MU may hire part-timers for paper correction

Mumbai: The University of Mumbai (MU) is considering hiring part-time teachers or the teachers who work on an hourly basis for the online assessment of the ongoing winter examinations.

The state education department asked MU to let the part-time teachers too assess the papers, as it will increase productivity and speed up the assessment process. Education minister Vinod Tawde, who suggested the idea to MU, told The Asian Age, “If the part-time teachers can teach, why can’t they assess the papers? It would be good if they are involved in the process as it will make the process go smoothly.”

Officials at MU told The Asian Age that they are considering the suggestion and currently it is being discussed at the Board of Examinations and a decision would soon be reached. Arjun Ghatule, MU’s acting controller of examination and evaluation said, “We find this suggestion good and so mostly we will take a positive decision. It will increase our manpower, which will smoothen the procedure of the online assessment.”

For the online assessment of the summer examinations only full-time or permanent teachers were allowed to assess the papers. However, as there was a lack of clarity in coordinating with the teachers, MU had very few teachers for assessment.

A part-time teacher said, “We won’t have any problem but if they ask to assess now, we won’t be prepared as the process is unknown to us. If they train us, we will be able to do it”.

Mr Tawde assured that if part-time teachers are involved in the process, their remuneration will be the same as the full-time teachers.

Moreover, for the winter exams MU has already finalised the names of the teachers who will assess papers and it has been given to the online assessment company.