Chandigarh: Education Department looks to revive 1,082 teaching posts in govt schools

Naina Mishra

Advertisement

Chandigarh, April 10

More than 1,000 teaching posts were abolished in UT government schools over a period as these remained vacant for more than five years, resulting in shortage of teachers. The Education Department in now planning to revive these posts to meet the shortfall.

One-time exemption granted by ministry

• Posts, barring new ones, vacant for over two years are considered ‘deemed abolished’ and those vacant for over five years are considered ‘abolished’
• To fill these posts, UT Admn has to send a proposal for ‘creation of new posts’ to Centre, but process may take years due to clearances and paperwork involved
• To reduce delay and ensure quality education, Ministry of Home Affairs has allowed one-time exemption to UT from abolition of such posts
• The UT has been asked to take up proposal of revival of posts with Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education

Currently, there are 335 abolished posts of junior basic teacher (JBT) in the government schools that the department now plans to revive. A proposal to recruit 300 JBT teachers has also been sent to the Ministry of Education.

All posts, except the newly created ones, kept in abeyance or remaining vacant for a period of more than two years are considered to be “deemed abolished” and those that have not been filled for more than five years are regarded as “abolished”.

Of the total sanctioned 4,725 posts, as many as 1,082 were abolished under various categories of teaching faculty in government schools. Of these, there are 93 posts of PGT, 429 of TGT, 128 of NTT, 50 posts of special educator TGT and 47 of special educator JBT.

Harsuhinder Pal Singh Brar, Director School Education, says the posts were abolished after these had remained vacant over a long period. “The Centre has given us one-time exemption under which we are seeking revival of these posts. Soon, new staff will be recruited for government schools,” he says.

As these posts had been lying vacant for more than five years, a request was required to be sent to the Centre for the “creation of new posts” against these, which was a time-consuming process. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs has given one-time exemption to the Chandigarh Administration from abolition of posts lying vacant for more than five years to ensure better quality of education.

The department has been directed by the Centre to take up the proposal of revival of posts of teacher/special educator with the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education. The posts once revived will add to the sanctioned strength.

As some of the regular post are currently being filled with contract employees in the Education Department, it was also clarified by the Ministry of Finance until these are filled by regular incumbents, the posts will be considered as deemed abolished/abolished depending on the vacancy period.