Now, retired teachers to be appointed in schools with less than 10 students

Mumbai: The state government also increased the minimum number of students in a class to have a full-time principal from 100 to 150

Mumbai: Following the school education department’s failure to close schools with less than 20 students, through a recent government resolution (GR) it has decided to appoint one retired teacher along with one regular teacher in schools with less than 10 students.

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The GR also increased the minimum number of students in a class to have a full-time principal from 100 to 150.

Educationists have pointed out that this decision will force parents to move their children from government schools, prompting the government to shut down these schools.

This decision is to align the state’s schooling system with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and to curb dropouts after primary education. As many as 14,985 schools in the state have less than 20 students.

“The government’s plan to appoint retired teachers is not good for the education system. This may harm teachers’ positions in such schools in the future,” Mahendra Ganpule, spokesperson of the Maharashtra Principal Association, said.

Ganpule further pointed out the changes in the eligibility of the school principal posts. “Earlier, schools with 100 students had a full-time principal. Increasing the number of minimum students from 100 to 150 will affect the school’s administrative work. The government must roll back the GR,” he added.

Pointing out the violation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, Bhausabheb Chaskar, a teacher activist, questioned the very idea of hiring retired teachers. “If the department wishes to appoint a retired teacher, why did the department allow them to retire in the first place? There is no logic behind this decision. Education is the right of every student. This GR will badly impact the education system of the state. The government must roll back this GR” he said.