Mumbai: While thousands of students are anxiously waiting for their FYJC Admissions, the government of Maharashtra has been conducting a ground survey around the state's junior colleges. The survey was to ensure that the intake capacity of Junior Colleges matches the physical facilities available with the College.
'During the 11th Central Online Admission Process, certain junior colleges admit students in large numbers, while the other junior colleges do not get enough students for admission.' stated the circular issued by the Directorate of Education.
Education officers were asked to look at 'classrooms, seating arrangements, and physical facilities' in junior colleges to determine their admission capacity. "It is often seen that colleges have an intake capacity that surpasses their infrastructure. Seats and labs in a junior college can only accommodate a certain number of students," said Mahesh Palkar, Director of Education(Secondary & Higher Secondary).
The findings of this survey are to be released shortly. "The field visits in Nasik, Nagpur, and Amravati have already been completed. The ones in Pune and Mumbai will come to an end as soon as the rains subside," he added.
Despite the government's efforts to equip these colleges, inadequate staffing is what haunts these Junior Colleges.
"Infrastructure is not the only problem as the student-teacher ratio also takes a hit on the quality of teaching," said Dr Manisha Bhave, a Junior College Physics teacher.
"Even when the classroom can accommodate 120 students, it isn't possible for a teacher's voice to reach the last bench. Simultaneous lectures in other classes do not make it possible to make the use of microphones either," she added.
Laboratory lectures play a pivotal role for science students. With a 1:20 teacher-student ratio, not every pupil can manage to ace these lectures. "With the varied IQ of students and constrained laboratory timings, many students don't get the attention they require from a single professor. It has an impact on the student's interest in the subject."
The acute lack of teaching faculty in junior colleges has increased the load carried by a single professor. "There is a stark shortage of teachers, especially in aided junior colleges. At times, two classes have to be combined when 3-4 students sit on a single bench," said Mr Ranjeet Chavan from Siddharth College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai.
With students faring well in the SSC examination, the college admission quotas are now filled to the brim. "When students decide to change their optional subjects, the class strength changes again," added Mr Chavan.
Director Mahesh Palkar assured that adequate staffing is also being looked at as an infrastructural parameter in their survey. Though the online Central Admission Process(CAP) has been put on hold for CBSE results, the rural colleges falling outside this system have already begun their offline admission process.
