The Institute of Advanced Studies in Education at Berhampur. Telegraph picture

Berhampur, Aug. 16: Greenery surrounds the building in which students are trained to become better teachers. But the Institute of Advanced Studies in Education (IASE) may soon have empty classrooms.

Located in Kanisi, about eight kilometres from here, the institute might soon get de-recognised for lack of teaching staff.

“With 60 students studying for B.Ed., 24 for M.Ed. and 12 M.Phil students, the IASE may be de-recognised because it is under-staffed,” said Surendra Nath Mohapatra, reader in education at the institute.

There are only three members in the teaching staff while there are 27 sanctioned posts. Five faculty members of the institute have been transferred to the Government Training College, Phulbani, since last year. The department of higher education, however, is yet to appoint teachers to the vacant posts, Mohapatra said.

The central government, which declared the institute an IASE in 1993, initiated steps to downgrade it to the status of a College of Teachers Education after an order of the state school and mass education department in July 2005. But the step was aborted after the intervention of a high-level committee headed by minister Surya Narayan Patra.

The strength of the B.Ed. students has come down to 60 from 128. The institute has been running with just four teachers, including the principal-in charge.

“The IASE at Berhampur is the victim of a step-motherly attitude of the state government,” said P Nibedita, a former M.Ed. student of the institute. “The two other Institutes of Advanced Studies in Education in the state, at Cuttack and Sambalpur, were launched in 1986. When those institutes are still running, why shouldn’t the one at Berhampur?” she asked.

“When the staff strength of the IASE at Cuttack and Sambalpur is eight and seven respectively, why is the state government not providing enough teachers to IASE Berhampur,” Nibedita wondered.

At Berhampur, the institute has six departments imparting pre-service education to B.Ed, M.Ed and M.Phil students and in-service education to high school teachers. It offers refresher courses and orientation programmes and extension education that involve the villagers and the community in studies, research and innovation for PhD scholars at various places outside the premises of the institute.

There are also provisions for publication of thesis and booklets. The IASE Berhampur also was gives training to the circle inspector, district inspector and sub-inspector of schools, teachers of the schools under the welfare department, and social activists of NGOs involved in education, according to sources.

The institute has a library with more than 13,000 books, computer and science laboratory, an auditorium and a large lecture hall.

An Indira Gandhi Open University centre also functions from its premises.

The director, Teachers Education and the State Council of Education Research and Training, had forwarded proposals approved by the secretary of the department of mass education to the state government a few years ago for appointment of contract teachers to fill up the vacant posts, but in vain. The principal is not authorised to appoint contractual teachers.

“We are being forced to conduct joint classes of B.Ed. and M.Ed. — there are seven periods allotted for them every day. Many good students are often reluctant to join IASE,” said Mohapatra.