Student count to decide pay of teachers? Panel to study

The state education department, in a circular issued on Thursday, announced that it has set up a committee to study if it would be feasible to decide the salary

The state education department, in a circular issued on Thursday, announced that it has set up a committee to study if it would be feasible to decide the salary grants of teachers with the number of students in a school.

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The committee consists of the deputy director of education, Pune region, as the head, and five other members, who will submit a report to the state on the idea.

“The department has been asked to review the system of allotting grants to schools in one of the cabinet meetings. As a part of the review, the committee formed by the department will study if it is feasible to fix the grant amount for teachers on the basis of the number of students in each school,” the circular read.

Education commissioner Vishal Solanki said teachers will not be inconvenienced due to the system. “The panel will only study the pros and cons of the system. It is only to comply with the cabinet instruction and examine a new model,” he said.

Teachers have criticised the move. Uday Nare, a teacher of Hansraj Morarji Public School, said, “The state can’t decide how much a teacher should be paid on the basis of the student count and shift the blame of poor enrolment on teachers. No matter how many students are in a class, teachers continue to work hard in their own capacity and don’t deserve this treatment,” he said.