COIMBATORE: It has been over a decade since part-time instructors were appointed to teach special subjects — drawing, physical education, music — to Classes VI to VIII in government schools. However, the instructors do not have a syllabus yet.
Headmasters of various schools in the district expressed concern that without syllabus, the purporse of the classes is lost. Sources said as per the Central government order, 16,549 part-time instructors were appointed in government schools under Samagra Shiksha in 2012.
A headmaster in Coimbatore, seeking anonymity, said, the school education department has failed to provide the syllabus for special subjects due to which students have been affected for the last 10 years. The HM added, "Part-time instructors take the classes for the three half days in a week. As there is no syllabus, most of them do administration work including uploading student details on the EMIS portal and a few just sign the attendance register and leave. Only a few physical education instructors provide practice on games to those interested students.”
Art Teacher Welfare Association president SA Rajkumar told TNIE, "If the government releases syllabus for special subjects, students would show interest in these subjects."
He alleged that lack of equipment is also a reason why instructors do not provide practice to the students.
Further, Rajkumar pointed out that some unqualified part-time instructors have been recruited in the district and officials have recruited them without considering their Technical Teacher Certificate and requested the department to remove such teachers from the post for the welfare of students.
Tamil Nadu Part-time Special Teachers Association secretary D Rajadevaganth said, "At present, we have been teaching the basics of the subjects to the students. If we have a proper syllabus, students can learn these subjects effectively and uniformly."
Repeated attempts to reach senior officials in school education department went in vain.