous employer—government in most cases.

With recent introduction of basic sciences into the curriculum of Hyderabad Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University’s engineering courses, the demand for lecturers in physics theory and Chemistry has gone up considerably. Majority of the colleges are hiring retired lecturers to teach these subjects, as fresh postgraduates in basic sciences have come down in numbers. “With increase in the number of engineering colleges and the high demand for IT-related jobs even among graduates till recently, students stopped opting for postgraduate studies in these subjects. The few available competent lecturers are taken by corporate colleges. Hence the rush for retired lecturers,” says a physics theory lecturer.

The largest recruiters of retired lecturers are engineering and medical colleges because they require professorial faculty, hardly available among younger people.

“Private colleges cannot match government in payment and hence, cannot lure experienced lecturers out of government service. Instead, they try to tap the knowledge of the retired professionals who work better, and wouldn’t mind lesser payment,” says M. Krishna Murthy, principal of a corporate college in Vijayawada.

Experience counts

English lecturers are perhaps the most privileged lot, with many openings. “Majority of the postgraduate students these days learn from guides to pass the examinations, never caring to read the original Shakespeare or Milton. Retired lecturers obviously have an edge over them,” says M.A.Wahid, a visiting faculty at JNTU . “It is not only about money. Only lecturers with good knowledge and passion for teaching opt to work after retirement. Colleges need them because they can train the young minds patiently,” says K. Andhra Dev, who works part-time for Narayana institutions.