CHENNAI: The School education department has directed Chief Educational Officers to fill the 13,331 vacancies in government schools with temporary teachers. School Management Committee (SMC), for the first time, would be engaged in the recruitment. Its members will be on the interview panel.
“SMCs comprise various stakeholders, including parents. They will select the most suitable candidate as it concerns their children’s education,” said Vasanthi Devi, president of Palli Kalvi Paathukappu Iyakkam. She said the initiative would help check learning loss among students in government schools.
“Our students have already suffered learning loss during the pandemic. They shouldn’t suffer more due to a dearth of teachers,” she said. SC Natraj, director of NGO Sudar, said the move meant the government recognised SMCs.
However, Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary of State platform for common school system, termed the recruitment temporary teachers unnecessary. “The Teacher Recruitment Board (TRB) should have prioritised completing the recruitment of permanent teachers. Moreover, the pay scale of temporary teachers is low... Such a teacher will be paid Rs 7,500 a month, which is less than the salary of a domestic help,” he said.
As per a G.O. issued by the department, 4,989 secondary-grade-teacher posts in primary and middle schools, and 5,154 graduate-teacher posts in high and higher secondary schools remain vacant. In higher secondary schools, 3,188 postgraduate-teacher posts are vacant.
The TRB would fill these posts in the current academic year. Till then, however, these vacancies should be filled by qualified candidates on a temporary basis. While secondary-grade and graduate teachers would be paid `7,500-10,000 a month, postgraduate teachers will be paid `12,000.