COIMBATORE: For more than 10 years, Tamil Nadu had not recruited school teachers. In 2019, the government tried to address this issue with a short-term solution by appointing temporary teachers. These teachers were meant to be hired on contract for 11 months and should have cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). But compliance to these norms has been patchy at best, teachers said.
“As per the Right to Education (RTE) Act, candidates must have passed TET to work as teachers. However several temporary teachers who did not clear TET have now been hired. This is affecting the quality of education,” said V Annamalai, general secretary, of the All India Federation of Elementary Teachers Organisation. The morale of such teachers is also poor as they are hired for a lower salary. This year, they had faced delays in receiving salaries in many districts.
According to the headmaster of a panchayat union primary school at Tharamangalam block in Salem district, a temporary teacher was appointed but she had not cleared TET. “Earlier, she was teaching the subject with interest. But this year, after her salary of `12,000 was delayed every month, her enthusiasm started to wane. When we assessed the learning outcomes of her students, their performance was poor. She also felt she was being underpaid,” he said.
A temporary teacher at a primary school at Pollachi North Block said she had started teaching with the hope that it would lead to a permanent job. “But temporary teachers are facing salary delays in many districts. As a result, we are unable to concentrate on teaching,” she said. “I am yet to get my salary for June and July. It is difficult to manage my daily expenses and I am forced to borrow from friends,” she said.
School education officials admitted that temporary teachers who had not cleared TET were appointed at several schools. “Many temporary teachers are working with interest despite their lower salary but some temporary teachers are not teaching well due to a lack of training, guidance and experience,” said Tamil Nadu High and Higher Secondary Graduate Teacher Association state treasurer T Arulanandham.
“This will result in students reaching middle and high school without knowing the basics of maths and language and they will struggle to understand the concepts later,” he said. There is also an allegation that school management committees and headmasters have hired candidates as temporary teachers based on political pressure from functionaries.
Tamil Nadu All Teachers Association general secretary SC Kipson pointed out that in Thoothukudi, temporary teachers were appointed through NGOs. These teachers had not received their salary of `15,000 for six months and had taken up the issue with the collector. Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary, of State Platform for Common School System, said it is an injustice to allow temporary teachers to work in schools for an entire academic year at such low wages without recruiting permanent teachers.
Might affect students in the long run
Many temporary teachers are working despite lower salaries but some are not teaching well due to the lack of training, guidance and experience. There is a chance that students reach middle and high school without knowing the basics of mathematics and language and will struggle later, says teachers' association.