Over 450 Teachers Urge Delhi University Teachers Association President To Restore Workload Of English Department

Teachers from various colleges of Delhi University have claimed in a letter to the Delhi University Teachers Association President (DUTA) A.K Bagi that they would suffer tremendously after implementing the new UGCF from the academic year 2022-23. The teachers asked Bagi to "intervene urgently" as the proposed structure would lead to a massive reduction in their existing workloads in the English department.

According to the teachers, in the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework, UGCF structure, the Ability Enhancement Courses AEC are offered only in the languages included in the 8th schedule of the constitution that does not have English. The new curriculum replaces the existing Choice Based Credit System CBCS structure where English and Hindi are offered as options for students in AEC, enabling their choice of language. Although the UGCF-2022 is formulated in accordance with the National Education Policy and approved by the Delhi University's Executive Policy, the initiative has been opposed by the teachers association.

Moreover, the AEC course was assigned four lectures constituting a substantive workload for the English department in every college. English departments across the university will undergo a drastic reduction in workload with the removal of English.

This move will lend uncertainty to the livelihood of the hundreds of ad-hoc teachers teaching for years in the English departments across the University of Delhi.

Loss Of Workload

As reported by The Print, The letter to the president said that colleges like Kirori Mal and Ramjas have lost more than 60 lectures, whereas Hansraj and Bhagat Singh have lost more than 50 lectures in successive semesters. The most devastating impact of removing compulsory English courses on workload has been felt in colleges like Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, and Lady Irwin College, which do not offer Honours or Programme courses.

According to the teachers, students from northeastern states, Jammu, Kashmir and foreign nations were "exempted from studying Hindi and have always been given the option of English", which was now denied under the new rules. This provision is against providing education to students of diverse backgrounds.

In the letter, the teachers have appealed to Bhagi to ensure that English remains in AEC and a Core Language course in BA and B.Com courses. Bhagi said that he was apprised of the situation and will take steps to ensure that there is no reduction in the workload of teachers.

Durig March this year, over 400 English teachers of Delhi University wrote to Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh that the department's workload would be "massively reduced" amid to the implementation of the UGCF from 2022-23 academic session and will result in a loss of livelihoods.

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