Ludhiana: Decade on, regularisation eludes state meritorious school teachers

In February, former director general of school education, Vinay Bublani had said the issue was under review by the education secretary and a committee was being formed

For nearly a decade, teachers of Punjab’s meritorious schools have been crafting success stories, guiding students from humble backgrounds to crack competitive exams like NEET, JEE and board merit lists. But while their students climb academic ladders, these educators remain stuck in limbo, waiting for their jobs to be regularised.

Teachers say the matter has been discussed multiple times with the education department, but with no resolution in sight. (HT Photo)

This year, out of 189 government school students who cleared the JEE Mains, a staggering 131 belonged to just nine meritorious schools. In JEE Advanced, 21 students qualified, 213 cleared NEET and 37 Class 12 students featured in the merit list. Last year alone, 243 students cleared NEET and more than 2,000 scored above 90% in Class 12 from these institutions. Despite these outstanding achievements, the teachers behind the scenes continue to work as temporary employees.

“We’ve been waiting for regularisation for over a decade,” said Lakhvir Singh, a teacher at the Ludhiana Meritorious School. “We were promised to be regularised along with Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) non-teaching staff, but while they are almost there, we are still left waiting.”

Teachers say their voices have gone unheard despite years of protests and formal meetings. Teena, president of the Meritorious Teachers’ Union, said, “Our students are being recognised nationally, but the teachers behind their success remain invisible. It’s disheartening.”

Ajay Sharma, general secretary of the union, echoed the same disappointment. “We’ve been delivering excellence consistently, but we’re denied basic dignity. No salary hikes, no arrears, and no clarity about our future. It feels like we don’t matter.”

Teachers say the matter has been discussed multiple times with the education department, but with no resolution in sight. Meetings with top officials, including one scheduled for Monday, were either cancelled or delayed repeatedly.

In February, former director general of school education, Vinay Bublani had said the issue was under review by the education secretary and a committee was being formed. However, no tangible progress has been made since.

When contacted, Amandeep Kaur, project director of the Meritorious Society, said, “I have recently taken an additional charge and have received the list of demands from the teachers. I will place them before the sub-committee in the upcoming meeting.”