Concerns mount over new teacher appointment rules affecting small schools

While teachers’ associations argue that the policy does not explicitly mandate the closure of these institutions, it effectively renders them non-functional, raising critical questions about access to education, particularly in remote areas

MUMBAI: The state government’s revised teacher appointment policy has raised serious concerns over the future of schools with low student enrolment. Under the new guidelines, teacher posts are directly linked to student numbers, leaving approximately 14,985 schools with fewer than 20 students in grades 6 to 8 without any sanctioned teaching staff.

Concerns mount over new teacher appointment rules affecting small schools

While teachers’ associations argue that the policy does not explicitly mandate the closure of these institutions, it effectively renders them non-functional, raising critical questions about access to education, particularly in remote areas.

The state is currently conducting the ‘Sanch Manyata’ process, where teacher positions are sanctioned based on student enrolment data submitted by schools. According to the new criteria, no teachers have been allocated to schools with fewer than 20 students in classes 6 to 8. Consequently, while these schools remain officially open, they are expected to function without any teaching staff, raising concerns over their sustainability and the future of students enrolled in them.

Previously, a government resolution (GR) issued on March 14 last year had approved the appointment of one contractual and one regular teacher for classes 1 to 4 if enrollment was below 20, and two teachers for classes 6 to 8 under similar conditions. However, under the revised policy, contractual teacher appointments have been scrapped, and new teacher postings will be based strictly on student numbers. Recent directives indicate that no teacher posts have been approved for low-enrolment schools in classes 6 to 8 on the government portal, a fact unofficially confirmed by teaching department officials.

“Instead of directly closing down small schools, the government is taking an indirect route by denying teacher appointments,” said a teacher currently working at a school with only 18 students.

The government had previously informed the High Court that there were no concrete plans to close or merge low-enrolment schools into group schools. Instead, the education department had assured that teachers would be redeployed to these institutions. However, education experts warn that the new policy could lead to the eventual shutdown of thousands of schools across the state.

Vijay Kombe, President of the Maharashtra State Primary Teachers’ Committee, voiced concerns over the impact of the policy. “With the current directives, many teachers will be left surplus. The government has assured that they will be reassigned, but this policy will effectively lead to the closure of thousands of schools, disproportionately affecting rural students, especially girls.”

Meanwhile, J M Abhyankar, a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) representing the Mumbai teachers’ constituency, has written a letter to the Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis expressing his opposition to the policy. “If the New Education Policy (NEP) is to be implemented effectively, it is necessary to increase the number of teachers. However, instead of maintaining schools, the government is moving towards their closure. This decision will push thousands of students from rural and underprivileged backgrounds into darkness,” he stated in his letter.

In response to the policy, the Maharashtra State Teachers’ Union has announced a state-wide sit-in protest on February 27, coinciding with World Marathi Language Day. Teachers will demonstrate at the offices of education officers and deputy directors, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the decision.