Open House: What should be the ideal age for college teachers to retire?

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Find amicable solution to problem

A teacher orchestrates the foundation of students by honing up skills and characteristics. Even above the parental care, it is the teacher who plays a significant role in determining the future pathway for young citizens, who constitute the real asset of a nation and society as a whole. Therefore, the teaching faculty deserves due honour and dignity for greater output, and any recourse impacting their morale and zeal must be examined thoroughly before implementation. As such, while introducing reforms in their service conditions like remuneration or retirement benefits, it’s fallout on related issues ought to be evaluated so that education services run smoothly and efficiently without disruption or coercion in any manner. Recently, there has been widespread resentment among teachers and managements of aided colleges of Punjab over the government notification restructuring teachers retirement age to 58 from existing norm of 60. The lecturers’ trade unions have threatened to initiate mass agitation against the decision, arguing that it is in contradiction to UGC contention of extending age of retirement up to 65 years for qualified teachers. They also plead that teachers with maturity acquire better traits to pass on to their pupils. On the other hand, such unusual formulations are entirely anomalous as some sort of uniformity with various other state services needs to be adhered, where retirement is on attaining 58 years of age. College teachers retiring at an early age can undertake to usher in a new era of societal awareness apart from being beneficial to assist the weak students to cover up the learning gaps. Notably, our youth is largely unemployed due to scarce jobs and redefining retirement age limit will create fresh jobs opportunities, besides relieving financial burden in some ways. Looking from this perspective, the government proposition of parity in retiring age of college teachers with employees of other services augurs well.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

QUESTION

The AAP-led Punjab Government recently renamed some schools after some freedom fighters and martyrs. Do you think this step would help enlighten the younger generation about the importance of the sacrifice made by those who fought and bled for the country?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to amritsardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (February 2).

Allow teachers to work till 60

The retirement age of college teachers should be fixed at 60. The teachers’ demand for increasing the retirement age to 65 is unacceptable in view of the employment opportunities for youngsters. If all government employees protest to get the retirement age to 65, the problem of joblessness is only going to get worse. Though the government is well within its right to reduce the retirement age, still it should not have brought it down to 58. When the Punjab Government can ask doctors to work from till 60 years of age without any allowances, except basic salaries and dearness allowance, it can certainly thinking of letting teachers aided colleges work till 60.

Dr JS Wadhwa

Give more chances to new generation

It is good that the retirement age of teachers is being reduced to 58 as it will give chance to the new generation to apply for jobs. Moreover, teaching is such an important profession for the development of any country that it is very wrong to link age with this profession. Rather it should be linked with upgraded skills only. Moreover, it is an era of IT where many unemployed youths have already started their own educational youtube channels and giving free education. Students who follow these channels never ask for the age of the youtuber teacher in their comments rather they ask solutions for their problems. Further it is pertinent to mention about IITs and IIMs, where professors are mainly from professional background. Hence, it is very important that the teaching profession should be linked with market forces and skilled young teachers should be given chance to join jobs rather than teachers of 65 years of age.

Harvinder Singh Chugh

Teachers can teach till the age of 65

Schools and colleges are the modern temples of education where teachers and professors help students to build a future of their dreams. With the sincere efforts of teachers, students rise to high positions as politicians, bureaucrats, technocrats, business tycoons, etc. There should be no retirement age for judges, doctors, and professors and teachers. The more a teacher teaches, the better he becomes. The reduction of retirement of teachers from 60 to 58 for aided colleges is not justified. In my opinion, the retirement age of a teacher or professor should be between 62 and 65 as per the UGC norms. Teachers are nation builders and play a dynamic role in nation-building, we as a society owe a lot to them. Therefore, they should be respected and given their due.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

A cruel joke on architects of nation

Close on the heels of implementing the 7th Pay Commission’s recommendations after a delay of six years, the Punjab Government recently reduced the retirement age of teachers working in private-aided colleges from 60 to 58. This contentious decision has come at a time when the UGC has already enhanced the age of retirement for teachers to 65 from 62 vide its 2018 notification that covers employees of the AICTE-affiliated technical universities and institutions. This callous attitude of the state government amounts to nothing short of a cruel joke played on these “architects of the nation” as it brazenly violates the constitutionality of the principles of equity and natural justice. Teachers and managements of 142 aided colleges in Punjab and Chandigarh have expressed their resentment against the government and threatened to move court. In the face of diluted grants-in-aid scheme, lack of regular and full-scale salaries and denial of post-retirement pension, these teachers are the worst harried lot in the education sector. Unless the state government takes a favourable about-turn and addresses other problems of the private-aided colleges, the situation will adversely impact higher education in Punjab. Likewise, the government should pay pension to the retired and ailing teachers who have devoted their precious lives to building the careers of thousands of students in the state despite their waiting for the Supreme Court’s final verdict on the issue.

