Kathmandu, April 27:

Teachers of public campuses affiliated to various universities have formed a Public Campus Professor Association (PCPA). The teachers said they formed the PCPA to press the universities and other bodies to meet their demands.

Speaking at a press meet organised to announce the formation of the PCPA, Prof Bhola Regmi, coordinator of the PCPA valley coordinating committee, accused the state of ignoring professors of public campuses.

“First of all, we call on campuses and universities to recognise our contribution in providing quality education to students,” Regmi said. A majority of public campuses are affiliated to the Tribhuvan University, but they have not been graded.

Regmi warned, “We will form a new university for public campuses if we are not evaluated on the basis of our experience.”

He called on the government to focus on lecturers’ development. Dr Khum Raj Pandey, coordinator of the central ad hoc committee of the PCPA, said, “There are over 300 public campuses in the country. About 40 per cent of students are pursuing higher studies in these campuses.”