Teacher’s Diary: A teacher’s vision helps in reforming a degree college in Lucknow

A degree college in Lucknow had earned the infamy of being a hotspot for hooliganism. A teacher who has been teaching here for the last 21 years has not only eradicated the criminal activities in the college but has also contributed to its better academic performance.

Pradeep Sharma was appointed as a lecturer at Lucknow’s Shia Post Graduate College in 2002. The principal of the college was also a political leader who held a ministerial position in the state.

Due to the principal being busy with abiding by the duties of his public office, the discipline in the college was deteriorating and hooligans roamed around freely within its campus. The college had earned the infamy of being a hub for anti-social elements.

Ruffians, goons and criminals were often seen clashing amongst each other inside the college premises. However, the college witnessed a radically positive change after 2007.

Following the appointment of a new principal named MS Naqvi, Sharma, the lecturer proposed a mentorship programme for assessing the IQ levels and the socio-cultural backgrounds of the students. On the basis of the results of the assessment, the academic staff categorised the students into two categories namely slow learners and advanced learners.

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The assessment concluded that most of the students hailed from low socio-economic backgrounds and many of them had part time jobs which were vital for their families’ livelihoods. Keeping in view the challenges faced by these students, separate frameworks were created and the results were remarkable.

Not only did the atmosphere in the college improve and hooliganism vanished but the academic performance of the students also improved drastically. Between 2010-2016, the passing percentage of the college was 47 per cent but since 2016, the percentage soared to around 86 per cent.

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Also, a data resource cell was created during the COVID-19 pandemic which helped students stay in touch with their study despite the college being shut. The college which was infamous for violence and clashes witnessed community kitchens during the pandemic and the students volunteered with great vigour.

Presently, the college is certified in the ‘A’ category by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council and Pradeep Sharma has been vital in bringing about these changes at the college.