DS Kang

Good move, will create jobs for youth

There is a strong resentment over the government notification to reduce the teacher’s retirement age from 60 to 58. It is a good move by the government because across 50 everybody faces one or the other health issues. The physical health of teachers has a great impact on the teaching ability. It’s a wise move to relieve them two years before, nothing is going to change in two years, but it will help government to make fresh appointments. In our country, there is a problem of unemployment, and it will give a chance to new and more enthusiastic persons. Teachers have the right to protest, but the reduction of two years doesn’t make any difference. They should enjoy their life after retirement and contribute to the education sector in some innovative way.

Shashi Kiran

Govt should roll back the notification

The government’s recent notification to reduce the retirement age of private-aided college teachers to 58 from 60 has not gone well with the teaching faculty and the college managing committees. Punjab is the only state in the country to take this unsavoury decision. Denouncing it, the Punjab and Chandigarh Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) and the Non-government Aided Colleges’ Management Federation (NGACMF) have demanded that the age of superannuation of teachers be raised to 65 as teachers are an indispensable human resource and their services should be utilised for a longer duration. They are on a warpath and even ready to go to the court against it. In an obvious gesture of favouritism, money-minting private colleges and universities run by businessmen are left at liberty to fix the age of superannuation to either retain the old experienced hands or infuse fresh ones as per their requirements. The government has no right to change the service conditions provided in the Security of Service Act, 1978, at will. In a democracy, it is sheer mockery of the rule of law. To further the cause of education in the state, the ruling dispensation should roll back the said contentious regulation, restore 95 per cent grant-in-aid to private colleges, release pending dues of grant, fill the existing shortage of teachers and make provision for sufficient pension so that the teaching fraternity can live a life of dignity after their retirement.

Tajpreet S Kang

Teachers can easily give services till 65

As recommended by the UGC, the ideal age of retirement for college teachers should be 65. However, in case of Punjab, status quo may be maintained and notification issued for reducing it from 60 to 58 should be withdrawn. The employees of union government and their public undertakings are generally retired at the age of 60, which appears to be genuine and is also widely acceptable in our country. However, since the profession of teaching especially at higher level involves mental faculty which is enriched with experience and field expertise, the retirement age can be extended up to 65 in overall academic interests. The financial security post retirement have also to be closely considered before taking any decision regarding ideal age of such retirement. In case the retirement is followed with adequate pension benefits, 60 can also be considered as an ideal age in view of hiring fresh talent and minimise unemployment in the sector.

Jagdish Chander

UGC norms should be followed in Punjab

The UGC norms should be followed even in Punjab. The UGC would have fixed the retirement age as 65 after due deliberations with the stakeholders. Its decision needs to be conformed to. The state government has taken a contrary position and is currently facing the ire of dissenting professors. The teaching faculty on protests is not a good news for students, who bear the brunt and lose precious study hours. Therefore, the government must rethink its decision and bring back the attention of the teaching faculty to the classe from strikes and agitations.

Anshika Kohli

Raise retirement age to 65 years

The ideal age for college teachers to retire should be 65 as per the UGC norms. This is because of the harsh fact that the standard of living has risen manifold. In this day and age, there is a lot of struggle for earning a livelihood. Most items have become more expensive. Even an aged man needs to provide for his family. Teachers can work only if their age of retirement is raised. The state government should seriously review its decision of lowering the retirement age of teachers.

Sanjay Chawla

Decision to reduce age welcome

I welcome the decision of the government to reduce the retirement age of aided school teachers from 60 years to 58 years. The health of an individual is an important factor. If a teacher is healthy, it makes him capable to teaching the students properly. There is a need for healthy and professional teachers. Plus, if the age of retirement will be reduced, youths will get more job opportunities. This would help make sure that students are guided by young talent, new techniques, innovative methods and an up-to-date system of education.

Jasleen Kaur

Do not increase retirement age

The ideal age for retirement is 58 years. I think it is okay to retire at that age. If senior employees retire that early, it would help youths get timely promotions. If the age of retirement is raised, youths will face difficulty in landing jobs. If young ones don”t get promotions in time their zeal decreases as they age. Younger teachers tend to be more dynamic and passionate in teaching.

Dr Rajnish