Government school teachers in Delhi protest move to outsource hiring of sports coaches
NEW DELHI: The Directorate of Education has planned to privatise the hiring of sports coaches for government schools and also replace the ones who have been working for the last 25 years.
Meanwhile, the Government School Teachers Association has written to the director of education stating that until permanent coaches are appointed under the DoE, the department should allow the experienced physical education teacher and post-graduation teacher (PETS/PGTs) to serve in Supervisory/In-charge roles over the outsourced workforce.
“This will enable the effective utilization of their vast experience while ensuring the well-being of the students. Also, having a regular/permanent employee overseeing the grounds and other sports infrastructure is very important at present,” read the letter.
The association has said that the DoE should expeditiously initiate the permanent recruitment of coaches and allow these experienced and eligible PETs to serve to the best of their capabilities, recognising their invaluable contributions. “Privately recruited coaches may come with impressive qualifications on paper. They cannot match the level of expertise of experienced teachers who have nurtured sports talent in government schools,” the letter said.
Entrusting privately hired coaches for preserving valuable government assets raises valid concerns about monitoring and accountability. Contractual engagements may serve as temporary support, but they should not be entrusted with permanent responsibilities that could adversely impact the DoE and its students,” the GSTA’s letter said.
Over parents’ concerns, GSTA general secretary Ajay Veer Singh said, “Parents are expressing concerns about their children’s fair and transparent selection process, as the presence of an outsourced workforce raises questions about the system’s integrity.”
Performance in Maths should improve: Edu dept to schools
The Directorate of Education (DoE) has questioned the Delhi government schools through a circular asking if it can be expected that children failing in Mathematics in classes IX and X will reduce by at least 50% each this year.
In a circular issued to all the Delhi government schools on July 24, the director of education pointed out various academic priorities for 2023-24 which included – Mission Mathematics, Mission Buniyaad, Business blasters etc. Starting in 2022, the DoE held its first meeting of ‘Mission Mathematics’ on June 22, 2023, for the session 2023-24. Mission Mathematics is an initiative aiming to strengthen board results after an analysis of the results had proved that Maths was an area of concern and needed special academic support