'Need for competent teachers for quality education'

MYSORE: The Union minister of state Srikant Kumar Jena on Monday called upon teachers to improve their competence and extending quality education to their students.
Pointing at the education infrastructure available in the nation, he said, there is a need for competent and trained teachers to increase the enrolment of students to higher education, especially in the science stream. Delivering the Graduates' Day address at the JSS College of Arts, Commerce and Science, he said higher education in India has witnessed a quantum leap. Since Independence, a number of universities have increased from 20 to 500 now, and colleges from 500 to 21,000. The number of teachers have grown from 15,000 to 6 lakh. What is required is improving the competence of teachers to attend to the growing needs, he stated.
Referring to the 12th Plan that aims at 21% gross enrolment ratio, the minister for chemicals and fertilizers said: "To realize this ambitious goal, several measures were contemplated like increase in the number of universities, colleges, vocational and technical institutions. The Union and state governments are providing huge financial outlays for education," he stated.
He said measures like according autonomous status to the colleges, grading them and accreditation are helpful. The JSS college is an autonomous institution. Suttur mutt seer Shivaratri Deshikendra Swami was present.