COVID19 AND LESSONS FOR LEGAL EDUCATION SECTOR

COVID19 has greatly impacted the education sector. It has positive as well as  negative implications. Among positive impact, it has fast forwarded the digitised education. For example,  within a span of a month beginning from March, 2020 the schools, colleges, institutes and universities have started adopting the online mode of classes, meetings, examinations etc.

It has also negatively affected the lives of many people. Faculty staff and non faculty staff salary reduction, employment continuity issue during covid19 has emerged as a problem especially for those working in private sector or on a casual or contractual basis. For example, Faculty members are being compelled to join campus even if the work can be finished from home, Suppose you are required to submit a report of a webinar conducted in your institute. It can be done online. Even in the containment zone, the staffs are compelled to join. If you dont join, your salary will be deducted. Can it be regulated, like use of VDO mode of functioning, especially in Maharashtra, Delhi, TN, etc where the cases are rising like Sursa. The staff can be on the table at 10am-4pm, with video mode on so that it is ensured that he really works. Usual recess can be followed. But to deduct salary is unfair  even if h/she is willing to work and deliver. If someone does not deliver on a regular basis, pl take action for non performance. 

Similarly, staff has been asked (read nudged) to join after september. Salary of June, July and August shall not be given. If the private institute is in deep financial trouble, it is bearable.  On the other hand, if the institute is running well, they have students in various semesters, money pouring in, the faculty and non faculty staff ought to be given their due. It is understandable that the first semester admission has taken a toll. Due to COVID related lock down followed by job loss, fresh students are finding it difficult to find (except first semester admission), why this decision. The salary of 4th grade staff has been cut down to half in some institutes bcz they could not turn up during lock down. Can deep pocket theory be incorporated? The top academic bosses should be asked questions why is it happening. Whether article 23 of the Constitution of India comes in picture if you ask the employee to work on low wages? If not, should it be accordingly amended so that white collar corporate educational institutes do not resort to the practice of outrageous exploitation. 

The issues also indicate that the govt sector in higher education is better equipped to enforce dignity under article 21 and equal treatment under article 14 vis a vis a private sector, though the performance and delivery in government  sector colleges and universities are questionable. 

While many private colleges and universities have conducted classes online, whether the similar has been done by govt colleges, and Universities?  

A private college in UP has conducted around 200 classes on zoom, but the state University funded by government has conducted hardly 30 online classes for LLB. One can find that private colleges are conducting webinars on an aggressive scale  but the state funded universities and colleges are lagging far behind, subject to a few distinguished exceptions. The State funded universities and colleges need to take a definite lead in online teaching because they have very qualified teachers, expert professors. They can cater to the needs of poor students from rural back ground. As they are decently paid and mostly permanent, they have obligations also. 

The issue of exploitations in higher educational institutes due to covid needs to be widely discussed and researched by academicians and intellectuals. It has to be published in media and forwarded on whats app, facebook after due verifications. It has to be tweeted and retweeted. The institutions, colleges and Universities have to be made responsible. The Government and judiciary should be pro-active in identifying and addressing these issues.