Allow guest teachers to work till teachers’ posts are filled: Delhi govt to HC

In an affidavit filed in response to a contempt petition filed by NGO Social Jurist, DoE director Binay Bhushan said 10,591 post graduate teacher (PGT) and trained graduate teachers’ (TGTs) posts are vacant.

As many as 10,591 teachers’ posts are lying vacant in government schools in Delhi, the Directorate of Education (DoE) informed the Delhi High Court on Wednesday and requested it to allow guest teachers to continue working on a daily wage basis till the vacancies are filled.

10,591 teachers’ posts are vacant in Delhi govt schools. (HT File)

In an affidavit filed in response to a contempt petition filed by NGO Social Jurist, DoE director Binay Bhushan said 10,591 post graduate teacher (PGT) and trained graduate teachers’ (TGTs) posts are vacant.

The directorate had sent a requisition for these posts to the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB), which conducts recruitment exams for government schools.

The DoE informed the court that DSSSB’s recruitment process is under way and it will take about six months before the candidates join the posts.

The affidavit said the education department, after receiving dossiers from DSSSB, follows the process of document verification, medical examination, character verification and appointment of selected candidates, which takes about six months.

“Therefore, guest teachers as stop-gap arrangement, on daily wages basis, may be allowed to be engaged till the teachers regularly recruited by the DSSSB join the department,” Bhushan said in the affidavit.

According to official data, there are 16,065 sanctioned posts of post graduate teachers and 32,975 trained graduate teachers. Around 15,000 posts are sanctioned under the miscellaneous category. While TGTs are eligible to teach up to class 10, the PGTs take classes till class XI.

Several government school principals said the shortage of teachers is more in primary and secondary classes. “Many TGTs got promoted as PGTs in our school this year and hence there are vacancies. We have some guest teachers but they keep on changing throughout the year. This inconsistency affects the learning level of students,” said the principal of a senior secondary boys’ school in east Delhi, who wished not to be named.

Ashok Agarwal of Social Jurist said DoE should not delay the process further. “We have been informed that DoE has started to receive dossiers from DSSSB and should not delay the process,” he said.

Special educators

Meanwhile, the high court sought responses from the AAP government and the chief secretary on a contempt plea alleging failure of the authorities to recruit special educators for disabled children in government schools.

Justice V Kameswar Rao issued notices on the contempt petition that alleged the authorities intentionally did not comply with the high court’s July 2 order, where it had allowed a plea seeking age relaxation in order to qualify for the post of special education teachers in Delhi government schools.