Teachers of Mewat model schools await regular appointments

Gurugram, February 2

Two years after the Haryana Government transferred administrative control of eight government model schools in state’s Mewat region from the Mewat Development Agency to Education Department, 80 Trained Graduate Teachers and 33 other staff fulfilling criteria for regularisation are still waiting for their appointment letters.

“We are working hard for the past 20 years in these model schools giving good results, but the state government is not taking care of us,” said Vijendra Kumar, the president of the employees union of model schools.Mewat is one of the most backward areas of the country having an average literacy rate of 54.08% in 2011.

No matter, the Haryana Civil Services (Pay, Allowances, Leaves, Conduct, Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 2016 were applicable to all model school employees, but they were not being offered appointment letters and regular salaries as per the applicable pay scales.

These model schools are located at Nuh, Ferozepur Jhirkha, Punhana, Taurau, Nagina, Hathin (Palwal district), Madhi and Khanpur Ghati. At least, 7,500 students are studying in these schools. These schools were taken over by the Education Department with the sole motive to bring education standards in the backward region on a par with the rest of the state.

Satish Khatana, another teacher, said model school teachers have written a letter to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar last week reminding him of his promise to absorb all the teachers and other staff on regular service. “We have been betrayed by the state government,” said another teacher working in a model school for the past 18 years. An education department official said the issue was pending before the state government for a final decision.