CHENNAI: The school education department operates model schools across 38 districts in the state to provide special coaching to best-performing students in classes 11 and 12. However, many of these schools don’t have permanent teachers and teachers from other government schools were deputed for a few days a week to these models schools.
Teachers are now raising concern as they are posted on deputation to model schools for two to three days a week, it is difficult for them to manage the responsibilities of two schools. Additionally, some teachers who are unwilling to work in model schools are also posted there, contradicting the department’s earlier assurances.
In addition to preparing students for board examinations, model schools also coach students to clear various entrance exams, including NEET, JEE and CLAT, among others. While there were 25 model schools earlier, it was increased to 38 this academic year with one school functioning in each district.
During this expansion, the department had assured postgraduate teachers, who teach classes 11 and 12, that only willing teachers would be posted in model schools till the recruitment of permanent teachers. However, teachers are now posted on deputation to model schools for two to three days a week while they also continue to take classes in the originally posted schools the rest of the days, said PG teachers. Due to this, teachers are not able to complete the portions in both schools, they said urging the department to stick to its earlier promise that only teachers who are willing would be posted in model schools.
“When a teacher is posted for two days on deputation to a model school, he is unable to work properly in both of them. At least if the willing teachers are posted permanently in model schools, the schools can declare the post of those teachers as vacancies and fill them with temporary teachers on consolidated pay of Rs 18,000,” said S Prabakaran, general secretary of Tamil Nadu PG Teachers’ Association.
Chief educational officers have been strictly instructed not to post temporary teachers for model schools.“In our opinion, it is students who are struggling in normal government schools who need dedicated teachers,” he said.
“Many teachers have registered their opposition with chief education officers for being deputed to model schools. However, they are still forced to work there until further orders,” said a PG teacher from Erode district.
Officials said that this was only an interim arrangement as several model schools were started in the last two academic years. “Once the permanent teacher posts are sanctioned, teachers will not have this problem,” an officer said.