This
is the last article in our 4-part series about the Kota-teacher-poaching
problem and we bring to you some solutions. Vipul Mehta, Professor at IIT Pace, Mumbai, gives
his perspective of how and why the industry in Mumbai is resistant to this
plaque and what can bring in a brighter future….
Kota is a small city
where traveling time is not an issue and students are more or less aware of practically all the good professors
in the different coaching classes. Good professors have a fan base – wherein students follow their lessons, read their books and
consider them role models. So it is only obvious that they would be willing
to uproot their education in one class and migrate to another.
However, this is
something you would rarely see in Mumbai. First, because the city is so
spread out that students in one part, say the eastern or western suburbs, may not know teachers
in another part 40 kms away; and secondly, one does not want to waste so much
time and energy in such arduous travelling through local transport in the
scorching heat of the city or the rains.
Doing something like this in Mumbai would require a
dedication beyond reasoning. Also, people here are more conscious about the
whole brand of coaching classes rather than a single teacher. It should be the
coaching institute that has to prove results. After all, education is not
something one wants to compromise with and I think it is only logical to want
stability.
In order to tackle the
issue of teacher poaching, one has to understand the root of the problem. In
Kota, there are fewer number of players. The hegemony of a few big
players is what drives the dirty race for power and prestige. Teacher poaching
happens because competitors feel they could harm the business of the other. You
are willing to pay a premium for somethings in life, and education is one of
them. Everything that is difficult has value; and everything that has value is
a race. Hopefully in future, if some more mid-sized players join the industry,
it could help to break the monopoly and facilitate healthy competition.
Speaking about loyalties
of teachers, migration exists because this is a highly skilled job. There is a good demand for people with adequate background and they have a lot of options to choose from to. But you
also have to consider the priorities of the teacher and how much weightage they give to money. There may be some professors who, like students, are more
concerned with the brand and the pride that comes from it. Such professors
won’t be easy to lure with high salaries. Besides, teachers are aware that
constant shifting affects their own brand name as well.
The most sought after solution, I can think of is the improved use of technology. Coaching institutes
should use video conferences and virtual classrooms to teach a wider and more
diverse student base. Teachers can deliver lectures to upto 40 classes in one
day and thus make more fruitful use of their resources. Such techniques can
also be used to cater to outstation students and those from rural and backward
areas. This way, the institutes can engage in CSR activities which will also
help rally their brand name.
Now let’s talk about the
implementation of this idea. In IIT Pace, Mumbai, we have implemented this idea
on an urban-rural level. I understand the cost of setting up one videoconferencing
line in rural areas is very high, as much as Rs 10 lakhs. Hence, the government should
play a role in setting up a collaboration between rural and urban institutes and
give teachers an incentive to use innovative techniques to teach students
having poor quality of education. This move will justify giving them higher
salaries and enable them to expand their brand name on a national level.
Besides,
the government will better be able to contain the illiteracy in the country and
furnish higher economic growth. So in a way, we are gratifying the needs of
three parties at the same time – the coaching institutes, professors and
the government.
This idea requires a
strategic investment of time, technology and funds, but I am hopeful that if it
works, it will help dampen the practice of teacher migration from both ends.