DU English teachers fear job loss under new curriculum

New Delhi: I have given prime years of my life to the university and now I am living in the constant fear of losing my job, says a Delhi University teacher, summing up the plight of hundreds of English teachers who are fearing job loss due to the implementation of Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) from the 2022-23 academic session.

The Delhi University's Executive Council in February approved UGCF-2022 formulated in accordance with the National Education Policy.

Several teachers opposed the proposed structure of the UGCF, saying that the Ability Enhancement Courses (AEC) are offered only in the languages included in the eighth schedule of the Constitution and that does not include English. They also said the UGCF singles out the English department in particular for a massive reduction, almost in the range of 30 to 40 per cent, of its existing workload. "I have been teaching in the Department of English at a DU college since 2010 on an ad hoc basis. Since it is a science college, our workload is mainly dependent on the AEC paper," said the English teacher who did not wish to be named.

"After having worked sincerely for 12 years, I am now living under the constant threat of losing my job. What will be done for people like me who have given their prime years to the University in the hope of being permanent one day?" the teacher added.

Around 100 teachers are "slated" to lose their jobs following the removal of English as an AEC under the UGCF, claims another teacher.

As the university is set to reopen soon, teachers have argued that there is a clear indication that the workload of the English department across colleges will get reduced by at least one-third.